Exploring the multiple-hit hypothesis of preterm white matter damage using diffusion MRI.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Preterm infants are at high risk of diffuse white matter injury and adverse neurodevelopmental outcome. The multiple hit hypothesis suggests that the risk of white matter injury increases with cumulative exposure to multiple perinatal risk factors. Our aim was to test this hypothesis in a large cohort of preterm infants using diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI).

Methods

We studied 491 infants (52% male) without focal destructive brain lesions born at < 34 weeks, who underwent structural and dMRI at a specialist Neonatal Imaging Centre. The median (range) gestational age (GA) at birth was 30^+ 1 (23^+ 2-33^+ 5) weeks and median postmenstrual age at scan was 42^+ 1 (38-45) weeks. dMRI data were analyzed using

SUBMITTER: Barnett ML 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5716951 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature