The role of diffusion tensor imaging as an objective tool for the assessment of motor function recovery after paraplegia in a naturally-occurring large animal model of spinal cord injury

Table 2 Temporal evolvement of DTI metrics after spinal cord decompression

Diffusion metrics	SC segment	At presentation (n = 17)	Follow-up (n = 16)	p value
FA; median ± SD	Cranial	0.725 (± 0.105)	0.627 (± 0.075)	0.0025
	Epicentres	0.781 (± 0.053)	0.611 (± 0.092)	< 0.0001
	Caudal	0.678 (± 0.087)	0.604 (± 0.074)	0.0049
ADC (10⁻³mm²/s); median ± SD	Cranial	0.999 (± 0.317)	1.224 (± 0.575)	0.0156
	Epicentres	0.817 (± 0.236)	1.134 (± 0.366)	0.0016
	Caudal	0.985 (± 0.197)	1.198 (± 0.507)	0.0646

Italic values indicate significance of p value (p < 0.05)
Epicentres: ROIs placed in spinal cord compressed by herniated nucleus pulposus material, directly above the respective intervertebral disc space. Cranially: ROIs placed in spinal cord one vertebral body cranially to epicentres. Caudally: ROIs placed in spinal cord one vertebral body caudal to epicentres
DTI diffusion tensor imaging, FA fractional anisotropy, ADC apparent diffusion coefficient, SD standard deviation, SC spinal cord

ISSN: 1479-5876