Fig. 1

a Brain MR images at three weeks after onset show lesions in both basal ganglia (yellow arrows). b Results of diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) for the ascending reticular activation system (ARAS). On 6-week DTT, decreased neural connectivity of the upper ARAS between the intralaminar thalamic nucleus and the cerebral cortex is observed in both frontal cortices, basal forebrains, basal ganglia and thalami (red arrows). The dorsal lower ARAS between the pontine reticular formation and the intralaminar thalamic nucleus is not reconstructed on the right side (purple arrow) and thinning on the left side (green arrow). The ventral lower ARAS between the pontine reticular formation and the hypothalamus is not reconstructed on both sides (blue arrows). Results of DTT for the ARAS in a normal subject (53 year-old male). ARAS: ascending reticular activation system