Long-Term Brain Atrophy after Focal Ischemic Stroke: A Longitudinal Study Applying Deformation-Based Morphometry

Introduction: Cerebral ischemia leading to brain infarction results in an area of focal damage. Results from clinical, electrophysiological and neuroimaging studies clearly suggest remote effects ipsi- and contralaterally which are believed to play a role in the dynamic mechanisms of cerebral reorganization and functional recovery. Remote structural alterations have also been detected in terms of, e.g., ventricular enlargement, accelerated global atrophy after large ischemic stroke, cerebellar diaschisis and with recent quantitative MRI studies. This pilot MR study addresses volume alterations after focal cerebr…