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Objectives@#We report on a patient who showed mild bradykinesia due to injury of the corticofugal tract (CFT) from the secondary motor area following direct head trauma, which was demonstrated on diffusion tensor tractography (DTT).Case summary: A 58-year-old male patient underwent conservative management for subarachnoid hemorrhages caused by direct head trauma resulting from a fall from six-meter height at the department of neurosurgery of a local hospital. His Glasgow Coma Scale score was 3. He developed mildly slow movements following the head trauma and visited the rehabilitation department of a university hospital at ten weeks after the fall. The patient exhibited mild bradykinesia during walking and arm movements with mild weakness in all four extremities (G/G - ). @*Results@#On ten-week DTT, narrowing of the right CFT from the supplementary motor area (SMA-CFT), and partial tearing of the left SMA-CFT, left CFTs from the dorsal premotor cortex (dPMC-CFT) and both corticospinal tracts (CSTs) at the subcortical white matter were observed. @*Conclusion@#This case demonstrated abnormalities in both CSTs (partial tearing at the subcortical white matter and narrowing), both SMA-CFTs (narrowing and partial tearing) and left dPMC-CFT. We believe our findings suggest the necessity of assessment of the CFTs from the secondary motor area for patients with unexplained bradykinesia following direct head trauma.
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Objectives@#We investigated injury of corticostriatal (CStr) tract in patient with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), which was demonstrated by DTT.Method: A 44-year-old female with no previous history of neurological, physical, or psychiatric illness had suffered from head trauma resulting from a pedestrian car accident. She complained that could not quickly move the left hand with her intension. After three month’s administration, her slowness movement of left hand recovered rapidly to the point that she was able to extend all fingers quickly. @*Results@#On DTT configuration, the integrity of the left CStr tract was well-preserved, however the right CStr tract showed narrowing and partial tearing in the subcortical white matter on a DTT at 25 months after onset. @*Conclusion@#Injury of the right CStr tract was demonstrated in a patient who developed mild motor control problems following mild TBI. We believe that the evaluation of the CStr tract from the secondary motor area for patients who showed unexplained motor control problem is necessary.
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Objectives@#The nigrostriatal tract (NST) connect from the substantia nigra pars compacta to the striatum. A few previous studies have reported on the NST in the Parkinson’s disease using a proboblistic tractography method. However, no study has been conducted for identification of the NST using streamline DTT technique. In the current study, we used streamline DTI technique to investigate the reconstruction method and characteristics of the NST in normal subjects. @*Methods@#Eleven healthy subjects were recruited in this study. The NST from the substantia nigra of the midbrain and the striatum of basal ganglia was reconstructed using DTI data. Fractional anisotropy, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values and fiber numbers of the NST were measured. @*Results@#In all subjects, the NST between the substantia nigra of the midbrain and the striatum. Mean values for FA, ADC, and tract volume were 0.460, 0.818, and 154.3 in the right NST, and 0.485, 0.818, and 176.3 in the left NST respectively. @*Conclusions@#we reconstructed the NRT from the substantia nigra of the midbrain and the striatum of the basal ganglia using streamline tractography method. We believe that the findings and the proposed streamline reconstruction method of this study would be useful in future researches on the NST of the human brain.
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Purpose@#The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of a simultaneous dual-task and horse-riding simulator (HRS) training regime on pulmonary function and flexibility. @*Methods@#Sixteen subjects were recruited and randomly allocated to two groups: a dual-task (DT) (n=8) or a single-task (ST) (n=8) training group. Flexibility and pulmonary function were assessed before and after HRS training. Both groups underwent HRS training for 4 weeks, 3 times/week in 15-minute training sessions. The ST group underwent HRS training and the DT group underwent dual-task HRS training, which consisted of throwing and catching a ball and ring catching while HRS training. @*Results@#Training significantly increased flexibility and FVC (forced vital capacity) and FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in 1 second) in both groups (p0.05). After the training, flexibility and FVC in the DT group were significantly greater than in the ST group (p0.05). @*Conclusion@#Simultaneous dual-task and HRS motor training improved flexibility, FVC, and FEV1, and our comparative analysis suggests that dual-task HRS training improved flexibility and FVC more than single-task training.
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Objectives@#We investigated injury of corticostriatal (CStr) tract in patient with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), which was demonstrated by DTT.Method: A 44-year-old female with no previous history of neurological, physical, or psychiatric illness had suffered from head trauma resulting from a pedestrian car accident. She complained that could not quickly move the left hand with her intension. After three month’s administration, her slowness movement of left hand recovered rapidly to the point that she was able to extend all fingers quickly. @*Results@#On DTT configuration, the integrity of the left CStr tract was well-preserved, however the right CStr tract showed narrowing and partial tearing in the subcortical white matter on a DTT at 25 months after onset. @*Conclusion@#Injury of the right CStr tract was demonstrated in a patient who developed mild motor control problems following mild TBI. We believe that the evaluation of the CStr tract from the secondary motor area for patients who showed unexplained motor control problem is necessary.
