title: Transient hyperintensity in the subthalamic nucleus and globus pallidus of newborns on T1-weighted images.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In the brains of newborns, changes in signal intensity in most structures can be explained by the development of myelination. However, there are some structures for which signal intensity changes cannot be accounted for by myelination alone. We examined the STN and globus pallidus signal intensities and tried to determine whether a relationship exists between the signal intensity and the postnatal age or the gestational age at the examination.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined T1WI and T2WI obtained from 79 neonates who showed normal development at their 2-year follow-up examinations. We performed both qualitative and quantitative (signal intensity ratio to the thalamus) evaluation of the STN and globus pallidus signals, and we examined the correlation between signal intensity changes and the age of neonates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With increasing postnatal age at examination, the high signal intensity on the T1WI for both STN and globus pallidus diminished. Although the disappearance of this hyperintensity was well correlated with the postnatal age at examination for both the qualitative and quantitative studies, there was no correlation with gestational age at examination. For the T2WI, there was no correlation with either the postnatal age or the gestational age at examination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Signal intensity on T1WI in the STN and globus pallidus is not related to the gestational age at examination; instead, signal intensities on T1WI seem to be more dependent upon the postnatal age at examination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Nara Medical University, Japan. ttaoka@naramed-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taoka
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aida
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ochi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akashi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyasaka
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iwamura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kichikawa
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005917:Globus Pallidus / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D020531:Subthalamic Nucleus / Q000473:pathology*