Imaging Details and Neurocognitive Outcomes in Very Preterm Infants

Magnetic resonance imaging early after very preterm birth showed that frontal lesion location was associated with greater cognitive risk, whereas lesion volume was associated with motor outcomes.

A large percentage of very preterm infants (born at <32 weeks' gestational age) exhibit white matter injury (WMI) on neonatal brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and are at increased risk for cerebral palsy and other adverse neurocognitive outcomes. Current clinical MRI grading of WMI in neonates is imperfect in predicting outcomes. Researchers conducted a prospective study aiming to quantitatively assess WMI volume and location based on MRI obtained during the neonatal period in very preterm infants and to determine whether these measures predict neurodevelopmental outcomes.

The investigators obtained neonatal brain MRIs and assessed neurodevelopmental outcomes at 18 months in 184 children born between 24 and 32 weeks' gestational age. I…

Reviewing Author

Ali Fatemi, MD, MBA

Imaging Details and Neurocognitive Outcomes in Very Preterm Infants

Topics

Reviewing Author