Tetsu Niwa1, Keiji Suzuki2, Nobuyoshi Sugiyama2, Yutaka Imai3. 1. Department of Radiology, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Japan. Electronic address: niwat@tokai-u.jp. 2. Department of Pediatrics, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Japan. 3. Department of Radiology, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Japan.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Early volume analyses of the infantile brain may help predict neurodevelopmental outcome. However, brain volumes are not well understood in moderately preterm infants at term-equivalent age (TEA). AIM: This study retrospectively investigated the relationship between regional brain volumes and infant gestational age (GA) at birth in moderately preterm infants (30-35weeks' GA) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at TEA. METHODS: Forty infants scanned at TEA were enrolled. Regional brain volumes were estimated by manual segmentation on MRI, and their relationship with GA at birth was assessed. RESULTS: The regional volumes of the cerebral hemispheres and deep gray matter were larger (Spearman ρ=0.40, P=0.01, and Spearman ρ=0.48, P<0.01, respectively), and volumes of the lateral ventricles were smaller (Spearman ρ=-0.32, P=0.04) in infants born at a later GA. The volumes of the cerebral hemispheres of the infants born at 30weeks' GA were significantly smaller than those born at 33 and 35weeks' GA (P<0.05). No associations were found between the volume of the cerebellum and brainstem, and GA at birth (Spearman ρ=0.24, P=0.13, and Spearman ρ=0.24, P=0.14, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The volumes of the cerebral hemispheres at TEA may be smaller in infants born at 30weeks' GA, whereas those of the cerebellum and brainstem may not be correlated with GA among moderately preterm infants.
BACKGROUND: Early volume analyses of the infantile brain may help predict neurodevelopmental outcome. However, brain volumes are not well understood in moderately preterm infants at term-equivalent age (TEA). AIM: This study retrospectively investigated the relationship between regional brain volumes and infant gestational age (GA) at birth in moderately preterm infants (30-35weeks' GA) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at TEA. METHODS: Forty infants scanned at TEA were enrolled. Regional brain volumes were estimated by manual segmentation on MRI, and their relationship with GA at birth was assessed. RESULTS: The regional volumes of the cerebral hemispheres and deep gray matter were larger (Spearman ρ=0.40, P=0.01, and Spearman ρ=0.48, P<0.01, respectively), and volumes of the lateral ventricles were smaller (Spearman ρ=-0.32, P=0.04) in infants born at a later GA. The volumes of the cerebral hemispheres of the infants born at 30weeks' GA were significantly smaller than those born at 33 and 35weeks' GA (P<0.05). No associations were found between the volume of the cerebellum and brainstem, and GA at birth (Spearman ρ=0.24, P=0.13, and Spearman ρ=0.24, P=0.14, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The volumes of the cerebral hemispheres at TEA may be smaller in infants born at 30weeks' GA, whereas those of the cerebellum and brainstem may not be correlated with GA among moderately preterm infants.
Authors: Chandler Rebecca Lee Mongerson; Russell William Jennings; David Zurakowski; Dusica Bajic Journal: Int J Dev Neurosci Date: 2019-09-26 Impact factor: 2.457
Authors: Rula Nassar; Antonia N Kaczkurkin; Cedric Huchuan Xia; Aristeidis Sotiras; Marieta Pehlivanova; Tyler M Moore; Angel Garcia de La Garza; David R Roalf; Adon F G Rosen; Scott A Lorch; Kosha Ruparel; Russell T Shinohara; Christos Davatzikos; Ruben C Gur; Raquel E Gur; Theodore D Satterthwaite Journal: Cereb Cortex Date: 2019-05-01 Impact factor: 5.357