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Quinones JF, Hildebrandt A, Pavan T, Thiel CM, Heep A. Preterm birth and neonatal white matter microstructure in in-vivo reconstructed fiber tracts among audiovisual integration brain regions. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 60:101202. [PMID: 36731359 PMCID: PMC9894786 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals born preterm are at risk of developing a variety of sequelae. Audiovisual integration (AVI) has received little attention despite its facilitating role in the development of socio-cognitive abilities. The present study assessed the association between prematurity and in-vivo reconstructed fiber bundles among brain regions relevant for AVI. We retrieved data from 63 preterm neonates enrolled in the Developing Human Connectome Project (http://www.developingconnectome.org/) and matched them with 63 term-born neonates from the same study by means of propensity score matching. We performed probabilistic tractography, DTI and NODDI analysis on the traced fibers. We found that specific DTI and NODDI metrics are significantly associated with prematurity in neonates matched for postmenstrual age at scan. We investigated the spatial overlap and developmental order of the reconstructed tractograms between preterm and full-term neonates. Permutation-based analysis revealed significant differences in dice similarity coefficients and developmental order between preterm and full term neonates at the group level. Contrarily, no group differences in the amount of interindividual variability of DTI and NODDI metrics were observed. We conclude that microstructural detriment in the reconstructed fiber bundles along with developmental and morphological differences are likely to contribute to disadvantages in AVI in preterm individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan F. Quinones
- Psychological Methods and Statistics, Department of Psychology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany,Cluster of Excellence Hearing4all, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany,Correspondence to: Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Department of Psychology, Ammerländer Heerstr., 114-11, 826129 Oldenburg, Germany.
| | - Andrea Hildebrandt
- Psychological Methods and Statistics, Department of Psychology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany,Cluster of Excellence Hearing4all, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany,Research Center Neurosensory Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Germany,Correspondence to: Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Department of Psychology, Ammerländer Heerstr., 114-11, 826129 Oldenburg, Germany.
| | - Tommaso Pavan
- Department of Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christiane M. Thiel
- Cluster of Excellence Hearing4all, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany,Research Center Neurosensory Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Germany,Biological Psychology, Department of Psychology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Axel Heep
- Research Center Neurosensory Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Germany,Klinik für Neonatologie, Intensivmedizin und Kinderkardiologie, Oldenburg, Germany
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2
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Chen R, Sun C, Liu T, Liao Y, Wang J, Sun Y, Zhang Y, Wang G, Wu D. Deciphering the developmental order and microstructural patterns of early white matter pathways in a diffusion MRI based fetal brain atlas. Neuroimage 2022; 264:119700. [PMID: 36270621 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
White matter (WM) of the fetal brain undergoes rapid development to form early structural connections. Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) has shown to be a useful tool to depict fetal brain WM in utero, and many studies have observed increasing fractional anisotropy and decreasing diffusivity in the fetal brain during the second-to-third trimester, whereas others reported non-monotonic changes. Unbiased dMRI atlases of the fetal brain are important for characterizing the developmental trajectories of WM and providing normative references for in utero diagnosis of prenatal abnormalities. To date, the sole fetal brain dMRI atlas was collected from a Caucasian/mixed population and was constructed based on the diffusion tensor model with limited spatial resolution. In this work, we proposed a fiber orientation distribution (FOD) based pipeline for generating fetal brain dMRI atlases, which showed better registration accuracy than a diffusion tensor based pipeline. Based on the FOD-based pipeline, we constructed the first Chinese fetal brain dMRI atlas using 89 dMRI scans of normal fetuses at gestational age between 24 and 38 weeks. Complex non-monotonic trends of tensor- and FOD-derived microstructural parameters in eight WM tracts were observed, which jointly pointed to different phases of microstructural development. Specifically, we speculated that the turning point of the diffusivity trajectory may correspond to the starting point of pre-myelination, based on which, the developmental order of WM tracts can be mapped and the order was in agreement with the order of myelination from histological studies. The normative atlas also provided a reference for the detection of abnormal WM development, such as that in congenital heart disease. Therefore, the established high-order fetal brain dMRI atlas depicted the spatiotemporal pattern of early WM development, and findings may help decipher the distinct microstructural events in utero.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruike Chen
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Cong Sun
- Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Tingting Liu
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuhao Liao
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | | | - Yi Sun
- MR Collaboration, Siemens Healthineers Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Guangbin Wang
- Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China; Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China.
