Recent advances in imaging preterm brain injury.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Pediatrics
• Radiology

Background:

• Preterm birth survivors are at high risk for neurocognitive impairment.
• Major destructive brain lesions (e.g., cystic periventricular leucomalacia) are decreasing due to improved perinatal care.
• Subtle alterations in brain development are increasingly apparent in preterm infants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current brain lesions and outcomes in preterm birth survivors.
• To discuss how advanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging defines neural systems affected by preterm birth.
• To provide insights into the mechanisms of brain injury in preterm infants.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on preterm birth outcomes.
• Application of advanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging techniques in the neonatal period.
• Analysis of subtle alterations in brain development and their correlation with neurocognitive impairment.

Main Results:

• Advanced MR imaging detects subtle brain alterations in preterm infants.
• These subtle changes occur with similar frequency to long-term neurocognitive impairment.
• MR imaging helps define affected neural systems and potential injury mechanisms.

Conclusions:

• Subtle brain alterations identified by advanced MR imaging are candidate neural substrates for neurocognitive impairment in preterm survivors.
• Understanding these subtle changes is crucial for identifying mechanisms of injury.
• State-of-the-art MR imaging provides valuable insights into brain development disturbances following preterm birth.