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DTI of the Visual Pathway - White Matter Tracts and Cerebral Lesions
Published on: August 26, 2014
Longitudinal White Matter Maturation in Preterm Infants: Functional Pathway-Specific Trajectories and Associations
Gang Yi Lee1, Yong Hun Jang2, Joo Young Lee2
1Department of Translational Medicine, Hanyang University Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea.
Insights
Preterm infants show altered white matter (WM) development, with distinct trajectories in motor, visual, and cognitive pathways compared to full-term infants. Faster middle cerebellar peduncle (MCP) maturation may aid motor recovery.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Human white matter (WM) undergoes critical development in the first two years, forming the basis for neurodevelopment.
- Preterm birth can impact this crucial early WM development, potentially leading to long-term neurodevelopmental challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare the developmental trajectories of 26 distinct white matter (WM) pathways in preterm versus full-term infants up to two years of age.
- To identify specific WM pathways associated with motor, visual, and cognitive functions and their developmental differences.
- To explore the relationship between WM maturation rates and long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes, particularly motor function.
Main Methods:
- A mixed-model analysis for repeated measures was employed.
- Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used to assess 26 functionally distinct WM pathways in 174 infants (58 preterm, 23 full-term).
- Inter-regional correlation matrix analysis was performed to examine pathway connectivity.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in developmental trajectories were observed between preterm and full-term infants in motor (e.g., corticospinal tract), visual (e.g., optic radiation), and cognitive (e.g., corpus callosum) pathways.
- Preterm infants exhibited stronger connectivity within motor and visual pathways, suggesting adaptive resilience mechanisms.
- Faster maturation of the middle cerebellar peduncle (MCP) tract was strongly associated with better motor scores, indicating a compensatory role.
Conclusions:
- Longitudinal analysis of specific WM pathway maturation rates reveals distinct neurodevelopmental sequelae of prematurity.
- Aberrant WM development in preterm infants highlights potential early biomarkers for neurodevelopmental outcomes.
- Targeted interventions guided by WM pathway analysis may improve neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants.
Abstract:
Background: During the first 2 years of life, human white matter (WM) undergoes rapid development, establishing a structural foundation for later neurodevelopment. Methods: We conducted a mixed-model analysis for repeated measures to investigate the developmental trajectories of functionally distinct 26 WM pathways between preterm and full-term groups during the first 2 years of life using diffusion tensor imaging (total scans = 174; preterm = 58; full-term = 23). Results: We observed significant differences between the preterm and full-term groups in the developmental trajectories associated with motor function (left corticospinal tract and left pre-primary motor cortex connection tracts), visual processing (bilateral pathway between the V1/V2 and V4, PV-MT, pathway connecting the V1/V2 and V5/MT, and optic radiation), and cognition (genu, body, and splenium of the corpus callosum). Furthermore, inter-regional correlation matrix analysis revealed stronger connectivity, specifically within motor- and visual-related pathways, in the preterm group than that for the full-term group, suggesting an adaptive mechanism that supports circuit-level resilience following preterm birth. Moreover, in the model investigating the associations between the WM individual rate of change and long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes, the middle cerebellar peduncle (MCP) tract showed the strongest associations with motor scores, suggesting that faster maturation of the MCP tract may enhance motor functions as a key compensatory mechanism following preterm birth. Conclusions: Delineating the longitudinal change rates of specific WM pathways not only deepens our understanding of the neurodevelopmental sequelae of prematurity but also highlights their potential as early biomarkers to guide timely interventions.
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