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Objectives@#The nigrostriatal tract (NST) connect from the substantia nigra pars compacta to the striatum. A few previous studies have reported on the NST in the Parkinson’s disease using a proboblistic tractography method. However, no study has been conducted for identification of the NST using streamline DTT technique. In the current study, we used streamline DTI technique to investigate the reconstruction method and characteristics of the NST in normal subjects. @*Methods@#Eleven healthy subjects were recruited in this study. The NST from the substantia nigra of the midbrain and the striatum of basal ganglia was reconstructed using DTI data. Fractional anisotropy, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values and fiber numbers of the NST were measured. @*Results@#In all subjects, the NST between the substantia nigra of the midbrain and the striatum. Mean values for FA, ADC, and tract volume were 0.460, 0.818, and 154.3 in the right NST, and 0.485, 0.818, and 176.3 in the left NST respectively. @*Conclusions@#we reconstructed the NRT from the substantia nigra of the midbrain and the striatum of the basal ganglia using streamline tractography method. We believe that the findings and the proposed streamline reconstruction method of this study would be useful in future researches on the NST of the human brain.
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Purpose@#The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of a simultaneous dual-task and horse-riding simulator (HRS) training regime on pulmonary function and flexibility. @*Methods@#Sixteen subjects were recruited and randomly allocated to two groups: a dual-task (DT) (n=8) or a single-task (ST) (n=8) training group. Flexibility and pulmonary function were assessed before and after HRS training. Both groups underwent HRS training for 4 weeks, 3 times/week in 15-minute training sessions. The ST group underwent HRS training and the DT group underwent dual-task HRS training, which consisted of throwing and catching a ball and ring catching while HRS training. @*Results@#Training significantly increased flexibility and FVC (forced vital capacity) and FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in 1 second) in both groups (p0.05). After the training, flexibility and FVC in the DT group were significantly greater than in the ST group (p0.05). @*Conclusion@#Simultaneous dual-task and HRS motor training improved flexibility, FVC, and FEV1, and our comparative analysis suggests that dual-task HRS training improved flexibility and FVC more than single-task training.
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PURPOSE@#We investigated the difference in injury of the corticospinal tract (CST) and the spinothalamic tract (STT) in patients with putaminal hemorrhage, using diffusion tensor tractography (DTT).@*METHODS@#Thirty one consecutive patients with PH and 34 control subjects were recruited for this study. DTT scanning was performed at early stage of PH (7-63 days), and the CST and STT were reconstructed using the Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Brain (FMRIB) Software Library program. Injury of the CST and STT was defined in terms of the configuration or abnormal DTT parameters was more than 2 standard deviations lower than that of normal control subjects.@*RESULTS@#Among 31 patients, all 31 patients (100%) had injury of the CTS, whereas 25 patients (80.6%) had injury of the STT: the incidence of CST injury was significantly higher than that of STT (p<0.05). In detail, 20 (64.5%) of 31 patients showed a discontinuation of the CST in the affected hemisphere; in contrast, 14 patients (45.2%) of 31 patients showed a discontinuation of the STT in the affected hemisphere. Regarding the FA value, 6 (19.4%) of 31 patients and 2 (6.4%) of 31 patients were found to have injury in the CST and STT, respectively. In terms of the fiber number, the same injury incidence was observed in 11 patients (35.5%) in both the CST and STT.@*CONCLUSION@#The greater vulnerability of the CST appears to be ascribed to the anatomical characteristics; the CST is located anteriorly to the center of the putamen compared with the STT.
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PURPOSE: Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data must be analyzed by an analyzer after data processing. Hence, the analyzed data of DTI might depend on the analyzer, making it a major limitation. This paper reviewed previous DTI studies reporting the repeatability and reproducibility of data from the corticospinal tract (CST), one of the most actively researched neural tracts on this topic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Relevant studies published between January 1990 and December 2018 were identified by searching PubMed, Google Scholar, and MEDLINE electronic databases using the following keywords: DTI, diffusion tensor tractography, reliability, repeatability, reproducibility, and CST. As a result, 15 studies were selected. RESULTS: Measurements of the CSTs using region of interest methods on 2-dimensional DTI images generally showed excellent repeatability and reproducibility of more than 0.8 but high variability (0.29 to 1.00) between studies. In contrast, measurements of the CST using the 3-dimensional DTT method not only revealed excellent repeatability and reproducibility of more than 0.9 but also low variability (repeatability, 0.88 to 1.00; reproducibility, 0.82 to 0.99) between studies. CONCLUSION: Both 2-dimensional DTI and 3-dimensional DTT methods appeared to be reliable for measuring the CST but the 3-dimensional DTT method appeared to be more reliable.
