title: Accelerated cerebral white matter development in preterm infants: a voxel-based morphometry study with diffusion tensor MR imaging.
abstract: Twenty-seven preterm infants were compared to 10 full-term infants at term equivalent age using a voxel-based analysis of diffusion tensor imaging of the brain. Preterm infants exhibited higher fractional anisotropy values, which may suggest accelerated maturation, in the location of the sagittal stratum. While some earlier findings in preterm infants have suggested developmental delays, the results of this study are more consistent with accelerated white matter development, possibly as a result of increased sensorimotor stimulation in the extrauterine environment. These results are the first to suggest that the increased intensity of stimulation associated with preterm birth may advance the process of white matter maturation in the human brain. Questions remain about whether these findings reflect acceleration of the process of white matter maturation generally, or localized alterations induced specifically by activity in affected pathways.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, C/ Casanova 143, 08036, Barcelona, Spain. monicauab@hotmail.com <monicauab@hotmail.com>
authors.forename: Mónica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giménez
authors.forename: Maria J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Miranda
authors.forename: A Peter
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Born
authors.forename: Zoltan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Nagy
authors.forename: Egill
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rostrup
authors.forename: Terry L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Jernigan
mesh_terms: D016880:Anisotropy; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000254:growth & development*; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D006803:Human Development; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000254:growth & development*