Interés del uso clínico del tensor de difusión en la planificación del tratamiento rehabilitador en pacientes tras el primer ictus

Abstract

ObjectiveTo compare the predictive value of the MR diffusion tensor (DT) imaging modality in a sample of stroke patients. Material and methodA prospective study was conducted on 7 inpatient subjects of both genders who were undergoing intensive rehabilitation after a first ischemic stroke. The protocol included: 1) motor skills evaluation by Motor Index, Trunk Control Test; 2) Walking capacity: functional assessment categories and functional capacity: Barthel Index and Functional Independence Measure (FIM); 3) Tractography study: mean and standard deviation for fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in internal capsule, corona radiata and right and left pontine tract; 4) Statistical analysis: projection of the data into a two-dimensional scatterplot matrix; verification of every possible link with a simple regression model (linear or logistic). Results with P-value <0.2 are included. ResultsThe relations with two pairs of variables that are significant are: 1) upper extremity motor skill and FA values in the pontine tract; 2) lower extremity motor skill and FA values at the corona radiate; 3) motor and cognitive FIM with ADC at the corona radiate; 4) motor and cognitive FIM with FA in the pontine tract; 5) Cognitive FIM and FA at the corona radiate; 6) FIM total and FA at the internal capsule and pontine tract and, 7) total FIM and ADC in the pontine tract. The results represent the preliminary findings of the use of DT in a small sample of stroke patients in a neurorehabilitation unit. We consider DT to be useful in the evolutive prediction of stroke.