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Updated: May 23, 2026
05:33
Three-Dimensional Shape Modeling and Analysis of Brain Structures
Published on: November 14, 2019
Brain volume and shape in infants with deformational plagiocephaly
Brent R Collett1, Elizabeth H Aylward, Jessica Berg
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. bcollett@u.washington.edu
Summary
Infants with deformational plagiocephaly (DP) show altered brain shape, not volume differences. These brain shape changes correlate with developmental delays, suggesting a link between skull deformity and infant development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Infants with deformational plagiocephaly (DP) often show developmental delays.
- The underlying causes for these delays are not fully understood.
- Differences in brain development are hypothesized to contribute to these delays.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate brain volume and shape differences in infants with and without DP using MRI.
- To explore the relationship between brain shape abnormalities and developmental outcomes.
Main Methods:
- MRI scans were performed on 20 infants with DP and 21 control infants.
- Brain volumes, midsagittal areas (corpus callosum, cerebellar vermis), and linear shape measures were analyzed.
- Associations between brain shape and Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-III (BSID-III) scores were evaluated.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in overall brain volume were found between groups.
- Infants with DP exhibited greater posterior brain asymmetry and flattening, cerebellar vermis asymmetry, and corpus callosum shortening and altered orientation.
- Brain structure asymmetry and flattening were linked to poorer BSID-III scores.
Conclusions:
- Infants with DP present with distinct brain shape characteristics that align with their skull deformities.
- Brain shape abnormalities in DP are associated with infant developmental outcomes.
- Further longitudinal research is required to determine the causal relationship between brain deformation and developmental effects.
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