Tract shape modeling detects changes associated with preterm birth and neuroprotective treatment effects

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Medical Imaging
• Developmental Biology

Background:

• Preterm birth is linked to altered neural circuit connectivity.
• Diffusion MRI (dMRI) offers insights into brain microstructure.
• Novel methods are needed to quantify these microstructural changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test if preterm birth alters tract topology and diffusion MRI parameters.
• To determine if neural systems are separable by dMRI metrics.
• To assess if PNT can detect neuroprotective treatment effects.

Main Methods:

• Developed probabilistic neighborhood tractography (PNT) for dMRI analysis.
• Segmented eight major fasciculi in preterm infants and controls.
• Measured tract topology, mean diffusivity (〈D〉), and fractional anisotropy (FA).

Main Results:

• Preterm birth altered tract topology in most major fasciculi.
• Increased tract-averaged 〈D〉 and decreased FA were observed in preterm infants.
• Antenatal magnesium sulfate showed a modest protective effect on splenium 〈D〉.

Conclusions:

• Tract topology serves as a biomarker for preterm brain injury.
• Tract-averaged dMRI parameters can evaluate perinatal neuroprotection efficacy.
• PNT provides a valuable tool for assessing brain development in preterm infants.