Quantitative analysis of the hand motor cortex in ataxia patients using blood oxygen level dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To study the characteristics of the hand motor cortex in ataxia patients during active and passive finger-to-thumb opposition movements using bold oxygenation level dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI). Methods Ten right-handed healthy volunteers and 16 ataxia patients with motor cortex lesions were selected, and whole-brain BOLD-fMRI examinations were made while the subjects were performing the active and passive movements. Activated volume and intensity were recorded from the corresponding motor cortex and analyzed quantitatively. Meanwhile, the patients' coordination was evaluated using the international cooperative ataxia rating scale (ICARS). Results During passive movement of the ataxia patient's affected hands, the ipsilateral supplementary motor area (SMA) activated volume was larger than that during normal ipsilateral hand movement, and the activation intensity was also higher than that in the healthy controls. The ipsilateral cerebellum activated volume and intensity were significantly lower than those in the control group, and the frequency of appearance of the cerebellum was also less. The patients' activated volume and intensity in the ipsilateral cerebellum showed no correlation with ICARS scores. Conclusions When the ataxia patients' affected side cerebellum was dysfunctional, the ipsilateral SMA could compensate for the weak cerebellum function. The ICARS does not reflect cerebellum function.