Edward S. Hui1, Wuwei Wayne Feng2, Ali Tabesh1, Leonardo Bonilha3, Jens H. Jensen1, Joseph A. Helpern1
1Dept of Radiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States; 2Dept of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States; 3Dept of Neurology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
Motor function impairment is a major complication following stroke, and a robust biomarker for predicting patient recovery of motor function could benefit clinicians decision making on rehabilitation planning. In this study, diffusional kurtosis imaging is investigated as a potential technique for improved assessment of stroke patients. For 10 subjects with acute/subacute ischemic stroke, a strong negative correlation (r = -0.89, p = 0.001) was found between the axial kurtosis in the corticospinal tract and clinical motor functioning assessment test scores.