Ursula
I. Tuor1, Sanju Lama2, Edwin Cheng3, Dave
Kirk, Tadeusz Foniok4
1Institute for Biodiagnostics (West),
National Research Council of Canada , Calgary, Alberta, Canada; 2Medical
Science, University of Calgary; 3Experimental Imaging Centre,
University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; 4Institute for
Biodiagnostics (West), National Research Council of Canada, Calgary, Alberta,
Canada
In
the present study we investigate both the acute and chronic changes in T2 and
diffusion weighted images containing the descending corticospinal tract
following a unilateral cerebral hypoxic-ischemic insult in neonatal
rats. Diffusion weighted and T2
increases along with ADC decreases occur at relatively acute times post
hypoxia-ischemia whereas both T2 and ADC are increased more chronically. The
corresponding axonal changes detected using immunohistochemistry for
neurofilaments and silver staining provides corresponding evidence for
Wallerian degeneration. These results
should assist in the diagnosis and timing of MR imaging changes detected
clinically in human neonates following stroke.