Assessing White Matter Cortical Organization using Diffusion Tensor Imaging Post-Facial Reanimation Surgery

• Author / Creator

  Phangureh, Navneet K

• The purpose of this study was to determine whether diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) could detect cortical differences between people post-facial reanimation surgery compared to matched controls. Five primary white matter tracts were analyzed for fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) and compared between 4 patients with facial reanimation surgery (ages 11 to 47 years) and their matched controls. Findings were in the predicted direction of lower FA and higher MD in regions of the brain containing corticobulbar tract (CBT) in the facial reanimation group compared to matched controls. This finding indicated that neural tracts associated with facial movements may have less white matter fibre tract integrity in this group of patients who have undergone reanimation surgery secondary to facial paralysis. The use of DTI tractography analysis may be useful in understanding underlying neural mechanisms of change following facial reanimation surgery and ultimately serve to inform surgical and rehabilitation processes.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Facial reanimation surgery
  • Moebius syndrome
  • Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)
  • Bell's palsy
  • White matter

• Graduation date

  Spring 2012

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R34605

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.