Unusual long-term motor recovery in a patient with corona radiata infarct

The majority of motor recovery following stroke occurs within 6 months after onset.The present study examined a patient with a corona radiata infarct,who exhibited an unusual long-term recovery（24 months after onset）.The patient was a 64-year-old female,who presented with severe paralysis of the left extremities resulting from a corona radiate infarct.Motor recovery from the weakness progressed slowly over a 24-month period following onset,even at 6-12 months after onset.Diffusion tensor tractography at 2 weeks from onset showed disruption of the corticospinal tract of the affected hemisphere resulting from the infarct.However,at 12 and 24 months after onset,the corticospinal tract was elongated to the cortex level,as shown by diffusion tensor tractography.A 2-week transcranial magnetic stimulation showed no motor-evoked potential for the affected hemisphere,but a motor-evoked potential of the corticospinal tract was observed at12 and 24 months.These results suggest that motor function recovery in cerebral infarct patients can occur at least up to 24 months after stroke onset.