Longitudinal changes in DTI parameters of specific spinal white matter tracts correlate with behavior following spinal cord injury in monkeys.

ABSTRACT: This study aims to evaluate how parameters derived from diffusion tensor imaging reflect axonal disruption and demyelination in specific white matter tracts within the spinal cord of squirrel monkeys following traumatic injuries, and their relationships to function and behavior. After a unilateral section of the dorsal white matter tract of the cervical spinal cord, we found that both lesioned dorsal and intact lateral tracts on the lesion side exhibited prominent disruptions in fiber orientation, integrity and myelination. The degrees of pathological changes were significantly more severe in segments below the lesion than above. The lateral tract on the opposite (non-injured) side was minimally affected by the injury. Over time, RD, FA, and AD values of the dorsal and lateral tracts on th

SUBMITTER: Mishra A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7560889 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature