Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 24, 2026
Measuring Connectivity in the Primary Visual Pathway in Human Albinism Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Tractography
Published on: August 11, 2016
Functional and structural connectivity of the visual system in infants with perinatal brain injury
Stephanie L Merhar1, Elveda Gozdas2, Jean A Tkach3
1Perinatal Institute, Division of Neonatology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Insights
Infants with perinatal brain injury show reduced brain activity and connectivity in visual pathways. This neuroimaging study highlights potential visual problems in these infants compared to healthy controls.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pediatric Neurology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Perinatal brain injury poses a risk for visual impairments in infants.
- Advanced neuroimaging can detect functional and structural changes in the visual system.
- Hypothesis: Infants with perinatal brain injury exhibit altered brain activation and connectivity during visual tasks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate functional and structural alterations in the visual system of infants with perinatal brain injury.
- To compare brain activation, functional connectivity, and structural connectivity in infants with and without perinatal brain injury.
Main Methods:
- Utilized visual functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in infants during natural sleep.
- Analyzed activation maps, functional connectivity, and structural connectivity.
- Compared findings between 10 infants with perinatal brain injury and 20 healthy control infants.
Main Results:
- Infants with perinatal brain injury demonstrated reduced activation in the occipital cortex during visual fMRI.
- Weaker functional connectivity between visual areas and other brain regions was observed in the brain-injured group.
- Reduced fractional anisotropy in white matter tracts projecting to visual regions was found in infants with perinatal brain injury.
Conclusions:
- Infants with perinatal brain injury exhibit decreased brain activity and functional connectivity during visual tasks.
- Altered structural connectivity in visual pathways is evident in infants with perinatal brain injury.
- These findings suggest potential long-term visual problems in infants with perinatal brain injury.
Background:
Infants with perinatal brain injury are at risk of later visual problems. Advanced neuroimaging techniques show promise to detect functional and structural alterations of the visual system. We hypothesized that infants with perinatal brain injury would have less brain activation during a visual functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) task and reduced task-based functional connectivity and structural connectivity as compared with healthy controls.
Methods:
Ten infants with perinatal brain injury and 20 control infants underwent visual fMRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) during natural sleep with no sedation. Activation maps, functional connectivity maps, and structural connectivity were analyzed and compared between the two groups.
Results:
Most infants in both groups had negative activation in the visual cortex during the fMRI task. Infants with brain injury showed reduced activation in the occipital cortex, weaker connectivity between visual areas and other areas of the brain during the visual task, and reduced fractional anisotropy in white matter tracts projecting to visual regions, as compared with control infants.
Conclusion:
Infants with brain injury sustained in the perinatal period showed evidence of decreased brain activity and functional connectivity during a visual task and altered structural connectivity as compared with healthy term neonates.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Visual System
Once through the pupil, the light passes through the lens, a...
01:24Vision