Assessing the Predictive Impact of Corticocerebellar Pathway Integrity on Stroke Motor Outcomes

Motivation: Motor impairment is a major consequence of middle cerebral artery infarction. Evaluating cerebellar pathways could enhance motor rehabilitation. Goal(s): To assess corticocerebellar pathway (CCP) integrity and its role in predicting motor recovery. Approach: Twenty-nine MCA infarction patients and 29 controls underwent DTI scanning. Fractional anisotropy (FA) values and FA asymmetry indices (FA-AI) of CCP tracts were evaluated. Results: Patients showed significantly lower FA values and FA-AI in the dentate-thalamocortical tract (DTCT) and dorsal spinocerebellar tract (DSCT). FA-AI of DTCT predicted upper-limb recovery, while FA-AI of DSCT predicted lower-limb outcomes, indicating their distinct contributions to motor rehabilitation. Impact: Our study highlights the importance of corticocerebellar pathway integrity in predicting motor recovery after stroke. These insights can enhance early prognosis and guide personalized rehabilitation strategies for patients with middle cerebral artery infarction.