Fixel-based analysis reveals alterations is brain microstructure and macrostructure of preterm-born infants at term equivalent age.

ABSTRACT: Preterm birth causes significant disruption in ongoing brain development, frequently resulting in adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. Brain imaging using diffusion MRI may provide valuable insight into microstructural properties of the developing brain. The aim of this study was to establish whether the recently introduced fixel-based analysis method, with its associated measures of fibre density (FD), fibre bundle cross-section (FC), and fibre density and bundle cross-section (FDC), is suitable for the investigation of the preterm infant brain at term equivalent age. High-angular resolution diffusion weighted images (HARDI) of 55 preterm-born infants and 20 term-born infants, scanned around term-equivalent age, were included in this study (3 T, 64 directions, b = 2000 s/mm²).

SUBMITTER: Pannek K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5984576 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature