Comparing microstructural and macrostructural development of the cerebral cortex in premature newborns: diffusion...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Biology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Human cerebral cortex development is complex and continues extensively during preterm maturation.
• Understanding early cortical development is crucial for identifying potential neurological impairments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess microstructural and macrostructural development in the human cerebral cortex of preterm infants.
• To investigate the relationship between diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) parameters and cortical gyration during preterm maturation.

Main Methods:

• Prospective enrollment of 37 premature infants (25-38 weeks estimated gestational age).
• Acquisition of 3D volumetric T1-weighted MR imaging for cortical gyration and DTI for microstructural analysis.
• Quantitative measurement of cortical gyration, mean diffusivity, fractional anisotropy, and DTI eigenvalues in four specific cortical regions.

Main Results:

• Cortical gyration, fractional anisotropy (FA), and radial diffusivity significantly correlated with estimated gestational age (EGA).
• No significant relationship was found between DTI parameters and cortical gyration beyond their association with EGA.
• Regional heterogeneity in cortical development was observed, with lower anisotropy in pre- and postcentral gyri compared to superior frontal and occipital gyri.
• Maturational changes in cortical gray matter DTI eigenvalues differed from white matter, showing a decline in radial diffusivity with age.

Conclusions:

• DTI is sensitive to regional variations in cortical development during preterm maturation.
• Microstructural and macrostructural cortical development are closely linked to gestational age in preterm infants.
• The maturational trajectory of radial diffusivity in cortical gray matter is distinct from that of developing white matter.