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Magnetization transfer ratio in the brain of preterm subjects: age-related changes during the first 2 years of life
Vassilios Xydis1, Loukas Astrakas, Anastasia Zikou
1Department of Radiology, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
Insights
This study tracked brain myelination in preterm infants using the Magnetization Transfer Ratio (MTR). MTR values increased with age, providing a tool to assess myelination development in premature babies.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Pediatric Radiology
Background:
- Myelination is crucial for proper brain development.
- Assessing myelination in preterm infants is vital for identifying developmental abnormalities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the progression of brain myelination in preterm-born subjects.
- To establish normative data for the Magnetization Transfer Ratio (MTR) from birth to 24 months corrected age.
Main Methods:
- One hundred twenty-five preterm infants with normal brain MRIs were studied.
- Magnetization Transfer Ratio (MTR) was measured using a 3D gradient-echo sequence with and without a magnetization transfer prepulse.
- MTR was calculated using the formula: MTR=(SIo-SIm)/SIox100%.
Main Results:
- MTR showed an asymptotic increase in various brain regions, including the corpus callosum, frontal and occipital lobes, thalamus, caudate nucleus, and putamen.
- The age at which 95% of the final MTR value was reached varied across brain regions, with some reaching it as early as 6.4 months corrected age.
- Significant age-related changes in brain MTR were observed.
Conclusions:
- The study demonstrates age-related changes in brain MTR in preterm infants.
- The findings provide valuable data for assessing myelination disturbances in this population.
- MTR serves as a useful biomarker for tracking myelination progress.
Abstract:
To study the progress of myelination in preterm-born subjects by measuring the MT ratio (MTR) from birth, up to 24 months of corrected age. One hundred twenty-five preterm subjects (64 males and 61 females of gestational age 33+/-2.4 weeks with chronologic and corrected age of 9.3+/-5.1 and 7.7+/-5.1 months, respectively) with normal brain MR using classic sequences were further evaluated for MTR by using a three-dimensional gradient-echo sequence (TR=32/TE=8/flip angle=6 degrees 4 mm/2 mm overlapping sections) with and without magnetization transfer prepulse. The magnetization transfer ratio was calculated as: MTR=(SIo-SIm)/SIox100%, where SIm refers to signal intensity from an image acquired with a MT prepulse and SIo the signal intensity from the image acquired without a MT prepulse. MTR increased asymptotically in the genu (R2=0.85) and splenium (R2=0.85) of the corpus callosum, the white matter of the frontal lobe (R2=0.91) and occipital lobe (R2=0.82), thalamus (R2=0.86), caudate nucleus (R2=0.67) and putamen (R2=0.71), reaching the 95% of the final value at the corrected age 18.7, 17.7, 15.6, 12.9, 10.4, 9.2 and 6.4 months, respectively. This study shows age-related changes of the brain MTR and provides data that may be useful to assess disturbances in the progress of myelination.
