ABSTRACT
Objective:To explore the effects of Tiaoren Tongdu Acupuncture on motor function and corticospinal tract (CST) remodeling after cerebral infarction. Methods:From February, 2017 to December, 2020, 54 patients with cerebral infarction were randomly divided into control group (n = 27) and acupuncture group (n = 27), each group was divided into subgroups 1, 2 and 3 according to the impairment of corticospinal tract, with nine cases for each subgroup. All the patients received routine medicine, while the acupuncture group received Tiaoren Tongdu Acupuncture, for four weeks. They were assessed with Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) and modified Barthel Index (MBI) before and after treatment, and scanned with diffusion tensor imaging and diffusion tensor tractography, to obtain the fractional anisotropy (FA) and the bilateral FA ratio (rFA). Results:The scores of FMA and MBI, and FA and rFA increased in both groups (t > 2.841, P < 0.05) after treatment, and increased more in the acupuncture group than in the control group (t > 2.140, P < 0.05). Conclusion:Tiaoren Tongdu Acupuncture can promote the recovery of CST to improve motor function for patients with cerebral infarction.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To increase the accuracy of beam targeting and improve the dose distributions in radiotherapy using a robust image registration algorithm based on control volumes.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Control volume mapping and thin-plate spline deformable transformation were combined. The use of the control volumes increased the accuracy for the deformable registration. A bi-directional mapping method was also employed to correctly match the control volumes.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The clinical images were simulated using the proposed two-step image registration algorithm. The simulation results indicated that the registration algorithm was robust and universal, even in cases of obvious deformation.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The algorithm provides a more convenient and robust resolution as compared to manual landmark-based methods and single-step deformable transformations, and may help in automatic image registration in radiation therapy.</p>