title: Anterior visual pathways in amblyopia: quantitative assessment with diffusion tensor imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To detect the abnormalities of the anterior visual pathways in children with amblyopia with diffusion tensor imaging.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten children with unilateral amblyopia, 5 children with bilateral amblyopia, and 10 control children were treated using diffusion tensor imaging scanning in this institutional practice. Fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity values were analyzed using diffusion tensor imaging in the prechiasmatic and chiasmatic regions. Fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity values of the amblyopic groups were compared with the values of the control group using the Kruskal–Wallis test. The Mann–Whitney U test was used to evaluate pairwise differences between groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When compared with the control group, prechiasmatic fractional anisotropy values were significantly decreased in both affected and sound fellow eyes in the unilateral amblyopic group (P = .019 and .013), but not in the bilateral amblyopic group (P = .221). Mean diffusivity values were significantly greater in the sound fellow eye in the unilateral amblyopic group in the prechiasmatic region (P = .001 and .049).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diffusion tensor imaging showed a significant decrease in fractional anisotropy and an increase in mean diffusivity values in the unilateral amblyopic group in both affected and sound fellow eyes. These findings may reflect axonal underdevelopment in anterior pathways, particularly in the unilateral amblyopic group.
authors.forename: Sevtap
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gümüstas
authors.forename: Özgül
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Altintas
authors.forename: Yonca
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Anik
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.forename: Levent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Altintas
authors.forename: Nagihan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Inan
authors.forename: Demirci
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ali
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000550:Amblyopia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016880:Anisotropy; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D006801:Humans; D009897:Optic Chiasm / Q000473:pathology; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000473:pathology; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000473:pathology*