Cerebello-cerebral connectivity in the developing brain

Abstract

Disrupted cerebellar development and injury is associated with impairments in both motor and non-motor domains. Methods to non-invasively characterize cerebellar afferent and efferent connections during early development are lacking. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of delineating cortico-ponto-cerebellar (CPC) and cerebello-thalamo-cortical (CTC) white matter tracts during brain development using high angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI). HARDI data were obtained in 24 infants born between 24+6 and 39 weeks gestational age (median 33+4 weeks) and scanned between 29+1 and 44 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA) (median 37+1 weeks). Probabilistic tractography of CPC and CTC fibers was performed using constrained spherical deconvolution. Connections between cerebellum and contralateral cerebral hemisphere were identified in all infants studied. Fractional anisotropy (FA) values of CTC and CPC pathways increased with increasing PMA at scan (p < 0.001). The supratentorial regions connecting to contralateral cerebellum in most subjects, irrespective of PMA at scan, included the precentral cortex, superior frontal cortex, supplementary motor area, insula, postcentral cortex, precuneus, and paracentral lobule. This study demonstrates the feasibility of assessing CTC and CPC white matter connectivity in vivo during the early stages of development. The ability to assess cerebellar connectivity during this critical developmental period may help improve our understanding of the role of the cerebellum in a wide range of neuromotor and neurocognitive disorders.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00429-016-1296-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Neurodevelopmental Consequences of Preterm Isolated Cerebellar Hemorrhage: A Systematic Review

“…39 Recently, the tracts from the cerebellum to the cerebrum and vice versa have been visualized in humans (preterm infants scanned at between 29 and 44 weeks' GA) by using high angular resolution diffusion imaging, which has also revealed cerebellar connectivity with both motor and nonmotor areas of the cerebral cortex. 40 Cerebrocerebellar networks are not just anatomically connected, but have also been established with functional MRI. 37,38 To explain the effects of cerebellar injury on motor and nonmotor development, Wang et al 35 proposed the term "developmental diaschisis, " implying that injury in 1 part of the brain can affect the organization and function of another remote but anatomically connected part of the brain.…”

Annual Research Review: Not just a small adult brain: understanding later neurodevelopment through imaging the neonatal brain

“…These advances have allowed us to obtain neuroanatomically accurate reconstructions of white matter tracts that were impossible to delineate with tensor approaches. They have permitted, for instance, the delineation of complex white matter tracts such as the arcuate fasciculi (Salvan et al, 2017) and cerebello-cerebral connections in neonates (Pieterman et al, 2017) as well as the development of technically challenging post mortem atlases of foetal white matter tract bundles (Takahashi, Folkerth, Galaburda, & Grant, 2012).…”

Mild cerebellar injury does not significantly affect cerebral white matter microstructural organization and neurodevelopmental outcome in a contemporary cohort of preterm infants

“…allow reliable reconstruction of complex fiber orientations. It follows that, when using these techniques, cerebellocerebral tracts may be evaluated in detail and potential effects on gray matter organization may be studied as well (38,39). In addition, the effect of cerebellar injury on cerebellar microstructure may be investigated.…”