Structural white matter alterations in carpal tunnel syndrome: A modified TBSS study

In this study, 25 moderate/severe CTS patients and 17 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC) were evaluated with DTI. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and radial diffusivity (RD) were calculated for group comparison. And the relationship between diffusion parameters and clinical assessments was also analyzed. Comparing with the healthy controls, CTS patients showed significantly increased FA and decreased RD in areas of multisensory integration and motor control involving the central opercular cortex and supplementary motor area (SMA) of the dominant hemisphere. Moreover, altered diffusion parameters in the central opercular cortex of the dominant hemisphere were significantly correlated with Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ) scores. It is considered to be a form of maladaptive neuroplastic response to CTS-associated afference and motor control deficits. Such insight may be helpful in developing new strategies for the treatment of CTS.PMID:34116054 | DOI:10.1016/j.brainres.2021.147558
Source: Brain Research - Category: Neurology Authors: Source Type: research