| | - Dan Wu
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
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3
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Zhao X, Zhang C, Zhang B, Yan J, Wang K, Zhu Z, Zhang X. The Value of Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging in Detecting Delayed Brain Development of Premature Infants. Front Neurol 2021; 12:789254. [PMID: 34966352 PMCID: PMC8710729 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.789254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: Preterm infants are at high risk of the adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. Our aim is to explore the value of diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) in diagnosing brain developmental disorders in premature infants. Materials and Methods: A total of 52 subjects were included in this study, including 26 premature infants as the preterm group, and 26 full-term infants as the control group. Routine MRI and DKI examinations were performed. Mean kurtosis (MK), radial kurtosis (RK), fractional anisotropy (FA), and mean diffusivity (MD) values were measured in the brain regions including posterior limbs of the internal capsule (PLIC), anterior limb of internal capsule (ALIC), parietal white matter (PWM), frontal white matter (FWM), thalamus (TH), caudate nucleus (CN), and genu of the corpus callosum (GCC). The chi-squared test, t-test, Spearman's correlation analysis, and receiver operating characteristic curve were used for data analyses. Results: In the premature infant group, the MK and RK values of PLIA, ALIC, and PWM were lower than those in the control group (p < 0.05). The FA values of PWM, FWM, and TH were also lower than those of the control group (p < 0.05). The area under curves of MK in PLIC and ALIC, MD in PWM, and FA in FWM were 0.813, 0.802, 0.842, and 0.867 (p < 0.05). In the thalamus and CN, the correlations between MK, RK values, and postmenstrual age (PMA) were higher than those between FA, MD values, and PMA. Conclusion: Diffusion kurtosis imaging can be used as an effective tool in detecting brain developmental disorders in premature infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Zhao
- Department of Imaging, Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Chunxiang Zhang
- Department of Imaging, Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Bohao Zhang
- Department of Imaging, Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | | | - Kaiyu Wang
- MRI Research, GE Healthcare, Beijing, China
| | | | - Xiaoan Zhang
- Department of Imaging, Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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Dubois J, Alison M, Counsell SJ, Hertz‐Pannier L, Hüppi PS, Benders MJ. MRI of the Neonatal Brain: A Review of Methodological Challenges and Neuroscientific Advances. J Magn Reson Imaging 2021; 53:1318-1343. [PMID: 32420684 PMCID: PMC8247362 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.27192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, exploration of the developing brain has become a major focus for researchers and clinicians in an attempt to understand what allows children to acquire amazing and unique abilities, as well as the impact of early disruptions (eg, prematurity, neonatal insults) that can lead to a wide range of neurodevelopmental disorders. Noninvasive neuroimaging methods such as MRI are essential to establish links between the brain and behavioral changes in newborns and infants. In this review article, we aim to highlight recent and representative studies using the various techniques available: anatomical MRI, quantitative MRI (relaxometry, diffusion MRI), multiparametric approaches, and functional MRI. Today, protocols use 1.5 or 3T MRI scanners, and specialized methodologies have been put in place for data acquisition and processing to address the methodological challenges specific to this population, such as sensitivity to motion. MR sequences must be adapted to the brains of newborns and infants to obtain relevant good soft-tissue contrast, given the small size of the cerebral structures and the incomplete maturation of tissues. The use of age-specific image postprocessing tools is also essential, as signal and contrast differ from the adult brain. Appropriate methodologies then make it possible to explore multiple neurodevelopmental mechanisms in a precise way, and assess changes with age or differences between groups of subjects, particularly through large-scale projects. Although MRI measurements only indirectly reflect the complex series of dynamic processes observed throughout development at the molecular and cellular levels, this technique can provide information on brain morphology, structural connectivity, microstructural properties of gray and white matter, and on the functional architecture. Finally, MRI measures related to clinical, behavioral, and electrophysiological markers have a key role to play from a diagnostic and prognostic perspective in the implementation of early interventions to avoid long-term disabilities in children. EVIDENCE LEVEL: 2 TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: 1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Dubois
- University of ParisNeuroDiderot, INSERM,ParisFrance
- UNIACT, NeuroSpin, CEA; Paris‐Saclay UniversityGif‐sur‐YvetteFrance
| | - Marianne Alison
- University of ParisNeuroDiderot, INSERM,ParisFrance
- Department of Pediatric RadiologyAPHP, Robert‐Debré HospitalParisFrance
| | - Serena J. Counsell
- Centre for the Developing BrainSchool of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Lucie Hertz‐Pannier
- University of ParisNeuroDiderot, INSERM,ParisFrance
- UNIACT, NeuroSpin, CEA; Paris‐Saclay UniversityGif‐sur‐YvetteFrance
| | - Petra S. Hüppi
- Division of Development and Growth, Department of Woman, Child and AdolescentUniversity Hospitals of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Manon J.N.L. Benders
- Department of NeonatologyUniversity Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht UniversityUtrechtthe Netherlands
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5
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Kang B, Kim B, Schär M, Park H, Heo HY. Unsupervised learning for magnetization transfer contrast MR fingerprinting: Application to CEST and nuclear Overhauser enhancement imaging. Magn Reson Med 2020; 85:2040-2054. [PMID: 33128483 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To develop a fast, quantitative 3D magnetization transfer contrast (MTC) framework based on an unsupervised learning scheme, which will provide baseline reference signals for CEST and nuclear Overhauser enhancement imaging. METHODS Pseudo-randomized RF saturation parameters and relaxation delay times were applied in an MR fingerprinting framework to generate transient-state signal evolutions for different MTC parameters. Prospectively compressed sensing-accelerated (four-fold) MR fingerprinting images were acquired from 6 healthy volunteers at 3 T. A convolutional neural network framework in an unsupervised fashion was designed to solve an inverse problem of a two-pool MTC Bloch equation, and was compared with a conventional Bloch equation-based fitting approach. The MTC images synthesized by the convolutional neural network architecture were used for amide proton transfer and nuclear Overhauser enhancement imaging as a reference baseline image. RESULTS The fully unsupervised learning scheme incorporated with the two-pool exchange model learned a set of unique features that can describe the MTC-MR fingerprinting input, and allowed only small amounts of unlabeled data for training. The MTC parameter values estimated by the unsupervised learning method were in excellent agreement with values estimated by the conventional Bloch fitting approach, but dramatically reduced computation time by ~1000-fold. CONCLUSION Given the considerable time efficiency compared to conventional Bloch fitting, unsupervised learning-based MTC-MR fingerprinting could be a powerful tool for quantitative MTC and CEST/nuclear Overhauser enhancement imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beomgu Kang
