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• Reviews •
Advances in diffusion tensor imaging of corticospinal tract remodeling for motor recovery after stroke with acupuncture and moxibustion
ZHONG Sitong  NING Kexing  CHEN Tao  CAO Xinyuan  ZHU Jinyi  YANG Rui  QIU Xinyue  WANG Xiao  YANG Chengyan  SUN Zhongren  YIN Hongna 

Cite this article as ZHONG S T, NING K X, CHEN T, et al. Advances in diffusion tensor imaging of corticospinal tract remodeling for motor recovery after stroke with acupuncture and moxibustion[J]. Chin J Magn Reson Imaging, 2026, 17(8): 130-138. DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.08.014.


[Abstract] The corticospinal tract (CST) is a core neural pathway for motor function recovery after stroke. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), as a non-invasive and objective technique, can quantitatively assess the microstructure of the CST through relevant imaging parameters and has been widely applied in stroke research. Unraveling the central mechanism of acupuncture and moxibustion in treating motor dysfunction after stroke (MDAS) based on DTI technology is a key focus in the current field of acupuncture efficacy research. This review systematically summarizes the anatomical structure and function of the CST, as well as the technical principles, core indicators, imaging features, and fiber tractography methods of DTI for CST evaluation, along with DTI-based evidence on acupuncture and moxibustion intervention for MDAS. Based on the available evidence, this review discusses the possible mechanisms by which acupuncture and moxibustion induce motor function recovery and neural remodeling, while pointing out the limitations of current studies and future research directions, with the aim of providing new insights into improving the efficacy of acupuncture and moxibustion in treating MDAS.
[Keywords] motor dysfunction after stroke；corticospinal tract；diffusion tensor imaging；magnetic resonance imaging；acupuncture and moxibustion

ZHONG Sitong1   NING Kexing1   CHEN Tao1   CAO Xinyuan1   ZHU Jinyi1   YANG Rui2   QIU Xinyue1   WANG Xiao1   YANG Chengyan2   SUN Zhongren1   YIN Hongna1, 2*  

1 Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin 150040, China

2 Seven Department of Acupuncture, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin 150001, China

Corresponding author: YIN H N, E-mail: 18800462110@163.com

Conflicts of interest   None.

Received  2026-02-27
Accepted  2026-07-09
DOI: 10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.08.014
Cite this article as ZHONG S T, NING K X, CHEN T, et al. Advances in diffusion tensor imaging of corticospinal tract remodeling for motor recovery after stroke with acupuncture and moxibustion[J]. Chin J Magn Reson Imaging, 2026, 17(8): 130-138. DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.08.014.

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