FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE EVIDENCE OF CORTICAL ALTERATIONS IN A CASE OF REVERSIBLE CONGENITAL LYMPHEDEMA OF THE LOWER LIMB: A PILOT STUDY

M Pardini, L Bonzano, L Roccatagliata, F Boccardo, G Mancardi, C Campisi

Abstract


We report the first application of brain functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) tocongenital peripheral lymphedema patients before and after microsurgical treatment. Our aimwas to evaluate the effects of limb shape change on cortical organization of the motor systemand how the cortical sensorimotor network restructures after microsurgical therapy. Weacquired fMRI during active motor and motor imagery tasks before surgery and six months aftersurgery in a patient with congenital lymphedema of the left leg. fMRI data revealed activationdifferences in primary and secondary motor areas between the two scanning sessions for bothtasks and also between the patient's and a healthy volunteer's activations. We suggest that thesealterations could be related to changes in body schema representation due to the congenitallymphedema.

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