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Byungjai Kim
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Korea.,Divison of MR Research, Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Michael Schär
- Divison of MR Research, Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - HyunWook Park
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Hye-Young Heo
- Divison of MR Research, Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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6
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White matter injury and neurodevelopmental disabilities: A cross-disease (dis)connection. Prog Neurobiol 2020; 193:101845. [PMID: 32505757 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2020.101845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
White matter (WM) injury, once known primarily in preterm newborns, is emerging in its non-focal (diffused), non-necrotic form as a critical component of subtle brain injuries in many early-life diseases like prematurity, intrauterine growth restriction, congenital heart defects, and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. While advances in medical techniques have reduced the number of severe outcomes, the incidence of tardive impairments in complex cognitive functions or psychopathology remains high, with lifelong detrimental effects. The importance of WM in coordinating neuronal assemblies firing and neural groups synchronizing within multiple frequency bands through myelination, even mild alterations in WM structure, may interfere with the cognitive performance that increasing social and learning demands would exploit tardively during children growth. This phenomenon may contribute to explaining longitudinally the high incidence of late-appearing impairments that affect children with a history of perinatal insults. Furthermore, WM abnormalities have been highlighted in several neuropsychiatric disorders, such as autism and schizophrenia. In this review, we gather and organize evidence on how diffused WM injuries contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders through different perinatal diseases and insults. An insight into a possible common, cross-disease, mechanism, neuroimaging and monitoring, biomarkers, and neuroprotective strategies will also be presented.
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7
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Serati M, Delvecchio G, Orsenigo G, Mandolini GM, Lazzaretti M, Scola E, Triulzi F, Brambilla P. The Role of the Subplate in Schizophrenia and Autism: A Systematic Review. Neuroscience 2019; 408:58-67. [PMID: 30930130 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.03.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Revised: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The subplate (SP) represents a transitory cytoarchitectural fetal compartment containing most subcortical and cortico-cortical afferents, and has a fundamental role in the structural development of the healthy adult brain. There is evidence that schizophrenia and autism may be determined by developmental defects in the cortex or cortical circuitry during the earliest stages of pregnancy. This article provides an overview on fetal SP development, considering its role in schizophrenia and autism, as supported by a systematic review of the main databases. The SP has been described as a cortical amplifier with a role in the coordination of cortical activity, and sensitive growth and migration windows have crucial consequences with respect to cognitive functioning. Although there are not enough studies to draw final conclusions, improved knowledge of the SP's role in schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders may help to elucidate and possibly prevent the onset of these two severe disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Serati
- Department of Mental Health, ASST Rhodense, Rho, Milan, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Delvecchio
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Orsenigo
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Italy
| | - Gian Mario Mandolini
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Lazzaretti
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Scola
- Department of Neuroradiology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Fabio Triulzi
- Department of Neuroradiology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Brambilla
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, University of Texas at Houston, TX, USA
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8
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Khan S, Vasung L, Marami B, Rollins CK, Afacan O, Ortinau CM, Yang E, Warfield SK, Gholipour A. Fetal brain growth portrayed by a spatiotemporal diffusion tensor MRI atlas computed from in utero images. Neuroimage 2019; 185:593-608. [PMID: 30172006 PMCID: PMC6289660 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.08.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2017] [Revised: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Altered structural fetal brain development has been linked to neuro-developmental disorders. These structural alterations can be potentially detected in utero using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). However, acquisition and reconstruction of in utero fetal brain DTI remains challenging. Until now, motion-robust DTI methods have been employed for reconstruction of in utero fetal DTIs. However, due to the unconstrained fetal motion and permissible in utero acquisition times, these methods yielded limited success and have typically resulted in noisy DTIs. Consequently, atlases and methods that could enable groupwise studies, multi-modality imaging, and computer-aided diagnosis from in utero DTIs have not yet been developed. This paper presents the first DTI atlas of the fetal brain computed from in utero diffusion-weighted images. For this purpose an algorithm for computing an unbiased spatiotemporal DTI atlas, which integrates kernel-regression in age with a diffeomorphic tensor-to-tensor registration of motion-corrected and reconstructed individual fetal brain DTIs, was developed. Our new algorithm was applied to a set of 67 fetal DTI scans acquired from healthy fetuses each scanned at a gestational age between 21 and 39 weeks. The neurodevelopmental trends in the fetal brain, characterized by the atlas, were qualitatively and quantitatively compared with the observations reported in prior ex vivo and in utero studies, and with results from imaging gestational-age equivalent preterm infants. Our major findings revealed early presence of limbic fiber bundles, followed by the appearance and maturation of projection pathways (characterized by an age related increase in FA) during late 2nd and early 3rd trimesters. During the 3rd trimester association fiber bundles become evident. In parallel with the appearance and maturation of fiber bundles, from 21 to 39 gestational weeks gradual disappearance of the radial coherence of the telencephalic wall was qualitatively identified. These results and analyses show that our DTI atlas of the fetal brain is useful for reliable detection of major neuronal fiber bundle pathways and for characterization of the fetal brain reorganization that occurs in utero. The atlas can also serve as a useful resource for detection of normal and abnormal fetal brain development in utero.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shadab Khan
- Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Lana Vasung
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bahram Marami
- Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Caitlin K Rollins
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Onur Afacan
- Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Cynthia M Ortinau
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Edward Yang
- Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Simon K Warfield
- Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ali Gholipour
- Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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9
