Mapping developmental precentral and postcentral gyral changes in children on magnetic resonance images

To study the shape changes in precentral gyrus (PRG) and postcentral gyrus (PCG) during healthy brain development in childhood.

Magnetic resonance (MR) images from 20 healthy children scanned twice at 6.3 ± 0.8 and 8.1 ± 0.9 years old were analyzed in this study. The analysis steps included: 1) The PRG and PCG were manually segmented from the MR images of each subject; 2) 3D mesh representing the PRG and PCG were built from the manually segmented images; 3) a series of shape description features were extracted and statistically analyzed by a permutation test method.

This study showed the following statistically significant findings (P < 0.05): left PCG and PRG are located more posteriorly and superiorly than their right compartments; the hemispheric asymmetry of the PRG in the inferior-superior direction decreased after 2 years; the superior part of the PCG and PRG shifted and rotated to the posterior side of the brain.

During normal pediatric brain development hemispheric asymmetry and shape of PCG and PRG are changed. These findings, together with previous reports in the literature, illustrate a region-specific brain structure maturation pattern in children and may be related to changing neurocognitive functions.