ACR Index: 1.2
Degeneration of the Corticospinal Tract in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) can be visualised using modern clinical MR imaging techniques. The degeneration in this tract produces a loss of myelin (fatty tissue) which results in a higher than normal concentration of water within the tract. This higher water concentration shows up on certain MR images as a brighter than normal spot on the image of the spinal cord.
An example of this type of image can be seen on my web page taken from the Journal of Neurologica Science at the related URL.
Waragai M; Takaya Y; Hayashi M “Serial MRI and SPECT in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a case reoprt”. J Neurol Sci (Netherlands), May 1 1997, 148(1) p 117-20 |