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Abstract
Despite the advances in neonatal intensive care, the preterm brain remains vulnerable to white matter injury (WMI) and disruption of normal brain development (i.e., dysmaturation). Compared to severe cystic WMI encountered in the past decades, contemporary cohorts of preterm neonates experience milder WMIs. More than destructive lesions, disruption of the normal developmental trajectory of cellular elements of the white and the gray matter occurs. In the acute phase, in response to hypoxia-ischemia and/or infection and inflammation, multifocal areas of necrosis within the periventricular white matter involve all cellular elements. Later, chronic WMI is characterized by diffuse WMI with aberrant regeneration of oligodendrocytes, which fail to mature to myelinating oligodendrocytes, leading to myelination disturbances. Complete neuronal degeneration classically accompanies necrotic white matter lesions, while altered neurogenesis, represented by a reduction of the dendritic arbor and synapse formation, is observed in response to diffuse WMI. Neuroimaging studies now provide more insight in assessing both injury and dysmaturation of both gray and white matter. Preterm brain injury remains an important cause of neurodevelopmental disabilities, which are still observed in up to 50% of the preterm survivors and take the form of a complex combination of motor, cognitive, and behavioral concerns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliane Schneider
- Department of Woman-Mother-Child, Clinic of Neonatology, University Hospital Center and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Steven P Miller
- Division of Neurology and Centre for Brain and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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10
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Lebenberg J, Mangin JF, Thirion B, Poupon C, Hertz-Pannier L, Leroy F, Adibpour P, Dehaene-Lambertz G, Dubois J. Mapping the asynchrony of cortical maturation in the infant brain: A MRI multi-parametric clustering approach. Neuroimage 2019; 185:641-653. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.07.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2017] [Revised: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
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Saadani-Makki F, Hagmann C, Balédent O, Makki MI. Early assessment of lateralization and sex influences on the microstructure of the white matter corticospinal tract in healthy term neonates. J Neurosci Res 2018; 97:480-491. [PMID: 30548647 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Revised: 11/04/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
We assessed the sex and the lateralization differences in the corticospinal tract (CST) during the early postnatal period. Twenty-five healthy term neonates (13 girls, aged 39.2 ± 1.2 weeks, and 12 boys aged 38.6 ± 3.0 weeks) underwent Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI). Fiber tracking was performed to extract bilaterally the CST pathways and to quantify the parallel (E1 ) and perpendicular (E23 ) diffusions, the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and fractional anisotropy (FA). The measurements were performed on the entire CST fibers and on four segments: base of the pons (CST-Po), cerebral peduncles (CST-CP), posterior limb of the internal capsule (CST-PLIC), and corona-radiata (CST-CR). Significantly higher E1 , lower E23, and higher FA in the right compared to the left were noted in the CST-PLIC of the girls. Significantly lower E23 and lower ADC with higher FA in the right compared to left were observed in the CST-CP of the boys. Moreover, the CST-PLIC of the boys had significantly higher E1 in the right compared to the left. There was a significant increase in left CST E1 of boys when compared with girls. Girls had a significantly lower E1 , lower E23 and, lower ADC in the left CST-CP compared with boys. In addition, girls had a significantly lower E23 and higher FA in the right CST-PLIC compared with boys. Sex differences and lateralization in structure-based segments of the CST were found in healthy term infants during early postnatal period. These findings are vital to understanding motor development of healthy term born neonates to better interpret newborn infants with abnormal neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fadoua Saadani-Makki
- Unite de Traitement de l'Image, CHU Amiens-Picardie, Amiens, France.,CHIMERE EA 7516, Université de Picardie Jules Vernes, Amiens, France
| | - Cornelia Hagmann
- Department of Neonatology and Pediatric Intensive Care, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Balédent
- Unite de Traitement de l'Image, CHU Amiens-Picardie, Amiens, France.,CHIMERE EA 7516, Université de Picardie Jules Vernes, Amiens, France
| | - Malek I Makki
- MRI Research, CHU Amiens-Picardie, Amiens, France.,MRI Research, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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12
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Vandewouw MM, Young JM, Shroff MM, Taylor MJ, Sled JG. Altered myelin maturation in four year old children born very preterm. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2018; 21:101635. [PMID: 30573411 PMCID: PMC6413416 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2018.101635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Revised: 11/25/2018] [Accepted: 12/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Children born very preterm (VPT; <32 weeks gestational age [GA]) are at greater risk for a range of cognitive deficits that typically manifest at school age. Here we examine the hypothesis that these children have altered myelin maturational that can be detected by myelin sensitive MRI measures prior to school age. We included 33 four-year old children born VPT (mean GA; 28.7 weeks) and 23 four-year old full term (FT) children and completed magnetization transfer (MT), T1-weighted (T1-w) and T2-weighted (T1-w) magnetic resonance imaging as well as developmental assessments. Both MT ratio (MTR) and T1-w/T2-w ratio images were calculated, and group differences were probed using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) in white matter, and region of interest (ROI) analysis in white, subcortical gray and cortical gray matter. The relations between MTR and T1-w/T2-w ratio, as well as with developmental assessments, were investigated in all three brain divisions. In children born VPT, TBSS and ROI analysis revealed that both MTR and T1-w/T2-w ratio were significantly reduced in white matter compared to children born FT. ROI analysis showed reductions in T1-w/T2-w ratio in VPT children compared to FT children in the thalamus, putamen and amygdala, as well as in the occipital and temporal lobes. Across the VPT and FT children, T1-w/T2-w ratio and MTR were highly correlated across white, subcortical gray and cortical gray matter. Both measures correlated positively with developmental assessments in individual white matter tracts and cortical and subcortical ROIs, suggesting that higher MTR and T1-w/T2-w ratio is related to better cognitive performance. Together these findings are consistent with delayed myelination in VPT born children. Very preterm children have widespread decreased MTR in white matter. T1-w/T2-w ratio measures showed consistent white matter alterations. T1-w/T2-w ratio was also reduced in subcortical, occipital and temporal regions. MTR and T1-w/T2-w were correlated throughout the brain. MTR and T1-w/T2-w correlated with developmental assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlee M Vandewouw
- Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Neurosciences and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Julia M Young
- Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Neurosciences and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Manohar M Shroff
- Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Margot J Taylor
- Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Neurosciences and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - John G Sled
- Translational Medicine, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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13
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Pecheva D, Kelly C, Kimpton J, Bonthrone A, Batalle D, Zhang H, Counsell SJ. Recent advances in diffusion neuroimaging: applications in the developing preterm brain. F1000Res 2018; 7. [PMID: 30210783 PMCID: PMC6107996 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.15073.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Measures obtained from diffusion-weighted imaging provide objective indices of white matter development and injury in the developing preterm brain. To date, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has been used widely, highlighting differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) between preterm infants at term and healthy term controls; altered white matter development associated with a number of perinatal risk factors; and correlations between FA values in the white matter in the neonatal period and subsequent neurodevelopmental outcome. Recent developments, including neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) and fixel-based analysis (FBA), enable white matter microstructure to be assessed in detail. Constrained spherical deconvolution (CSD) enables multiple fibre populations in an imaging voxel to be resolved and allows delineation of fibres that traverse regions of fibre-crossings, such as the arcuate fasciculus and cerebellar–cortical pathways. This review summarises DTI findings in the preterm brain and discusses initial findings in this population using CSD, NODDI, and FBA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diliana Pecheva
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Christopher Kelly
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Jessica Kimpton
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Alexandra Bonthrone
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Dafnis Batalle
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Hui Zhang
- Department of Computer Science & Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, London, UK
| | - Serena J Counsell
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
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14
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Young JM, Morgan BR, Whyte HEA, Lee W, Smith ML, Raybaud C, Shroff MM, Sled JG, Taylor MJ. Longitudinal Study of White Matter Development and Outcomes in Children Born Very Preterm. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:4094-4105. [PMID: 27600850 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2016] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying trajectories of early white matter development is important for understanding atypical brain development and impaired functional outcomes in children born very preterm (<32 weeks gestational age [GA]). In this study, 161 diffusion images were acquired in children born very preterm (median GA: 29 weeks) shortly following birth (75), term-equivalent (39), 2 years (18), and 4 years of age (29). Diffusion tensors were computed to obtain measures of fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD), which were aligned and averaged. A paediatric atlas was applied to obtain diffusion metrics within 12 white matter tracts. Developmental trajectories across time points demonstrated age-related changes which plateaued between term-equivalent and 2 years of age in the majority of posterior tracts and between 2 and 4 years of age in anterior tracts. Between preterm and term-equivalent scans, FA rates of change were slower in anterior than posterior tracts. Partial least squares analyses revealed associations between slower MD and RD rates of change within the external and internal capsule with lower intelligence quotients and language scores at 4 years of age. These results uniquely demonstrate early white matter development and its linkage to cognitive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia M Young
- 1 Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1X8.,Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1X8.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Benjamin R Morgan
- 1Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1X8
| | - Hilary E A Whyte
- Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1X8.,Department of Neonatology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1X8
| | - Wayne Lee
- 1Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1X8
| | - Mary Lou Smith
- Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1X8.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1X8
| | - Charles Raybaud
- 1 Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1X8.,Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Manohar M Shroff
- 1 Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1X8.,Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - John G Sled
- Program in Physiology and Experimental Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1X8.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Margot J Taylor
- 1 Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1X8.,Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1X8.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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15
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Ouyang M, Dubois J, Yu Q, Mukherjee P, Huang H. Delineation of early brain development from fetuses to infants with diffusion MRI and beyond. Neuroimage 2018; 185:836-850. [PMID: 29655938 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Revised: 04/01/2018] [Accepted: 04/08/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Dynamic macrostructural and microstructural changes take place from the mid-fetal stage to 2 years after birth. Delineating structural changes of the brain during early development provides new insights into the complicated processes of both typical development and the pathological mechanisms underlying various psychiatric and neurological disorders including autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and schizophrenia. Decades of histological studies have identified strong spatial and functional maturation gradients in human brain gray and white matter. The recent improvements in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, especially diffusion MRI (dMRI), relaxometry imaging, and magnetization transfer imaging (MTI) have provided unprecedented opportunities to non-invasively quantify and map the early developmental changes at whole brain and regional levels. Here, we review the recent advances in understanding early brain structural development during the second half of gestation and the first two postnatal years using modern MR techniques. Specifically, we review studies that delineate the emergence and microstructural maturation of white matter tracts, as well as dynamic mapping of inhomogeneous cortical microstructural organization unique to fetuses and infants. These imaging studies converge into maturational curves of MRI measurements that are distinctive across different white matter tracts and cortical regions. Furthermore, contemporary models offering biophysical interpretations of the dMRI-derived measurements are illustrated to infer the underlying microstructural changes. Collectively, this review summarizes findings that contribute to charting spatiotemporally heterogeneous gray and white matter structural development, offering MRI-based biomarkers of typical brain development and setting the stage for understanding aberrant brain development in neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minhui Ouyang
- Radiology Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Jessica Dubois
- INSERM, UMR992, CEA, NeuroSpin Center, University Paris Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Qinlin Yu
- Radiology Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Pratik Mukherjee
- Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Hao Huang
- Radiology Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA, United States; Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, PA, United States.
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16
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Sled JG. Modelling and interpretation of magnetization transfer imaging in the brain. Neuroimage 2017; 182:128-135. [PMID: 29208570 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.11.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2017] [Revised: 11/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Magnetization transfer contrast has yielded insight into brain tissue microstructure changes across the lifespan and in a range of disorders. This progress has been aided by the development of quantitative magnetization transfer imaging techniques able to extract intrinsic properties of the tissue that are independent of the specifics of the data acquisition. While the tissue properties extracted by these techniques do not map directly onto specific cellular structures or pathological processes, a growing body of work from animal models and histopathological correlations aids the in vivo interpretation of magnetization transfer properties of tissue. This review examines the biophysical models that have been developed to describe magnetization transfer contrast in tissue as well as the experimental evidence for the biological interpretation of magnetization transfer data in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- John G Sled
- Hospital for Sick Children, Mouse Imaging Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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17
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Dean DC, Planalp EM, Wooten W, Adluru N, Kecskemeti SR, Frye C, Schmidt CK, Schmidt NL, Styner MA, Goldsmith HH, Davidson RJ, Alexander AL. Mapping White Matter Microstructure in the One Month Human Brain. Sci Rep 2017; 7:9759. [PMID: 28852074 PMCID: PMC5575288 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-09915-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2017] [Accepted: 08/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
White matter microstructure, essential for efficient and coordinated transmission of neural communications, undergoes pronounced development during the first years of life, while deviations to this neurodevelopmental trajectory likely result in alterations of brain connectivity relevant to behavior. Hence, systematic evaluation of white matter microstructure in the normative brain is critical for a neuroscientific approach to both typical and atypical early behavioral development. However, few studies have examined the infant brain in detail, particularly in infants under 3 months of age. Here, we utilize quantitative techniques of diffusion tensor imaging and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging to investigate neonatal white matter microstructure in 104 infants. An optimized multiple b-value diffusion protocol was developed to allow for successful acquisition during non-sedated sleep. Associations between white matter microstructure measures and gestation corrected age, regional asymmetries, infant sex, as well as newborn growth measures were assessed. Results highlight changes of white matter microstructure during the earliest periods of development and demonstrate differential timing of developing regions and regional asymmetries. Our results contribute to a growing body of research investigating the neurobiological changes associated with neurodevelopment and suggest that characteristics of white matter microstructure are already underway in the weeks immediately following birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- D C Dean
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
- Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
| | - E M Planalp
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - W Wooten
- Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - N Adluru
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - S R Kecskemeti
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - C Frye
- Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - C K Schmidt
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - N L Schmidt
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - M A Styner
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - H H Goldsmith
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - R J Davidson
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - A L Alexander
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
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18
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Campbell JSW, Leppert IR, Narayanan S, Boudreau M, Duval T, Cohen-Adad J, Pike GB, Stikov N. Promise and pitfalls of g-ratio estimation with MRI. Neuroimage 2017; 182:80-96. [PMID: 28822750 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.08.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Revised: 07/28/2017] [Accepted: 08/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The fiber g-ratio is the ratio of the inner to the outer diameter of the myelin sheath of a myelinated axon. It has a limited dynamic range in healthy white matter, as it is optimized for speed of signal conduction, cellular energetics, and spatial constraints. In vivo imaging of the g-ratio in health and disease would greatly increase our knowledge of the nervous system and our ability to diagnose, monitor, and treat disease. MRI based g-ratio imaging was first conceived in 2011, and expanded to be feasible in full brain white matter with preliminary results in 2013. This manuscript reviews the growing g-ratio imaging literature and speculates on future applications. It details the methodology for imaging the g-ratio with MRI, and describes the known pitfalls and challenges in doing so.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer S W Campbell
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.
