Prediction of motor recovery using diffusion tensor tractography in supratentorial stroke patients with severe motor involvement

Objective To investigate whether early stage diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) values predict motor function at 3 months after onset in supratentorial stroke patients with severe motor involvement.Methods A retrospective study design was used to analyze medical records and neuroimaging data of 49 supratentorial stroke patients with severe motor involvement. Diffusion tensor imaging was assessed within 3 weeks after stroke in all patients. Three-dimensional tractography of the ipsilateral corticospinal tract (CST) was performed using the fiber assignment of the continuous tracking algorithm. The two-step DTT analysis was used. The first step was classification according to ipsilateral CST visualization. The second step was a quantitative analysis of the visible-CST group parameters. Motor function was assessed at 2 weeks and at 3 months after stroke. Comparative and correlation analyses were performed between DTT-derived measures and motor assessment scores.Results Motor function of the upper extremity at 3 months after stroke was significantly higher in the visible-CST group than that in the nonvisible-CST group (p<0.05). Early stage fractional anisotropy was of DTT correlated significantly with upper extremity motor function at 3 months after stroke in the visible-CST group (p<0.05).Conclusion These results demonstrate that early DTT-derived measures predict motor recovery in the upper extremity at 3 months after onset in supratentorial stroke patients with severe motor involvement.