The aim of this study was to assess the relation between MRI-changes of the brain infarction (BI) and neurological status in patients with hemispheric ischemic stroke. Clinical and MRI examinations were performed in 70 patients (aged from 46 to 89 years, 37 females, 33 males) 1, 3, 7-10, 14 and 21-30 days (in all cases) and 2, 6 and 12 months (n=29) after stroke onset. On FLAIR-images the criteria of assessment of cystic and gliosis transformation were determined. The tissue contrast of BI is assigned mainly to brain edema and hemorrhagic transformation, the cystic and gliosis transformation visualized in 1-2 months after stroke onset. The ratio between cystic and gliosis transformation correlated with clinical dynamics and the size of BI.