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Updated: Oct 25, 2025
Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Analysis of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Published on: July 28, 2013
Diagnostic Value of Diffusion Tensor Imaging for Infants' Brain Development Retardation Caused by Pre-Eclampsia
Qing-Na Xing1, Yan-Chao Liu1, De-Sheng Xuan1
1Department of Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou,450052, China.
Insights
Pre-eclampsia (PE) is linked to delayed infant brain development. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) reveals white matter development differences in preterm infants exposed to PE.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neonatalogy
- Radiology
Background:
- Pre-eclampsia (PE) poses risks to infant neurodevelopment, potentially causing delays.
- Understanding white matter development in preterm infants exposed to PE is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize differences in brain white matter development patterns.
- Compare preterm infants born to mothers with and without PE.
Main Methods:
- Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used to examine 80 preterm infants in the PE group and 96 controls.
- Fractional anisotropy (FA) was measured in five brain regions: posterior limbs of internal capsule (PLIC), splenium of the corpus callosum (SCC), superior frontal gyrus (SFG), superior parietal lobule (SPL), and superior occipital gyrus (SOG).
- The correlation between FA values and postmenstrual age (PMA) was analyzed.
Main Results:
- In controls, PMA and FA positively correlated in SCC and PLIC (r=0.30, p=0.003; r=0.53, p<0.0001). No such correlation was found in the PE group.
- Positive correlations between PMA and FA were observed in SPL and SOG in both PE and control groups.
- The superior frontal gyrus (SFG) showed a positive correlation in controls (r=0.47, p<0.0001) but not in the PE group.
Conclusions:
- PE may impede white matter development in the SCC, PLIC, and SFG in infants.
- DTI is a sensitive tool for detecting these developmental differences.
Objective:
Pre-eclampsia (PE) can cause brain development delay in infants. This work aims to characterize the pattern differences of brain white matter development in premature infants under PE conditions and those without.
Methods:
Eighty preterm infants delivered by women with PE were selected as the PE group, and ninety-six preterm infants of the same period born to women without high-risk perinatal factors were used as control. All infants underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) examination. The fractional anisotropy (FA) was measured in five regions of interests (ROIs), including posterior limbs of internal capsule (PLIC), splenium of the corpus callosum (SCC), superior frontal gyrus (SFG), superior parietal lobule (SPL), and superior occipital gyrus (SOG). The relationship between the FA values and postmenstrual age (PMA) was analyzed.
Results:
After adjusting for the birth weight and gestational ages, in the SCC and PLIC, the PMA and FA values showed a low-to-medium intensity positive correlation in the control group (r = 0.30, p=0.003; r = 0.53, p < 0.0001), while no positive relevance was detected in the PE group (r = 0.08, p=0.47; r = 0.19, p < 0.08). In the PE and control groups, in the SPL and SOG, the PMA and FA values showed a near-consistent positive correlation (r = 0.57, r = 0.55 vs. r = 0.31, r = 0.55; all p < 0.05). In the control group, in SFG, the PMA and FA values had a medium intensity positive correlation (r = 0.47, p < 0.0001), but there was no statistical difference in correlation in PE (r = 0.10, p=0.39).
Conclusion:
PE may cause lagging brain development in the SCC, PLIC, and SFG during infancy. DTI may be an effective and sensitive detection tool.
