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Association Between Head Circumference Growth and Peripheral Nerve Cross-Sectional Area Growth in Infants: A
Noé Bürke1,2,3, Lynn Jansen1,2,3, Erin West4
1Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Insights
Head circumference correlates with peripheral nerve growth in young children. This suggests both may be useful markers for monitoring neurodevelopment and identifying potential issues early.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Neurodevelopmental Biology
Background:
- Assessing neurodevelopment in early childhood is crucial.
- Understanding the relationship between central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS) growth provides insights into overall development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between the growth of the CNS and PNS in children aged 0 to 3 years.
- To determine if head circumference (HC) can serve as a proxy for CNS development in relation to PNS growth.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 40 participants aged 0-3 years.
- High-resolution ultrasound measured the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the median nerve at three locations.
- Median nerve CSA was compared with head circumference (HC) as a measure of CNS growth.
Main Results:
- A significant positive correlation was found between head circumference (HC) and median nerve cross-sectional area (CSA) at all measured sites.
- Adjusted linear regression models indicated that HC was a stronger predictor of nerve CSA than chronological age.
- The findings suggest a parallel growth pattern between CNS and PNS indicators.
Conclusions:
- The parallel growth observed between head circumference and peripheral nerve size suggests a coordinated developmental process.
- Both head circumference and nerve CSA may function as complementary biomarkers for monitoring neurodevelopment, including myelination.
- This association could aid in the early detection of atypical neurodevelopmental trajectories, warranting further longitudinal investigation.
Abstract:
To analyze the association between the growth of the central and peripheral nervous systems (PNS) in children aged 0 to 3 years.A total of 40 participants were included in this cross-sectional study to analyze the association between the growth and development of the peripheral and central nervous system (CNS). Using high-resolution ultrasound, the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the median nerve was measured at three locations (wrist, forearm, and upper arm) representing the development of the PNS and then compared with the head circumference (HC) as a proxy for the CNS development.There was a significant correlation between HC and the CSA of the median nerve at the three measured locations. When looking at adjusted linear regression models, HC appeared to be a stronger predictor of nerve CSA size than age.The observed association between nerve CSAs and HC growth indicates a parallel size increase. This association may have clinical relevance because both HC and nerve CSA could potentially serve as complementary markers for neurodevelopmental monitoring, that is, myelination, and may contribute to the early identification of atypical developmental patterns, though confirmatory longitudinal data are required.
