Gait Characteristic in a Stroke Patient with an Intact Corticospinal Tract and Corticoreticular Pathway: A Case Study.
10.18857/jkpt.2018.30.2.73
- Author:
Sang Seok YEO
1
;
In Hee CHO
Author Information
1. Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health Sciences, Dankook University, Cheonan, Korea. suee43@hanmail.net
- Publication Type:Case Report
- Keywords:
Corticospinal tract;
Corticoreticular pathway;
Gait analysis;
Diffusion tensor imaging
- MeSH:
Aged;
Basal Ganglia;
Brain Injuries;
Cerebellum;
Cerebral Arteries;
Diffusion Tensor Imaging;
Female;
Gait*;
Humans;
Infarction;
Knee Joint;
Motor Cortex;
Prefrontal Cortex;
Pyramidal Tracts*;
Somatosensory Cortex;
Stroke*
- From:
Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
2018;30(2):73-77
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: The prefrontal lobe, supplementary motor area, cerebellum, and basal ganglia are activated during gait. In addition, gait is controlled by nerves, such as the corticospinal tract (CST) and corticoreticular pathway (CRP). In this study, the presence of an injury to the CST and CRP was identified by diffusion tensor imaging and the characteristics of the gait pattern were investigated according to inferior cerebral artery infarction. METHODS: One patient and six control subjects of a similar age participated. A 69-year-old female patient had an injury to the left basal ganglia, insular gyrus, corona radiata, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and postcentral gyrus due to an inferior cerebral artery infarction. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data was acquired 4 weeks after the stroke. The kinematic and spatio-temporal parameters of gait were collected using a three-dimensional gait analysis system. RESULTS: On 4 weeks DTI, the CST and CRP in the affected hemisphere did not show injury to the affected and unaffected hemisphere. Gait analysis showed that the cadence of spatio-temporal parameter was decreased significantly in the patient. The angle of the knee joint was decreased significantly in the affected and unaffected sides compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: The results of diffusion tensor imaging showed that although the patient was evaluated to be capable of an independent gait, the quality and quantity of gait might be reduced. This study could help better understand the gait ability analysis of stroke patients and the abnormal gait pattern of patients with a brain injury.