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Assessing neonatal brain glymphatic system development using diffusion tensor imaging along the perivascular space
Ting Peng1,2, Ying Lin2, Xin Xu3
1Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai, 201102, China.
BMC Medical Imaging
|April 17, 2025
Summary
Neonatal brain development shows delayed glymphatic system maturation in preterm infants, not influenced by sex. Magnetic resonance imaging biomarkers offer potential for monitoring neurodevelopmental progress.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal neuroscience
- Cerebral physiology
- Biomarker development
Background:
- Neonatal brain development is crucial for long-term sensory, motor, and cognitive functions.
- The glymphatic system, responsible for brain waste clearance, is not well understood in newborns.
- Non-invasive biomarkers are needed to assess glymphatic function in neonates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarkers of the neonatal glymphatic system.
- To explore the relationship between these biomarkers and neonatal development.
Main Methods:
- 117 neonates underwent high-resolution T1-weighted and diffusion MRI.
- Quantified diffusion tensor imaging along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) index and choroid plexus (CP) volume.
- Analyzed associations with postmenstrual age (PMA), gestational age (GA), birth weight (BW), and sex.
Main Results:
- Preterm neonates had significantly lower DTI-ALPS indices compared to term neonates.
- Choroid plexus volumes showed initial differences between preterm and term neonates that attenuated post-adjustment.
- DTI-ALPS indices showed transient correlations with developmental factors, while CP volumes maintained robust PMA associations.
Conclusions:
- Prematurity is associated with delayed glymphatic maturation, independent of biological sex.
- Cerebrospinal fluid production appears developmentally regulated, as indicated by the PMA-CP volume relationship.
- Glymphatic MRI biomarkers may help monitor neurodevelopmental trajectories in neonates, requiring further longitudinal validation.
