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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2011 Dec 1.
Published in final edited form as: PM R. 2010 Dec;2(12 Suppl 2):S292–S305. doi: 10.1016/j.pmrj.2010.10.013

Figure 7.

Figure 7

(a.) Computed tomography (CT) scan of a 65-year-old woman obtained 5 months after stroke onset shows sparing of the most posterior portion of the periventricular white matter (PVWM) (white arrow), that is, likely sparing of some of the leg fibers. This patient showed improvement in knee flexion (b.) and knee extension (c.) after low-level light therapy (LLLT)-laser acupuncture treatments, which were initiated at 12 months after stroke onset. Knee extension increased from 77%-89% after 40 LLLT treatments, and her ability to climb up and down stairs improved. (She had shown some improvement on lower extremity tests after needle acupuncture treatments applied earlier after her stroke.) No improvement was seen in the upper extremity after LLLT or needle acupuncture, likely because of an extensive lesion in the more anterior portions of the PVWM. The arm paralysis was severe, scoring 0% isolated active range of motion for all arm tests at all times. The improvement in knee flexion and knee extension remained stable at 2 months after the last LLLT-laser acupuncture treatment (15 months after the stroke occurred). (Reprinted with author's permission, [34])