Subject(s)
Diffusion Tensor Imaging , Diffusion , Methods , Pyramidal TractsABSTRACT
We report on a patient who showed visual recovery following bilateral occipital lobe infarct, as evaluated by follow up functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and diffusion tensor tractography (DTT). A 56-year-old female patient exhibited severe visual impairment since onset of the cerebral infarct in the bilateral occipital lobes. The patient complained that she could not see anything, although the central part of the visual field remained dimly at 1 week after onset. However, her visual function has shown improvement with time. As a result, at 5 weeks after onset, she notified that her visual field and visual acuity had improved. fMRI and DTT were acquired at 1 week and 4 weeks after onset, using a 1.5-T Philips Gyroscan Intera. The fiber number of left optic radiation (OR) increased from 257 (1-week) to 353 (4-week), although the fiber numbers for right OR were similar. No activation in the occipital lobe was observed on 1-week fMRI. By contrast, activation of the visual cortex, including the bilateral primary visual cortex, was observed on 4-week fMRI. We demonstrated visual recovery in this patient in terms of the changes observed on DTT and fMRI. It appears that the recovery of the left OR was attributed more to resolution of local factors, such as peri-infarct edema, than brain plasticity.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Brain , Brain Infarction , Diffusion Tensor Imaging , Diffusion , Edema , Follow-Up Studies , Infarction , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Occipital Lobe , Plastics , Vision Disorders , Visual Acuity , Visual Cortex , Visual Fields , Visual PathwaysABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Other than a single case report, no diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) studies of the precommissural fornix in the human brain have been conducted. In the current study, we attempted to visualize the precommissural fornix in the human brain using DTT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We recruited 36 healthy volunteers for this study. Diffusion tensor images were scanned using a 1.5-T scanner, and the precommissural fornix was analyzed using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain (FMRIB) software. Values of fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), and tract volume of the precommissural fornix were measured. RESULTS: The precommissural fornix originated from the hippocampal formation on each hemisphere as a crus; both crura were then joined to the body of the fornix. The body of the fornix continued anteriorly to the level just superior to the anterior commissure, where it divided into each column of the precommissural fornix. Each column descended anteriorly to the anterior commissure and terminated in the septal nuclei. Values of FA, MD, and tract volumes of the precommissural fornix did not differ between the right and left hemispheres (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: We believe that the methodology and results of this study would be helpful to future research on the precommissural fornix and in the elucidation of the pathology of diseases involving the precommissural fornix.
Subject(s)
Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Diffusion Tensor Imaging , Fornix, Brain/anatomy & histologyABSTRACT
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) allows to isolate the corticospinal tract (CST) area from adjacent structures. Using DTI, we investigated the characteristics of the CST areas according to the pontine level in the normal human brain. We recruited 33 healthy subjects and DTIs were acquired using a sensitivity-encoding head coil on a 1.5-T Philips Gyroscan Intera. We measured the size and fractional anisotropy (FA) value of the CST area at the upper, middle, and lower pons. The size of the CST area in the lower pons was smaller than those of the mid-pons and upper pons, and the size of the CST area in the mid-pons was smallerthan that of the upper pons (p<0.05). FA values of the lower pons were larger than those of the mid-pons and upper pons, and the FA value of the mid-pons was also larger than that of the upper pons (p<0.05). In summary, we found a smaller size and higher FA value of the CST area from rostral to caudal direction in the pons. These results suggest a more compact neural structure of CST areas from rostral to caudal direction in the pons.
Subject(s)
Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Brain/anatomy & histology , Diffusion Tensor Imaging , Pyramidal Tracts/anatomy & histologyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To describe a hand-stretching device that was developed for the management of hand spasticity in chronic hemiparetic stroke patients, and the effects of this device on hand spasticity. METHODS: Fifteen chronic hemiparetic stroke patients with finger flexor spasticity were recruited and randomly assigned to an intervention group (8 patients) or a control group (7 patients). The stretching device consists of a resting hand splint, a finger and thumb stretcher, and a frame. In use, the stretched state was maintained for 10 minutes per exercise session, and the exercise was performed twice daily for 4 weeks. Spasticity of finger flexor muscles in the two groups was assessed 3 times, 4 weeks apart, using the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS). Patients in the intervention group were assessed twice (pre-1 and pre-2) before and once (post-1) after starting the stretching program. RESULTS: Mean MAS (mMAS) scores at initial evaluations were not significantly different at pre-1 in the intervention group and at 1st assessment in the control group (p>0.05). In addition, no significant differences were observed between mMAS scores at pre-1 and pre-2 in the intervention group (p>0.05). However, mMAS scores at post-1 were significantly lower than that at pre-2 in the intervention group (p0.05). In addition, mMAS scores at post-1 in the intervention group were significantly decreased compared with those at the 3rd assessment in the control group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The devised stretching device was found to relieve hand spasticity effectively in chronic hemiparetic stroke patients.
Subject(s)
Humans , Fingers , Hand , Muscle Spasticity , Muscles , Paresis , Splints , Stroke , ThumbABSTRACT
We found that the second author name was published incorrectly. Min Cheol Jang was changed to Min Cheol Chang.
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We found that the second author name was published incorrectly. Min Cheol Jang was changed to Min Cheol Chang.