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Published on: August 11, 2016
Early laminar organization of the human cerebrum demonstrated with diffusion tensor imaging in extremely premature
Luis C Maas1, Pratik Mukherjee, Julio Carballido-Gamio
1Department of Radiology, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
Insights
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) reveals early brain development in premature infants. This technique maps the cerebrum's laminar organization, aiding in understanding brain structure in extremely preterm newborns.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Understanding early brain development in extremely premature infants is crucial.
- The developing human cerebrum exhibits complex laminar organization.
- Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) offers insights into white matter microstructure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To delineate the early laminar organization of the cerebrum in extremely premature infants using DTI.
- To examine diffusivity and anisotropy in specific developing brain regions.
- To demonstrate automated segmentation of DTI for revealing laminar architecture.
Main Methods:
- Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was performed on two extremely premature infants.
- Imaging was conducted postnatally at estimated gestational ages of 25 and 27 menstrual weeks.
- Automated segmentation techniques were applied to DTI data.
Main Results:
- DTI successfully delineated early laminar organization in the cerebrum.
- Diffusivity and anisotropy were examined across various developing brain zones, including the cortical plate, subplate, intermediate, subventricular, periventricular zones, and germinal matrix.
- Automated segmentation effectively revealed the intricate laminar architecture.
Conclusions:
- DTI is a valuable tool for assessing early cerebral laminar organization in extremely premature infants.
- The findings provide a detailed microstructural map of the developing human brain at very early gestational ages.
- Automated DTI segmentation shows promise for non-invasive analysis of brain development.
Abstract:
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used to delineate early laminar organization of the cerebrum in two extremely premature infants imaged postnatally at estimated ages of 25 and 27 menstrual weeks. The diffusivity and anisotropy of the cortical plate, subplate zone, intermediate zone, subventricular and periventricular zones, and germinal matrix are examined. Automated segmentation of diffusion tensor images to reveal the laminar architecture of the developing human cerebrum is also demonstrated.
