title: MR imaging methods for assessing fetal brain development.
abstract: Fetal magnetic resonance imaging provides an ideal tool for investigating growth and development of the brain in vivo. Current imaging methods have been hampered by fetal motion but recent advances in image acquisition can produce high signal to noise, high resolution 3-dimensional datasets suitable for objective quantification by state of the art post acquisition computer programs. Continuing development of imaging techniques will allow a unique insight into the developing brain, more specifically process of cell migration, axonal pathway formation, and cortical maturation. Accurate quantification of these developmental processes in the normal fetus will allow us to identify subtle deviations from normal during the second and third trimester of pregnancy either in the compromised fetus or in infants born prematurely.
authors.affiliation: Imaging Sciences Department, MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Imperial College, London W12 OHS, UK. m.rutherford@mrc.csc.ac.uk
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rutherford
authors.forename: Shuzhou
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Allsop
authors.forename: Lucinda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Perkins
authors.forename: Latha
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Srinivasan
authors.forename: Tayyib
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hayat
authors.forename: Sailesh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hajnal
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000196:embryology*; D047109:Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology*; D005333:Fetus; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis