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Updated: May 1, 2026
Co-analysis of Brain Structure and Function using fMRI and Diffusion-weighted Imaging
Published on: November 8, 2012
Diffusion tractography and neuromotor outcome in very preterm children with white matter abnormalities
Meredith E Estep1, Christopher D Smyser2, Peter J Anderson3
1Department of Pediatrics, Washington University, St Louis, Missouri.
Insights
White matter abnormality (WMA) in newborns can impact brain connectivity. This study shows WMA in very preterm children predicts altered brain structure at age 7, affecting motor function.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Pediatric Neurology
Background:
- Moderate-to-severe white matter abnormality (WMA) in newborns can disrupt cerebral connectivity.
- However, WMA does not always lead to neurodevelopmental disability in very preterm (VPT) children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if neonatal WMA predicts microstructural organization at age 7 in VPT children.
- To compare corticospinal tract and corpus callosum (CC) measures in VPT children at age 7 with and without neonatal WMA, correlating with motor function.
Main Methods:
- Diffusion imaging parameters of the corticospinal tract and CC were analyzed.
- VPT children at 7 years were grouped based on the presence (n=20) or absence (n=42) of bilateral WMA detected neonatally.
Main Results:
- VPT children with neonatal WMA showed altered corticospinal tract and CC microstructural organization at age 7 compared to those without WMA.
- Diffusion parameters in the CC differed between children with WMA based on their motor outcome (n=8).
Conclusions:
- Neonatal WMA, identified via MRI, is linked to lasting changes in corticospinal tract and CC microstructural organization at age 7.
- These findings highlight the long-term impact of early brain injury on white matter development in VPT children.
Background:
Moderate-to-severe white matter abnormality (WMA) in the newborn has been shown to produce persistent disruptions in cerebral connectivity but does not universally result in neurodevelopmental disability in very preterm (VPT) children. The aims of this hypothesis-driven study were to apply diffusion imaging to: (i) examine whether bilateral WMA detected in VPT children in the newborn period can predict microstructural organization at the age of 7 y and (ii) compare corticospinal tract and corpus callosum (CC) measures in VPT children at the age of 7 y with neonatal WMA with normal vs. impaired motor functioning.
Methods:
Diffusion parameters of the corticospinal tract and CC were compared between VPT 7-y olds with (n = 20) and without (n = 42) bilateral WMA detected in the newborn period. For those with WMA, diffusion parameters were further examined.
Results:
Microstructural organization of corticospinal tract and CC tracts at the age of 7 y were altered in VPT children with moderate-to-severe WMA detected at term equivalent age as compared with those without injury. Furthermore, diffusion parameters differed in the CC for children with WMA categorized by motor outcome (n = 8).
Conclusion:
WMA on conventional magnetic resonance imaging at term equivalent age is associated with altered microstructural organization of the corticospinal tract and CC at 7 y of age.
