Jingjing Shi, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Jian Wang, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Wenzhen Zhu MD, PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To observe correlations of DKI parameters with the postmenstrual age (PMA), and compare these parameters between preterm infants at term equivalent age (TEA) and term infants.

Conventional magnetic resonance imaging and DKI were performed in 33 preterm infants (18 preterm infants at term-equivalent age) and 7 term controls. Among them, 25 preterm infants (15 infants before TEA, 10 at TEA) and all the term controls had normal brain MRI performance and normal physical and neurologic examination, while the left 8 infants had typical MRI performance of hypoxic-ischemic injury. Consent forms were obtained prior to the study. The values of MK(mean kurtosis), K∥(axial kurtosis) and K⊥(radial kurtosis) from the lentiform nucleus(LN), the ventrolateral thalamus(VLM), the posterior limb of internal capsule (PLIC), the corona radiate(CR), the frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal white matter (FWM,PWM,OWM,TWM correspondingly) on both hemi-cerebrum were obtained.

Different levels of correlations existed between PMA and the values of MK, K∥, K⊥ from the selected ROIs. The MK values from the PLIC, CR, LN of both sides showed high correlation with PMA(r＞0.6). In addition, K⊥ values from the left PLIC, K∥ values from the right OWM were significantly different between the preterm infants at TEA and the term controls.

The DKI-derived measures at both white matter and grey matter showed high correlation with the postmenstrual age. MK, K∥, K⊥ values could be useful to differentiate the preterm infants group from the term infants group. 

DKI is a promising tool to observe brain development of preterm infants and detect the abnormality of HIE.

Shi, J, Wang, J, Zhu, W, Initial Application of Diffusional Kurtosis Imaging (DKI) in Brain Development of Preterm Infants and Evaluation of DKI in Hypoxic-ischemic Encephalopathy.  Radiological Society of North America 2014 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, - ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2014/14009825.html