Neurodevelopmental and neuroimaging correlates in nonsyndromal microcephalic children.
This descriptive study examined the relationship between head size, developmental functioning, and neuroimaging findings in children with absolute microcephaly. Subjects, aged 1 to 48 months, were assigned to one of two groups based on occipitofrontal head circumference (OFC). Group A included subjects with an OFC of 2 to 2.99 standard deviations below the mean, and Group B included subjects with an OFC of 3 or more standard deviations below the mean. Brain scan findings for 62% of the subjects were abnormal. Findings included cerebral atrophy, cortical dysplasia, myelination delay, and white matter hypoplasia. Mean scores for developmental measures in Groups A and B were less than 70. Mean developmental scores in the normal imaging group were 70 or greater, whereas developmental scores in the abnormal imaging group were 52 or less. Forty-three percent of the subjects in Group A and 80% of those in Group B had abnormal findings from imaging studies (p = .0394). Subjects with one or more brain abnormalities determined on the basis of magnetic resonance images or computed tomographic scans had significantly lower scores in all developmental areas (p < .05). The authors concluded that abnormal brain images seem to be a better reflection of developmental performance than the degree of microcephaly. J Dev Behav Pediatr 21:12-18, 2000. Index terms: microcephaly, neuroimaging, neurodevelopment.
Custer
D A
DA
Department of Medical Genetics, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC 20010, USA.
Vezina
L G
LG
Vaught
D R
DR
Brasseux
C
C
Samango-Sprouse
C A
CA
Cohen
M S
MS
Rosenbaum
K N
KN
D000886:Anthropometry; D001284:Atrophy / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008831:Microcephaly / Q000150:complications*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed