Diffusion tensor imaging in patients with cerebral infarction and healthy adults

Objective To study whether and value of cerebral regions is significant different between the infarction side and contralateral of cerebral infarction by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Methods Seventeen patients with cerebral infarction (infarction group) and 8 healthy adults (control group) underwent conventional plain MRI scan and DTI examination with Siemens Trio 3.0T super-conducting MRI system. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and average diffusion coefficient (ADC) value of regions of interest (ROI) were measured on axial FA map,including centrum semiovale,white matter close to occipital angle of ventricle,anterior limb,genu and posterior limb of internal capsule,lentiform neucleus,genu and splenium of corpus callosum as well as infarction regions. Results There was no statistically significant difference in FA and ADC value of all cerebral regions between both sides in control group. FA value of cerebral regions in infarction side and normal hemisphere of infarction had no statistically significant difference but infarction regions and posterior limb of internal capsule. ADC value of cerebral regions in infarction side and normal hemisphere of infarction had no statistically significant difference but infarction regions. FA of white matter close to occipital angle of ventricle,genu of internal capsule and ADC of white matter close to occipital angle of ventricle had statistically significant difference between control group and normal hemisphere of infarction group. Conclusion The DTI results indicate that contralateral of cerebral infarction is not normal,which can not be as reference side when cerebral infarction is quantitative analyzed.