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Updated: Jul 12, 2026
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A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Protocol for Stroke Onset Time Estimation in Permanent Cerebral Ischemia
Published on: September 16, 2017
Brain structure in prenatal stroke: quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analysis
Sunita Bava1, Sarah L Archibald, Doris A Trauner
1San Diego State University/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, Department of Neurosciences, University of California-San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
Journal of Child Neurology
|August 24, 2007
Summary
Neonatal stroke impacts vary, but brain lesion type and size, alongside white matter and cortex integrity, better predict intellectual outcomes than previously thought.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pediatric Neurology
- Developmental Neuroscience
Background:
- Neonatal stroke outcomes present a spectrum, from preserved intellect to significant impairments.
- Volumetric brain measurements offer a more precise method for assessing lesion-cognition relationships.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between brain lesion characteristics and intellectual/clinical outcomes in children with prenatal stroke.
- To determine if specific morphometric variables predict neurodevelopmental outcomes more accurately.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed whole-brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in 7 children with unilateral focal prenatal stroke.
- Measured volumes of cortical gray matter, white matter, cerebrospinal fluid, and lesion.
- Correlated morphometric variables with intellectual and clinical assessments.
Main Results:
- Children with cystic encephalomalacia and atrophy showed poorer outcomes compared to those with atrophy or gliosis alone.
- Larger lesion size, reduced gray matter volume, and increased hyperintense white matter correlated with worse outcomes.
- Specific lesion types and sizes, along with white matter and cortical integrity, were linked to intellectual functioning.
Conclusions:
- The type and size of neonatal brain lesions are critical factors influencing neurodevelopmental outcomes.
- Brain volumetric analysis, considering lesion characteristics and brain structure integrity, provides valuable predictive information for intellectual functioning after prenatal stroke.
