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Updated: Jan 22, 2026
Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Analysis of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Published on: July 28, 2013
Diffusion Tensor Imaging Analysis of White Matter Microstructural Integrity in Infants With Retinopathy of
Seong Joon Ahn1, Hyun-Kyung Park2,3, Byung Ro Lee1
1Department of Ophthalmology, Hanyang University Hospital, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Insights
Preterm birth significantly impacts white matter development. Severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) may further decrease structural connectivity in infants, affecting brain development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Preterm birth poses risks to infant brain development.
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a common complication in preterm infants.
- Understanding the impact of ROP on white matter maturation is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate white matter maturation in preterm infants with and without ROP.
- To determine if ROP is associated with white matter microstructural integrity at term-equivalent ages.
Main Methods:
- Brain MRI diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was performed on preterm and full-term infants.
- White matter integrity was assessed using fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) values.
- Statistical analyses evaluated associations between ROP and DTI metrics.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in FA and MD values were found between preterm and full-term infants.
- ROP was associated with altered MD in the superior longitudinal fasciculus and cerebral peduncle.
- Severe ROP correlated with altered FA and MD in specific white matter tracts and reduced network connectivity.
Conclusions:
- Preterm birth is a primary factor in white matter maturation differences.
- Severe ROP is linked to decreased structural connectivity in the developing brain.
- These findings highlight the complex interplay between prematurity, ROP, and neurodevelopment.
Purpose:
To investigate white matter maturation in preterm infants with and without retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and to determine whether ROP is associated with white matter microstructural integrity at term-equivalent ages.
Methods:
In 82 preterm and 34 full-term infants who had undergone brain magnetic resonance imaging diffusion tensor imaging at term-equivalent ages, white matter microstructural integrity was assessed based on mean fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) values in 23 predefined regions of interest by using atlas-based analyses. The values were compared among preterm and full-term infants, and a general linear model was used to evaluate the association of the values with ROP or severe (i.e., stage ≥3) ROP.
Results:
Significant differences in FA and MD values were observed among preterm and full-term infants in 17 (73.9%) and 15 (65.2%) of the 23 white matter areas evaluated, respectively. However, ROP was significantly associated with MD values in only two areas (superior longitudinal fasciculus [P = 0.030] and cerebral peduncle [P = 0.005]). Severe ROP was significantly associated with FA values within the anterior limb of the internal capsule (P = 0.049) and MD values within the stria terminalis (P = 0.035). A network analysis showed that preterm infants with severe ROP had lower small-world index values than those without.
Conclusions:
Preterm birth may be more strongly associated with white matter maturation at term-equivalent ages than ROP, but severe ROP may be associated with decreased structural connectivity.
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