Correlation of abnormal brain changes with perinatal factors in very preterm infants based on diffusion tensor...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Biology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Brain structure and function in very preterm (VP) infants versus full-term (FT) infants remains unclear.
• The link between white matter microstructure, network connectivity, and perinatal factors in VP infants is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate differences in brain white matter microstructure and network connectivity between VP and FT infants at term-equivalent age (TEA).
• To examine the association of these brain differences with perinatal factors.

Main Methods:

• Conventional MRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) were used on 83 infants (43 VP, 40 FT) at TEA.
• Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) and network-based statistics (NBS) analyzed white matter microstructure and network connectivity.
• Multivariate linear regression explored correlations between brain metrics and perinatal factors.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in white matter fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were found between VP and FT groups.
• Brain connectivity differences were observed, associated with factors like bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and APGAR scores.
• In VP infants, network metrics correlated with maternal education, weight, APGAR score, and gestational age at birth.

Conclusions:

• Perinatal factors significantly influence brain development in very preterm infants.
• Findings provide a basis for clinical interventions to improve outcomes for preterm infants.