Visual cortex changes in children with sickle cell disease and normal visual acuity: a multimodal magnetic resonance...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Ophthalmology
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Sickle cell disease (SCD) commonly affects the visual system, with eye exams recommended for children.
• Previous research has primarily focused on retinal changes, overlooking the visual cortex.
• The impact of SCD on the visual cortex in childhood remains understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in the visual cortex of children with SCD.
• To compare the visual cortex in children with SCD to healthy controls.
• To identify potential anatomical and functional changes associated with SCD in the visual cortex.

Main Methods:

• Multimodal MRI was used to evaluate the visual cortex in 25 children with SCD and 31 controls.
• Ophthalmologic examinations assessed visual acuity and retinal vessel status.
• MR-angiography and Transcranial Doppler were employed to assess cerebral vasculature.

Main Results:

• Children with SCD showed increased posterior pericalcarine cortical thickness compared to controls.
• Altered cortical maturation trajectories were observed in SCD children.
• Decreased connectivity was found within the medial and ventral visual neural networks in SCD patients.
• Posterior cerebral artery stenosis was present in 6/25 SCD children.

Conclusions:

• Sickle cell disease affects visual cortex development and neural network connectivity in childhood.
• These changes occur even in the absence of retinopathy.
• Further research is needed to explore these findings as potential predictors of visual impairment, disease biomarkers, or treatment response indicators.