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[Detection of the myelination process of Chinese infants by 1.0T MRI]
Insights
This study tracked brain myelination in 75 Chinese infants using MRI. Myelination progresses rapidly from birth, establishing an early adult pattern by 18 months.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Radiology
Context:
- Brain myelination is a critical developmental process.
- Understanding infant brain development is essential for diagnosing neurological disorders.
Purpose:
- To establish the typical myelination process of the Chinese infant brain.
- To provide a timeline for myelination progression using MRI.
Summary:
- Seventy-five infants aged 5 days to 2 years underwent 1.0 T superconductive MRI.
- Myelination patterns were observed in various brain structures, including the brainstem, cerebellum, internal capsule, corpus callosum, and lobes.
- An early adult brain pattern was achieved by 14-18 months on T2WI.
Impact:
- Provides normative data for infant brain myelination.
- Aids in the assessment of infantile brain development and diagnosis of central nervous system diseases.
Abstract:
To establish the myelination process of brain of Chinese infants, our study consisted of seventy-five infants ranging in age from 5 days to 2 years old. They were studied with a 1.0 T superconductive MRI. In the new born, myelination could be seen in the brainstem, middle cerebellar peduncle, and posterior limb of the internal capsule in both T1WI and T2WI. Then the myelination process rapidly progressed month by month. Myelination of the centrum semiovale and optic radiation could be seen in T1WI in the newborn up to 3 months old, and in T2WI at 3-5 months old. The myelination of the splenium and the genu of corpus callosum were seen at 3-6 months in T1WI and 5-6 months in T2WI. Myelination of the occipital lobe and frontal lobe were seen at 3-6 months and 5-10 months in T1WI, and 8-14 months, 10-16 months in T2WI respectively. In 7-10 months, the brain appeared as an "early adult pattern" in T1WI; while, in T2WI, the brain appeared as an "early adult pattern" at 14-18 months old. The understanding of the myelination process in infants is important and essential for the judgement of the infantile brain and for the diagnosis of many CNS diseases of infants.