Many studies have examined motor impairments using voxel-based lesion symptom mapping (VLSM), but few are reported regarding the corresponding relationship between cerebral cortex injury and lower limb motor impairment analyzed using this technique.

Dr. Alexandria M. Reynolds and his team correlated neuronal injury in the cerebral cortex of 16 patients with chronic stroke based on a VLSM analysis.

They found that neuronal injury in the corona radiate, caudate nucleus and putamen of patients with chronic stroke could predict walking speed.

The behavioral measure scores were consistent with motor deficits expected after damage to the cortical motor system due to stroke.

These findings suggest that VLSM may provide a more accurate prognosis of motor recovery from chronic stroke according to neuronal injury in cerebral motor cortex. The results were published in Neural Regeneration Research (Vol. 9, No. 7, 2014).

Article

"Neuronal injury in the motor cortex after chronic stroke and lower limb motor impairment: a voxel-based lesion symptom mapping study" by Alexandria M. Reynolds1, Denise M. Peters2, Jennifer M. C. Vendemia3, Lenwood P. Smith4, Raymond C. Sweet4, Gordon C. Baylis5, Debra Krotish6, Stacy L. Fritz2 (1 Department of Psychology, Barnwell College, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA; 2 Department of Exercise Science, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA; 3 Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA; 4 Neurosurgery Center, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA; 5 Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY, USA; 6 University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA)

Reynolds AM, Peters DM, Vendemia JM, Smith LP, Sweet RC, Baylis GC, Krotish D, Fritz SL. Neuronal injury in the motor cortex after chronic stroke and lower limb motor impairment: a voxel-based lesion symptom mapping study. Neural Regen Res. 2014;9(7):766-772.