RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Acute Damage to the Posterior Limb of the Internal Capsule on Diffusion Tensor Tractography as an Early Imaging Predictor of Motor Outcome after Stroke JF American Journal of Neuroradiology JO Am. J. Neuroradiol. FD American Society of Neuroradiology SP 857 OP 863 DO 10.3174/ajnr.A2400 VO 32 IS 5 A1 Puig, J. A1 Pedraza, S. A1 Blasco, G. A1 Daunis-i-Estadella, J. A1 Prados, F. A1 Remollo, S. A1 Prats-Galino, A. A1 Soria, G. A1 Boada, I. A1 Castellanos, M. A1 Serena, J. YR 2011 UL http://www.ajnr.org/content/32/5/857.abstract AB BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Early prediction of motor outcome is of interest in stroke management. We aimed to determine whether lesion location at DTT is predictive of motor outcome after acute stroke and whether this information improves the predictive accuracy of the clinical scores. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated 60 consecutive patients within 12 hours of middle cerebral artery stroke onset. We used DTT to evaluate CST involvement in the motor cortex and premotor cortex, centrum semiovale, corona radiata, and PLIC and in combinations of these regions at admission, at day 3, and at day 30. Severity of limb weakness was assessed by using the motor subindex scores of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (5a, 5b, 6a, 6b). We calculated volumes of infarct and fractional anisotropy values in the CST of the pons. RESULTS: Acute damage to the PLIC was the best predictor associated with poor motor outcome, axonal damage, and clinical severity at admission (P < .001). There was no significant correlation between acute infarct volume and motor outcome at day 90 (P = .176, r = 0.485). The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of acute CST involvement at the level of the PLIC for motor outcome at day 90 were 73.7%, 100%, 100%, and 89.1%, respectively. In the acute stage, DTT predicted motor outcome at day 90 better than the clinical scores (R2 = 75.50, F = 80.09, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: In the acute setting, DTT is promising for stroke mapping to predict motor outcome. Acute CST damage at the level of the PLIC is a significant predictor of unfavorable motor outcome. BIBarthel indexCRcorona radiateCScentrum semiovaleCSTcorticospinal tractDTIdiffusion tensor imagingDTTdiffusion tensor tractographyDWIdiffusion-weighted MR imagingFAfractional anisotropyIVintravenousMCmotor cortexMCAmiddle cerebral arterym-NIHSSmotor subindex scores of the National Institutes of Health Stroke ScaleMRIMR imagingmRSmodified Rankin scaleNSnot significantPLICposterior limb of the internal capsulePMCpremotor cortexPWIperfusion-weighted imagingrFAFA ratioROIregion of interestrpbpoint-biserial correlation coefficientrtPArecombinant tissue plasminogen activatorWDWallerian degeneration