Cerebral ischemia results in neuronal changes in remote areas that have fiber connections with the ischemic area. The aim of this study was to investigate the nigral changes by examining the correlation between the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and the tissue structure. Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion. Four days after the occlusion, when T2-weighted images revealed the presence of an area of high signal intensity in the ipsilateral substantia nigra, and the ADCs were calculated and imaged. Histopathologic examination by both light and electron microscopy was performed on day 4 after surgery. This finding was consistent with the high signal intensity seen on T2-weighted and diffusion-weighted images, as well as with the ADC reduction, but we did not expect to observe uniform ADC reduction attributable mainly to astrocytic swelling in the perivascular end-feet.