Abstract:

Many studies have attempted to elucidate the motor recovery mechanism of stroke, but the majority of these studies focus on cerebral infarct and relatively little is known about the motor recovery mechanism of intracerebral hemorrhage. In this study, we report on a patient with intracerebral hemorrhage who displayed a change in injured corticospinal tract originating from the premotor cortex to the primary motor cortex on diffusion tensor imaging. An 86-year-old woman presented with complete paralysis of the right extremities following spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage in the left frontoparietal cortex. The patient showed motor recovery, to the extent of being able to extend affected fingers against gravity and to walk independently on even ground at 5 months after onset. Diffusion tensor imaging showed that the left corticospinal tract originated from the premotor cortex at 1 month after intracerebral hemorrhage and from the left primary motor cortex and premotor cortex at 5 months after intracerebral hemorrhage. The change of injured corticospinal tract originating from the premotor cortex to the primary motor cortex suggests motor recovery of intracerebral hemorrhage.

Key words: diffusion tensor imaging, corticospinal tract, motor recovery, reorganization