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Changes in brain microstructure during infancy and childhood using clinical feasible ADC-maps
Eva Bültmann1, Hans Joachim Mußgnug2, Antonia Zapf3
1Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany. bueltmann.eva@mh-hannover.de.
Insights
Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in the brain decrease exponentially with age during infancy and childhood, particularly in the first two years. This study establishes normative age-related ADC values for pediatric brain development.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Radiology
- Neuroimaging
- Brain Development
Background:
- Understanding normal brain maturation is crucial for identifying developmental abnormalities.
- Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) is a sensitive biomarker for tissue microstructure and water diffusion.
- Age-related changes in ADC reflect myelination and neuronal development during infancy and childhood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related changes in apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) during infancy and childhood.
- To establish normative ADC values across various brain regions in pediatric populations.
- To characterize the quantitative relationship between ADC and chronological age in developing brains.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 112 pediatric MRI examinations (0-17.2 years) with normal myelination.
- Creation of ADC maps from routine axial diffusion-weighted sequences at 1.5T.
- Measurement of ADC values in 35 distinct brain regions to assess age-related changes.
Main Results:
- ADC values exhibit a significant exponential decrease with increasing age, most pronounced in the first two years of life.
- Significant age-related declines in ADC were observed across all measured brain regions.
- No significant interhemispheric differences in ADC were found, except in the peritrigonal white matter.
- No significant gender-based differences in ADC were detected between 0 and 2 years of age.
Conclusions:
- Routine MRI sequences can generate ADC maps to describe age-related brain maturation.
- The relationship between ADC and age in infancy and childhood follows an exponential function.
- This study provides normative age-related ADC values for multiple brain regions, aiding in the assessment of pediatric brain development.
Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to examine age-related changes in apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) during infancy and childhood using routine MRI data.
Methods:
A total of 112 investigations of patients aged 0 to 17.2 years showing a normal degree of myelination and no signal abnormalities on conventional MRI were retrospectively selected from our pool of pediatric MRI examinations at 1.5T. ADC maps based on our routinely included axial diffusion weighted sequence were created from the scanner. ADC values were measured in 35 different brain regions investigating normal age-related changes during the maturation of the human brain in infancy and childhood using clinical feasible sequences at 1.5T.
Results:
The relationship between ADC values and age in infancy and childhood can be described as an exponential function. With increasing age, the ADC values decrease significantly in all brain regions, especially during the first 2 years of life. Except in the peritrigonal white matter, no significant differences were found between both hemispheres. Between 0 and 2 years of life, no significant gender differences were detected.
Conclusions:
Using ADC maps based on a routinely performed axial diffusion weighted sequence, it was possible first to describe the relationship between ADC values and age in infancy and childhood as exponential function in the whole brain and second to determine normative age-related ADC values in multiple brain regions.
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