Tamara
Faundez1, Rebecca Recker1, Cristina Borradori Tolsa1,
Gregory Lodygensky1, Francois Lazeyras2,3, Petra Susan
Huppi1
1Division of Child Growth &
Development, University of Geneva and University Hospitals, Geneva,
Switzerland; 2Service of Radiology, University of Geneva and
University Hospital of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; 3Center for
Biomedical Imaging (CIBM), Lausanne and Geneva, Switzerland
The
goal of this study is to assess by diffusion MRI, neonatal structural deficit
of premature babies related to neurocognitive deficits later in life. Using
voxel-based analysis, we correlate ADC measures at birth with neuromotor and
neurocognitive outcome at the age of 2 years. We observed distinct ADC
changes with respect to mental and physical scores. Mental score is
correlated with regions linked to future cognitive function like language.
Neuromotor-related regions include precentral white matter linked to motor
pathways. ADC changes are negatively correlated with cognitive scores, which
speak in favour of a possible myelination delay already present at birth.