Laura Gui1,
Franois Lazeyras2, Lana Vasung1, Anita Truttmann3,
Cristina Borradori-Tolsa1, Petra Susan Hppi4
1Pediatrics,
Children's Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland; 2Radiology, Geneva
University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland; 3Pediatrics, Children's
Hospital, Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland; 4Pediatrics, University of
Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
We used a novel automatic method to segment the cortical gray matter from MR images of a cohort of preterm and term-born neonates examined at term-equivalent age. Voxel-based morphometry analysis of the cortex reflected a deficit of cortical density for neonates of lower GA at birth in the gyrus rectus (primary olfactive area), and in the left calcarine fissure (primary visual area), suggesting an altered development of these areas associated with prematurity. Thus, such an approach may be used to identify structural markers of atypical neurodevelopment, allowing for early detection and intervention in the cases of infants at risk.