| | - Ilana R Leppert
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Sridar Narayanan
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Mathieu Boudreau
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Tanguy Duval
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Julien Cohen-Adad
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Functional Neuroimaging Unit, CRIUGM, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Nikola Stikov
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Montreal Heart Institute, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
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19
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Bültmann E, Mußgnug HJ, Zapf A, Hartmann H, Nägele T, Lanfermann H. Changes in brain microstructure during infancy and childhood using clinical feasible ADC-maps. Childs Nerv Syst 2017; 33:735-745. [PMID: 28364169 DOI: 10.1007/s00381-017-3391-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2017] [Accepted: 03/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to examine age-related changes in apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) during infancy and childhood using routine MRI data. METHODS A total of 112 investigations of patients aged 0 to 17.2 years showing a normal degree of myelination and no signal abnormalities on conventional MRI were retrospectively selected from our pool of pediatric MRI examinations at 1.5T. ADC maps based on our routinely included axial diffusion weighted sequence were created from the scanner. ADC values were measured in 35 different brain regions investigating normal age-related changes during the maturation of the human brain in infancy and childhood using clinical feasible sequences at 1.5T. RESULTS The relationship between ADC values and age in infancy and childhood can be described as an exponential function. With increasing age, the ADC values decrease significantly in all brain regions, especially during the first 2 years of life. Except in the peritrigonal white matter, no significant differences were found between both hemispheres. Between 0 and 2 years of life, no significant gender differences were detected. CONCLUSIONS Using ADC maps based on a routinely performed axial diffusion weighted sequence, it was possible first to describe the relationship between ADC values and age in infancy and childhood as exponential function in the whole brain and second to determine normative age-related ADC values in multiple brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Bültmann
- Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany.
| | - Hans Joachim Mußgnug
- Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Antonia Zapf
- Department of Medical Statistics, University Medical Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Hans Hartmann
- Clinic for Pediatric Kidney, Liver, and Metabolic Diseases, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Thomas Nägele
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Radiological University Hospital, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Heinrich Lanfermann
- Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
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20
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Pecheva D, Yushkevich P, Batalle D, Hughes E, Aljabar P, Wurie J, Hajnal JV, Edwards AD, Alexander DC, Counsell SJ, Zhang H. A tract-specific approach to assessing white matter in preterm infants. Neuroimage 2017; 157:675-694. [PMID: 28457976 PMCID: PMC5607355 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.04.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Revised: 04/12/2017] [Accepted: 04/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is becoming an increasingly important tool for studying brain development. DWI analyses relying on manually-drawn regions of interest and tractography using manually-placed waypoints are considered to provide the most accurate characterisation of the underlying brain structure. However, these methods are labour-intensive and become impractical for studies with large cohorts and numerous white matter (WM) tracts. Tract-specific analysis (TSA) is an alternative WM analysis method applicable to large-scale studies that offers potential benefits. TSA produces a skeleton representation of WM tracts and projects the group's diffusion data onto the skeleton for statistical analysis. In this work we evaluate the performance of TSA in analysing preterm infant data against results obtained from native space tractography and tract-based spatial statistics. We evaluate TSA's registration accuracy of WM tracts and assess the agreement between native space data and template space data projected onto WM skeletons, in 12 tracts across 48 preterm neonates. We show that TSA registration provides better WM tract alignment than a previous protocol optimised for neonatal spatial normalisation, and that TSA projects FA values that match well with values derived from native space tractography. We apply TSA for the first time to a preterm neonatal population to study the effects of age at scan on WM tracts around term equivalent age. We demonstrate the effects of age at scan on DTI metrics in commissural, projection and association fibres. We demonstrate the potential of TSA for WM analysis and its suitability for infant studies involving multiple tracts. Evaluation of tract-specific analysis (TSA) for white matter studies in infants. TSA improves white matter tract alignment over scalar-based registration. TSA closely approximates native space tractography DTI values. The first application of TSA to a neonatal population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diliana Pecheva
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Division of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, UK; Department of Computer Science and Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, UK
| | - Paul Yushkevich
- Penn Image Computing and Science Laboratory (PISCL), Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Dafnis Batalle
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Division of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, UK
| | - Emer Hughes
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Division of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, UK
| | - Paul Aljabar
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Division of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, UK
| | - Julia Wurie
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Division of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, UK
| | - Joseph V Hajnal
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Division of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, UK
| | - A David Edwards
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Division of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, UK
| | - Daniel C Alexander
- Department of Computer Science and Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, UK
| | - Serena J Counsell
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Division of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, UK.
| | - Hui Zhang
- Department of Computer Science and Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, UK
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21
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Dubois J, Adibpour P, Poupon C, Hertz-Pannier L, Dehaene-Lambertz G. MRI and M/EEG studies of the White Matter Development in Human Fetuses and Infants: Review and Opinion. Brain Plast 2016; 2:49-69. [PMID: 29765848 PMCID: PMC5928537 DOI: 10.3233/bpl-160031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Already during the last trimester of gestation, functional responses are recorded in foetuses and preterm newborns, attesting an already complex cerebral architecture. Then throughout childhood, anatomical connections are further refined but at different rates and over asynchronous periods across functional networks. Concurrently, infants gradually achieve new psychomotor and cognitive skills. Only the recent use of non-invasive techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magneto- and electroencephalography (M/EEG) has opened the possibility to understand the relationships between brain maturation and skills development in vivo. In this review, we describe how these techniques have been applied to study the white matter maturation. At the structural level, the early architecture and myelination of bundles have been assessed with diffusion and relaxometry MRI, recently integrated in multi-compartment models and multi-parametric approaches. Nevertheless, technical limitations prevent us to map major developmental mechanisms such as fibers growth and pruning, and the progressive maturation at the bundle scale in case of mixing trajectories. At the functional level, M/EEG have been used to record different visual, somatosensory and auditory evoked responses. Because the conduction velocity of neural impulses increases with the myelination of connections, major changes in the components latency are observed throughout development. But so far, only a few studies have related structural and functional markers of white matter myelination. Such multi-modal approaches will be a major challenge in future research, not only to understand normal development, but also to characterize early mechanisms of pathologies and the influence of fetal and perinatal interventions on later outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Dubois
- INSERM, UMR992; CEA, NeuroSpin Center; University Paris Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Parvaneh Adibpour
- INSERM, UMR992; CEA, NeuroSpin Center; University Paris Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Cyril Poupon
- CEA, NeuroSpin Center, UNIRS; University Paris Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Lucie Hertz-Pannier
- CEA, NeuroSpin Center, UNIACT; University Paris Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France; INSERM, UMR1129; University Paris Descartes, Paris, France
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22
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Bouyssi-Kobar M, du Plessis AJ, McCarter R, Brossard-Racine M, Murnick J, Tinkleman L, Robertson RL, Limperopoulos C. Third Trimester Brain Growth in Preterm Infants Compared With In Utero Healthy Fetuses. Pediatrics 2016; 138:peds.2016-1640. [PMID: 27940782 PMCID: PMC5079081 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2016-1640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Compared with term infants, preterm infants have impaired brain development at term-equivalent age, even in the absence of structural brain injury. However, details regarding the onset and progression of impaired preterm brain development over the third trimester are unknown. Our primary objective was to compare third-trimester brain volumes and brain growth trajectories in ex utero preterm infants without structural brain injury and in healthy in utero fetuses. As a secondary objective, we examined risk factors associated with brain volumes in preterm infants over the third-trimester postconception. METHODS Preterm infants born before 32 weeks of gestational age (GA) and weighing <1500 g with no evidence of structural brain injury on conventional MRI and healthy pregnant women were prospectively recruited. Anatomic T2-weighted brain images of preterm infants and healthy fetuses were parcellated into the following regions: cerebrum, cerebellum, brainstem, and intracranial cavity. RESULTS We studied 205 participants (75 preterm infants and 130 healthy control fetuses) between 27 and 39 weeks' GA. Third-trimester brain volumes were reduced and brain growth trajectories were slower in the ex utero preterm group compared with the in utero healthy fetuses in the cerebrum, cerebellum, brainstem, and intracranial cavity. Clinical risk factors associated with reduced brain volumes included dexamethasone treatment, the presence of extra-axial blood on brain MRI, confirmed sepsis, and duration of oxygen support. CONCLUSIONS These preterm infants exhibited impaired third-trimester global and regional brain growth in the absence of cerebral/cerebellar parenchymal injury detected by using conventional MRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Bouyssi-Kobar
- The Developing Brain Research Laboratory, Departments of Diagnostic Imaging and Radiology,,Institute for Biomedical Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | | | - Robert McCarter
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Children’s National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Marie Brossard-Racine
- Department of Pediatrics Neurology, Montreal Children’s Hospital–McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; and
| | - Jonathan Murnick
- The Developing Brain Research Laboratory, Departments of Diagnostic Imaging and Radiology
| | - Laura Tinkleman
- The Developing Brain Research Laboratory, Departments of Diagnostic Imaging and Radiology
| | - Richard L. Robertson
- Department of Radiology, Children’s Hospital Boston/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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The motor and visual networks in preterm infants: An fMRI and DTI study. Brain Res 2016; 1642:603-611. [PMID: 27117868 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2016.04.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2016] [Revised: 03/23/2016] [Accepted: 04/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Knowledge regarding the association between functional connectivity and white-matter (WM) maturation of motor and visual networks in preterm infants at term equivalent age (TEA) and their association with behavioral outcome is currently limited. Thirty-two preterm infants born <34 weeks gestational-age without major brain abnormalities were included in this study, underwent resting-state fMRI at TEA. Thirteen infants also underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Neurobehavioral assessments were performed at one and two years corrected age using the Griffiths Mental Developmental Scales. Functional connectivity between homolog motor and visual regions were detected, which may reflect that a level of organization in these domains is present already at TEA. DTI parameters of WM tracts at TEA demonstrated spatial-temporal variability, with the splenium of the corpus-callosum (CC) found to be the most mature fiber bundle. Correlations between DTI parameters, functional connectivity and behavioral outcome were detected, yet did not show the same pattern of diffusivity changes in the different networks. Visual functional connectivity was negatively correlated with radial-diffusivity (RD) in the optic radiation, while motor functional connectivity was positively correlated with RD in the splenium. In addition, axial-diffusivity (AD) and RD in the genu and midbody of the CC were positively correlated with neurobehavioral outcome at one and 2 years of age. This study highlights the importance of understanding the spatial-temporal changes occurring during this sensitive period of development and the potential effect of extrauterine exposure on the microstructural changes as measured by DTI; their correlation with functional connectivity; and their long term relationship with neuro-behavioral development.
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Jakab A, Pogledic I, Schwartz E, Gruber G, Mitter C, Brugger PC, Langs G, Schöpf V, Kasprian G, Prayer D. Fetal Cerebral Magnetic Resonance Imaging Beyond Morphology. Semin Ultrasound CT MR 2015; 36:465-75. [DOI: 10.1053/j.sult.2015.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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