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Effect of antenatal growth on brain white matter maturation in preterm infants at term using tract-based spatial statistics

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Abstract

Background

White matter maturation of infants can be studied using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). DTI of the white matter of the infant brain provides the best available clinical measures of brain tissue organisation and integrity.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to compare white matter maturation between preterm infants born small for gestational age (SGA) and preterms with weight appropriate for gestational age (AGA) at birth.

Materials and methods

A total of 36 preterm infants were enrolled in the study (SGA, n = 9). A rater-independent method called tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) was used to assess white matter maturation.

Results

When measured by TBSS, the AGA infants showed higher fractional anisotrophy values in several white matter tracts than the SGA infants. Areas with significant differences included anterior thalamic radiation, corticospinal tract, forceps major and minor, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, inferior longitudinal fasciculus, superior longitudinal fasciculus, uncinate fasciculus, and superior longitudinal fasciculus (temporal part). No significant difference was found for mean diffusivity.

Conclusion

As an objective and user-independent method, TBSS confirmed that preterm infants with impaired antenatal growth have impaired white matter maturation compared to preterm infants with normal antenatal growth. The differences were mainly detected in radiations that are myelinated first.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Imaging Centre of Southwest Finland, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland

    Virva Lepomäki, Markku Komu & Riitta Parkkola

  2. Turku PET-Centre, Turku University Hospital, PO Box 52, 20521, Turku, Finland

    Virva Lepomäki & Riitta Parkkola

  3. Department of Pediatrics, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland

    Jaakko Matomäki, Helena Lapinleimu & Liisa Lehtonen

  4. Department of Pediatric Neurology, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland

    Leena Haataja

  5. Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

    Riitta Parkkola

Authors
  1. Virva Lepomäki
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  2. Jaakko Matomäki
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  3. Helena Lapinleimu
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  4. Liisa Lehtonen
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  5. Leena Haataja
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  6. Markku Komu
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  7. Riitta Parkkola
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The PIPARI Study Group

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Correspondence to Virva Lepomäki.

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Lepomäki, V., Matomäki, J., Lapinleimu, H. et al. Effect of antenatal growth on brain white matter maturation in preterm infants at term using tract-based spatial statistics. Pediatr Radiol 43, 80–85 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-012-2509-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-012-2509-9

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