Volumetric analysis of the normal infant brain and in intrauterine growth retardation.
Twenty-eight infants with postmenstrual ages (PMA) in the range of 32-80 weeks were investigated. Twenty were newborn; among these the observed birth weight divided by the expected weight ranged from 0.31 to 1.1. Axial magnetic resonance images were recorded with a triple spin-echo sequence and the volumes were determined by encircling each structure of interest on every slice. Segmentation into grey matter, white matter and CSF was done by semi-automatic discriminant analysis. Growth charts for the cerebrum, cerebellum, corpora striata, thalami, ventricles, and grey and white matter are provided for infants with appropriate birth weight. The striatal (P = 0.02) and thalamic (P < 0.001) percentage of the hemispheric volume decreased with age, whereas the ratio of grey matter to white matter (G/W-ratio) increased (P = 0.01). In the neonatal patients, brain volumes were independently associated with both PMA and the degree of growth retardation. It was calculated that the hemispheric volume was reduced by from 16% to 23% if the total bodyweight was reduced by 40%. The G/W-ratio was found to be independently associated with the PMA (P < 0.05) and the degree of IUGR (P < 0.1) suggesting that fetal growth retardation reduces grey matter volume more than white matter.
Toft
P B
PB
Danish Research Center of Magnetic Resonance, Hvidovre University Hospital, Denmark.
Leth
H
H
Ring
P B
PB
Peitersen
B
B
Lou
H C
HC
Henriksen
O
O
D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000473:pathology*; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016014:Linear Models; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D015588:Observer Variation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013788:Thalamus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology