Evidence of diffusion tensor imaging measures of white matter microstructure changes within six months after stroke

White matter (WM) damage is associated with post-stroke cognitive impairment. In this study, we used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to investigate changes in WM microstructure in patients within 6-months following stroke. Quantitative DTI measurements were compared in patients at 6-months relative to 4-weeks post-stroke. DTI showed signs of reduced WM integrity in several WM tracts, including rostrum of corpus callosum and superior longitudinal fasciculus III in patients 6-months post-stroke. In elderly adults, WM microstructure can be disrupted following ischemic stroke. These findings motivate larger population stroke studies using advanced diffusion MRI techniques to further assess WM structure in stroke patients.