Brain MRI Measurements at a Term-Equivalent Age and Their Relationship to Neurodevelopmental Outcomes

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:An increased prevalence of disabilities is being observed as more preterm infants survive. This study was conducted to evaluate correlations between brain MR imaging measurements taken at a term-equivalent age and neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years' corrected age among very low-birth-weight infants.

Regional Brain Biometrics at Term-Equivalent Age and Developmental Outcome in Extremely Low-Birth-Weight Infants

“…A recent study by Park et al evaluated callosal length and TCD in relation to outcome in a cohort of very low-birth- weight infants (VLBW). 21 This study, which included a larger sample size of 90 VLBW infants, demonstrated a relationship between TCD with both cognitive and motor outcomes, while we only found a significant relationship with Bayley MDI in our smaller sample of ELBW infants. Similarly, Kidokoro et al recently described a significant relationship between increased interhemispheric distance and reduced biparietal width with impaired cognitive development in a multicenter sample of VLBW infants.…”

“…16 The overall maturation score was also significantly associated with clinical risk factors including prolonged intubation, postnatal steroid use, patent ductus arteriosus, inotrope requirement, duration of parenteral nutrition, and sepsis. While biometric measures have been incorporated into global brain injury scores and related to cognitive and behavioral outcomes, [18][19][20][21][22] comparative predictive abilities of individual biometric measures have not been systematically evaluated in prior studies. Establishing the predictive abilities of biometric measures in isolation offers advantages over incorporation into subjective qualitative scoring systems, as these require availability of interpretive expertise.…”

Validation of an MRI Brain Injury and Growth Scoring System in Very Preterm Infants Scanned at 29- to 35-Week Postmenstrual Age

“…17 At TEA, transcerebellar diameter was associated with fidgety general movements at 3-month corrected age (CA), 18 poorer cognitive outcomes at 12-month CA, 19 and poorer motor and cognitive outcomes at 2-year CA. 20 Reduced deep gray matter area at TEA was associated with poorer motor and cognitive outcomes, 19 and an increased interhemispheric distance independently predicted poorer cognitive development at 2-year CA. 3 Reduced biparietal width at TEA predicted both motor and cognitive outcomes at 2-year CA in infants born very preterm.…”

Relationship between brain function (aEEG) and brain structure (MRI) and their predictive value for neurodevelopmental outcome of preterm infants

“…Qualitative MRI analysis and advanced MRI techniques identified structural gray and white matter abnormalities and cerebellar injury with impact on neurodevelopmental outcome [27, 34, 38, 39]. However, most of these methods remain object of research and appear to be too complex for daily routine.…”