Diffusion Tensor Imaging of White Matter in Children Born from Preeclamptic Gestations

Individuals born from pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia have an elevated risk for cognitive impairment. Deviations in maternal plasma angiokines occur for prolonged intervals before clinical signs of preeclampsia. We hypothesized that fetal brain vascular and nervous tissue development become deviated during maternal progression toward preeclampsia and that such deviations would be detectable by MR imaging.

In this pilot study, 10 matched (gestational and current ages) pairs (5 boys/5 girls, 7-10 years of age) from preeclampsia or control pregnancies were examined by using diffusion tensor MR imaging. An unbiased voxel-based analysis was conducted on fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity parametric maps. Six brain ROIs were identified for subsequent analysis by tractography (middle occipital gyrus, caudate nucleus and precuneus, cerebellum, superior longitudinal fasciculus, and cingulate gyrus).

Statistical differences were present between groups for fractional anisotropy in the caudate nucleus (offspring from preeclamptic gestation > controls), volume of the tract for the superior longitudinal fasciculus (offspring from preeclamptic gestation > controls) and the caudate nucleus (offspring from preeclamptic gestation > controls), and for parallel diffusivity of the cingulate gyrus (offspring from preeclamptic gestation > controls).

These novel preliminary results along with previous results from the same children that identified altered cerebral vessel calibers and increased regional brain volumes justify fully powered MR imaging studies to address the impact of preeclampsia on human fetal brain development.