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Original research| Volume 99, ISSUE 4, P660-666, April 2018

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Lateral Corticospinal Tract Damage Correlates With Motor Output in Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury

Published:October 26, 2017DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2017.10.002

      Highlights

      • Structural magnetic resonance imaging of spinal cord damage is negatively correlated with walking output in people with motor incomplete spinal cord injury.
      • Lateral corticospinal tract damage is related to specific lower extremity motor deficits, in an ipsilesional manner, in these participants.

      Abstract

      Objective

      To investigate the relationship between spinal cord damage and specific motor function in participants with incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI).

      Design

      Single-blinded, cross-sectional study design.

      Setting

      University setting research laboratory.

      Participants

      Individuals with chronic cervical iSCI (N=14; 1 woman, 13 men; average age ± SD, 43±12y).

      Interventions

      Not applicable.

      Main Outcome Measures

      Axial T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of spinal cord damage was performed in 14 participants with iSCI. Each participant's damage was processed for total damage quantification, lateral corticospinal tract (LCST) and gracile fasciculus (GF) analysis. Plantarflexion and knee extension were quantified using an isokinetic dynamometer. Walking ability was assessed using a 6-minute walk test.

      Results

      Total damage was correlated with plantarflexion, knee extension, and distance walked in 6 minutes. Right LCST damage was correlated with right plantarflexion and right knee extension, while left LCST damage was correlated with left-sided measures. Right and left GF damage was not correlated with the motor output measures.

      Conclusions

      MRI measures of spinal cord damage were correlated to motor function, and this measure appears to have spatial specificity to descending tracts, which may offer prognostic value after SCI.

      Keywords

      List of abbreviations:

      GF (gracile fasciculus), iSCI (incomplete spinal cord injury), LCST (lateral corticospinal tract), MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), 3D (3-dimensional), WM (white matter)
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