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Ataxia after pontine stroke: Insights from pontocerebellar fibers in monkey
Author(s) -
Schmahmann Jeremy D.,
Rosene Douglas L.,
Pandya Deepak N.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.20060
Subject(s) - dysmetria , pontine nuclei , ataxia , neuroscience , anatomy , pons , medicine , stroke (engine) , psychology , cerebellum , physics , thermodynamics
Basis pontis lacunes cause contralateral but rarely ipsilateral ataxia. We explored this phenomenon with isotope tract tracing in the rhesus monkey. Labeled pontocerebellar fibers cross midline and disperse widely in the opposite hemipons before coalescing in the brachium pontis. This anatomical arrangement suggests that small pontine strokes spare sufficient decussating pontocerebellar fibers to prevent ipsilateral dysmetria, and that ipsilateral dysmetria after large pontine stroke represents a disconnection syndrome.