title: Cerebellar malformations alter regional cerebral development.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to compare total and regional cerebral volumes in children with isolated cerebellar malformations (CBMs) with those in typically developing children, and to examine the extent to which cerebellar volumetric reductions are associated with total and regional cerebral volumes.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a case-control study of children diagnosed with isolated CBMs. Each child was matched on age and sex to two typically developing children. Using advanced three-dimensional volumetric magnetic resonance imaging, the cerebrum was segmented into tissue classes and partitioned into eight regions. Analysis of variance was used to compare cerebral volumes between children with CBMs and control children, and linear regressions to examine the impact of cerebellar volume reduction on cerebral volumes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Magnetic resonance imaging was performed at a mean age of 27 months in 20 children (10 males, 10 females) with CBMs and 40 typically developing children. Children with CBMs showed significantly smaller deep grey matter nuclei (p < 0.001), subgenual white matter (p = 0.03), midtemporal white matter (p = 0.02), and inferior occipital grey matter (p = 0.03) volumes than typically developing children. Greater cerebellar volumetric reduction in children with CBMs was associated with decreased total cerebral volume and deep grey matter nuclei (p = 0.02), subgenual white/grey matter (p = 0.001), midtemporal white (p = 0.02) and grey matter (p = 0.01), and parieto-occipital grey matter (p = 0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CBMs are associated with impaired regional cerebral growth, suggesting deactivation of principal cerebello-cerebral pathways.
authors: School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
authors: Marie-Eve
authors: ME
authors: Bolduc
authors: Adre J
authors: AJ
authors: Du Plessis
authors: Alan
authors: A
authors: Evans
authors: Nicolas
authors: N
authors: Guizard
authors: Xun
authors: X
authors: Zhang
authors: Richard L
authors: RL
authors: Robertson
authors: Catherine
authors: C
authors: Limperopoulos
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007223:Infant; D016014:Linear Models; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D054220:Malformations of Cortical Development / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*