Neural connectivity of the pedunculopontine nucleus in relation to walking ability in chronic patients with intracerebral hemorrhage.

Objectives: As the mesencephalic locomotor center, the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) is known to be involved in control of locomotor function. We investigated neural connectivity of the PPN in relation to walking ability in chronic patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage.
Methods: Forty-three consecutive chronic patients with subcortical hemorrhage and 20 healthy control subjects were recruited. A seed region of interest was manually drawn on the PPN and connectivity of the PPN was measured.
Results: In the affected hemisphere, connectivity with the ipsilesional cerebellar locomotor center and connectivity with the contralesional pontine locomotor center were decreased in patients who could not walk, compared with patients who could walk and normal controls (p < 0.05).
Conclusions: Connectivity between the PPN and ipsi-lesional cerebellum locomotor center and contralesional pontine locomotor center in the affected hemisphere appears to be related to walking ability.
(Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.)