[Neuroimaging techniques for the diagnosis of brain damage in newborns]

Recently, magnetic resonance (MR) has become the technique of choice in evaluating neonatal central nervous system (CNS) diseases. It is the only imaging technique that can discriminate myelinated from neonatal unmyelinated white matter; it offers the highest sensitivity in detecting acute anoxic injury of neonatal brain, and, with proper coils and sequences, it can exquisitely depict neonatal brain anatomy and locate pathology. With new generation high-field MR imaging units it is now possible to obtain images of molecular diffusion. Preliminary reports suggest that diffusion imaging may be useful in early detection of perinatal brain ischemia and it is likely to become crucial in the effective and safe use of neuroprotective strategies.