Wallerian degeneration of the corticospinal tracts on diffusion tensor imaging after stroke and its relationship with impaired motor function / 国际脑血管病杂志

ABSTRACT

Wallerian degeneration of the corticospinal tracts is the anterograde degener-ation of distal axons and myelin caused by the upper motor neuron injury or axonal injury.Stroke is the most common cause of Wallerian degeneration of the corticospinal tracts. Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of Wallerian degeneration of the corticospinal tracts is a linear abnormal signal that connects the original lesion along the corticospinal tracts, but the conventional MRI signal does not reveal Wallerian degeneration until 4 weeks after stroke. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) detects early Wallerian degeneration of the corticospinal tracts, and dynamically observes the process of pathological changes from early subacute stage to chronic stage. 1his article reviews Wallerian degeneration of the corticospinal tracts on DTI after stroke, especially the effect in early Wallerian degeneration, as well as the values in predicting prognosis and late rehabilitation in patients with stroke.