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Ataxia after severe head injury: The pathological substrate
Author(s) -
Susan Chester C.,
Reznick Barry R.
Publication year - 1987
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.410220117
Subject(s) - ataxia , gait ataxia , lesion , head injury , pathological , medicine , diffuse axonal injury , cerebellar ataxia , white matter , pathology , anatomy , magnetic resonance imaging , surgery , traumatic brain injury , radiology , psychiatry
Ataxia is a common finding in patients who have recovered from severe head injury. This report delineates the clinical and pathological findings in a patient who recovered from a head injury but was left with ataxia of gait. A lesion of the superior cerebellar peduncle, demonstrated post mortem 2½ years after injury, was the only explanation for the ataxia. This lesion is part of the spectrum of changes seen in diffuse axonal injury thought to be due to shearing forces which tear white matter at the time of the initial injury.