Abstract #1265
Mapping the preterm newborn brain: a diffusion tensor study of the cerebellums early neural connections
Lillian Gabra Fam 1,2 , Jeanie LY Cheong 1,3 , Alexander Leemans 4 , Christopher L Adamson 1 , Richard Beare 1 , Marc L Seal 1,2 , Peter J Anderson 1,2 , Lex W Doyle 1,3 , Alicia J Spittle 1,3 , and Deanne K Thompson 1,5
1
Murdoch Childrens Research Institute,
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia,
2
Department
of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne,
Victoria, Australia,
3
Royal
Womens Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia,
4
Image
Sciences Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht,
Netherlands,
5
Florey
Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne,
Victoria, Australia
Altered development of the white matter pathways linking
the cerebellum and cerebrum may underlie some of the
neurodevelopmental deficits in preterm infants. Few
studies have reconstructed these tracts in the neonate
brain. This study used probabilistic diffusion
tractography to reconstruct the corticopontocerebellar
and dentatothalamic tracts at term-equivalent age in 40
very preterm infants (<31 weeks gestation), 40 moderate
and late preterm infants (32-36 weeks gestation) and 40
full-term controls (>37 weeks gestation). The
corticopontocerebellar tracts were successfully
reconstructed with clear delineation of their cortical
projections. The dentatothalamic tracts were
consistently reconstructed to the level of the superior
cerebellar peduncle decussation.
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