Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 9, 2026
Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Analysis of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Published on: July 28, 2013
Diffusion tensor imaging in infants with basal ganglia-thalamic lesions
Akihisa Okumura1, Masahiro Hayakawa, Takeshi Tsuji
1Department of Pediatrics, Juntendo University School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan. okumura@med.juntendo.ac.jp
Insights
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) detects subtle white matter changes in infants with neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) that conventional MRI misses. DTI is crucial for identifying early brain abnormalities and predicting neurodevelopmental outcomes in HIE survivors.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal neurology
- Neuroimaging
- Diffusion tensor imaging
Background:
- Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a major cause of brain injury in newborns.
- Conventional MRI can detect significant brain lesions but may miss subtle white matter abnormalities.
Observation:
- Two infants with HIE underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and conventional MRI.
- Basal ganglia-thalamic lesions were present in both neonates on initial MRI.
- One infant had severe sequelae, while the other had normal development at 12 months.
Findings:
- Conventional MRI at 12 months showed abnormalities in the infant with severe sequelae, but not in the normally developing infant.
- DTI revealed poor white matter tract depiction in the affected infant.
- Fractional anisotropy was markedly reduced in the centrum semiovale and deep white matter of the infant with sequelae, indicating diffusion property abnormalities.
Implications:
- DTI can identify widespread white matter abnormalities not visible on conventional MRI in infants with HIE.
- DTI may be a valuable tool for early detection of brain injury and prediction of neurodevelopmental outcomes in HIE.
- Abnormalities in diffusion properties detected by DTI are more sensitive indicators of white matter damage than conventional MRI findings.
Abstract:
We performed diffusion tensor imaging in two infants with neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. MRI revealed basal ganglia-thalamic lesions in both patients during the neonatal period. Patient 1 had severe neurological sequelae, whereas patient 2 achieved normal development. Conventional MRI at 12 months of age showed abnormal high-intensity areas in bilateral basal ganglia and thalami in patient 1, whereas no abnormal intensities were recognized in patient 2. Diffusion tensor tractography demonstrated poor depiction of white matter tracts above the level of centrum semiovale in patient 1. Region of interest analysis showed that fractional anisotropy of white matter of centrum semiovale and deep white matter was markedly reduced in patient 1 compared with patient 2, although apparent diffusion coefficient was not largely different between them. Our study suggested that abnormalities of diffusion property will be more widely present than those of conventional MRI. Diffusion tensor imaging will be useful to detect white matter abnormalities in normal-appearing white matter on conventional MRI.
