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Updated: Aug 9, 2026
Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Analysis of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Published on: July 28, 2013
Potential of diffusion tensor MRI in the assessment of periventricular leukomalacia
1Department of Radiology, The Second Hospital of China Medical University, Heping Dist, Shenyang, Liaoning, People's Republic of China. fanguog@vip.sina.com
Insights
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) reveals significant white matter (WM) alterations in children with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL). This advanced MRI technique helps understand motor and sensory impairments in PVL patients.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Pediatric Neurology
- Radiology
Background:
- Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) is a common cause of neurological deficits in premature infants.
- Understanding white matter (WM) tract alterations is crucial for assessing functional outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of magnetic resonance (MR) diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and fibre tractography in assessing major WM fibre tract changes in PVL.
- To quantitatively compare WM integrity between children with PVL and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- DTI was performed on 12 children with PVL and 12 age-matched controls.
- Fractional anisotropy (FA) values were quantitatively analyzed using the regions of interest (ROI) method on DTI colour maps.
- Specific WM tracts including the corticospinal tract (CST), internal capsule, and corpus callosum were assessed.
Main Results:
- Significant mean FA reductions were observed in the posterior limb of the internal capsule (ICPL), arcuate fasciculus (AF), posterior thalamic radiation (PTR), corona radiata (CR), cingulum (CG), superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), splenium of corpus callosum (SCC), and genu of corpus callosum (GCC) in PVL patients compared to controls (p<0.05).
- No significant differences in FA values were found in the anterior limb of the internal capsule (ICAL), medial lemniscus (ML), middle cerebellar peduncle (MCP), and brainstem CST.
Conclusions:
- DTI is a valuable tool for identifying and quantifying white matter abnormalities in PVL.
- DTI findings correlate with the pathophysiology of motor and sensory deficits in children with PVL.
Aim:
To investigate magnetic resonance (MR) diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and fibre tractography in the assessment of altered major white matter (WM) fibre tracts in periventricular leukomalacia (PVL).
Materials And Methods:
Twelve children (male:female = 7:5, age range 3-10 years; mean age = 6.5 years) who had suffered PVL were included in this study. Meanwhile, Twelve age-matched normal controls (male:female = 6:6, age range 4-12 years; mean age = 7.3 years) with normal MRI findings and no neurological abnormalities were recruited for comparison. DTI was performed with 15 different diffusion gradient directions and DTI colour maps were created from fractional anisotropy (FA) values and the three vector elements. To identify alteration of WM fibre tracts in patient of PVL quantitatively, FA values on diffusion tensor colour maps were compared between the patients and controls. Quantitative analysis was performed using the regions of interest (ROI) method settled on the central part of all identifiable WM fibres, including the corticospinal tract (CST) in the brainstem, middle cerebellar peduncle (MCP), medial lemniscus (ML), anterior/posterior limb of internal capsule (ICAL/ICPL), arcuate fasciculus (AF), posterior thalamic radiation (PTR), genu of corpus callosum (GCC), splenium of corpus callosum (SCC), corona radiata (CR), cingulum (CG), and superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF). The averaged FA value of each WM fibre was measured and summarized as the mean +/- standard deviation (SD). All data were analysed by paired Student's t-test. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance.
Results:
Visual investigation of WM fibre tracts showed that the ICAL, brainstem CST, ML, MCP, and external capsule (EC) was similar in controls and subjects. However, the ICPL, AF, PTR, CR, CG, SLF and corpus callosum, were all attenuated in size. All 12 cases of PVL showed a significant mean FA reduction in the ICPL, AF, PTR, CR, CG, SLF, SCC, and GCC in comparison with the ipsilateral regions of healthy controls (p<0.05). However, there were no statistically significant differences of the ICAL, ML, MCP, and brainstem CST when analysed using a two-tailed Student's t-test for paired data (p>0.01).
Conclusion:
DTI can provide more information for understanding the pathophysiology of motor disability and associated sensory handicap in PVL.
