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Developmental stages of human brain: an MR study
Insights
Brain development in children involves gyration and myelination, progressing from back to front. This study establishes a grading system to assess brain maturation and "brain age" in early life.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Radiology
Background:
- Brain maturation is a complex process involving both structural (gyration) and biochemical (myelination) changes.
- Quantitative analysis of these changes is crucial for understanding typical development and identifying deviations.
- Existing methods may lack the precision to accurately stage early myelination and gyration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively analyze telencephalon (TC) gyri differentiation and TC/diencephalon myelination in children.
- To develop and validate a four-stage grading system for assessing brain maturation using MRI and myelin staining.
- To establish normative standards for brain maturation and a
- Main_Methods: [
- Quantitative analysis of telencephalon (TC) gyri differentiation and myelination in 50 children (32-240 weeks' postconceptional age).
- Development of a four-stage grading system by correlating MRI (T1 and T2-weighted) with myelin-stained macroslices from age-matched postmortem brains.
- Evaluation of different MRI sequences for optimal contrast in differentiating myelinated and nonmyelinated structures.
Main Methods:
- Quantitative analysis of telencephalon (TC) gyri differentiation and myelination in 50 children (32-240 weeks' postconceptional age).
- Development of a four-stage grading system by correlating MRI (T1 and T2-weighted) with myelin-stained macroslices from age-matched postmortem brains.
- Evaluation of different MRI sequences for optimal contrast in differentiating myelinated and nonmyelinated structures.
Main Results:
- Gyration and myelination demonstrated an occipito-rostral progression.
- Stages 3 and 4 myelination were detected earlier on T1-weighted images than T2-weighted images.
- Myelination in the TC was observed between 55-65 weeks' PCA in 50% of children; morphological differentiation preceded myelination by ~12 months.
Conclusions:
- The developed grading system effectively quantifies brain maturation, including gyration and myelination.
- T1-weighted MRI sequences are useful for early myelination detection, while longer sequences offer better contrast.
- This system can aid in establishing normative brain maturation standards and a "brain age" scale for the first four years of life.
Abstract:
The differentiation of the telencephalon (TC) gyri and the myelination of TC and diencephalon were analyzed quantitatively in 50 children, 32-240 weeks' postconceptional age (PCA). For this purpose, a four-stage grading system was developed by correlating magnetic resonance images from age-matched postmortem brains with subsequently prepared myelin-stained macroslices. Gyration and myelination progressed in a occipito-rostral direction. Stages 3 and 4 myelination were recognized earlier on T1-weighted images [spin echo (SE) 500/30] than on T2-weighted images (SE 3,000/120). However, long repetition time/echo time sequences yielded better contrast and allowed finer differentiation between myelinated and nonmyelinated structures. At term, the posterior limb of the internal capsule was generally myelinated (stage 2), whereas in 50% of the children, myelin appeared in the TC between 55 and 65 weeks' PCA, e.g., between 3 and 6 months postnatally. The morphological differentiation of the brain surface preceded the biochemical maturation (myelination) by an average of 12 months. Applying such a grading system to a larger population will help establish normal standards for brain maturation and a "brain age" scale during the first 4 years of life.