Functional and diagnostic significance of the fMRI-response type to motor loads in patients after traumatic brain damage

Abstract

Aim of the study. Clarification of the functional and diagnostic significance of topography, or the type of fMRI-response recorded during active and passive hand movements in patients after traumatic brain injury.Material and methods. fMRI-responses gained during active and passive hand movements were analyzed in 40 patients with posttraumatic motor function disturbances and compared with results gained from 17 healthy volunteers (control group ).Results. In analyzed patients the increase of percentage of diffuse fMRI-response has been shown along with the areas of activation not typical for movement activation pattern typical healthy volunteers. The fMRI response type being it local or multifocal does not clearly correlate with the presence of motor function impairment (hemiparesis). However, it was found that with greater severity of hemiparesis there is a larger percentage of multifocal fMRI-response.The transition from a multifocal form of a motor fMRI-response to a local one observed in a dynamic study is accompanied by an improvement of patient’s general condition, a shift towards normalization of a number of morphofunctional indicators of the central nervous system, the tendency of regression of motor disorders.Conclusion. The increase of multifocal fMRI-responses in patients after traumatic brain injury is one of the signs of cerebral dysfunction. Dynamically observed transformation from multifocal to local fMRI-responses is associated with current or long-term improvement in motor activity as well, wit the regression of other clinical impairments and can be considered as prognostically positive sign of the course of post-traumatic illness.