title: Multivariate longitudinal shape analysis of human lateral ventricles during the first twenty-four months of life.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known about the temporospatial shape characteristics of human lateral ventricles (LVs) during the first two years of life. This study aimed to delineate the morphological growth characteristics of LVs during early infancy using longitudinally acquired MR images in normal healthy infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  24 healthy infants were MR imaged starting from 2 weeks old every 3 months during the first and every 6 months during the second year. Bilateral LVs were segmented and longitudinal morphological and shape analysis were conducted using longitudinal mixed effect models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant bilateral ventricular volume increase (p<0.0001) is observed in year one (Left: 126±51% and Right: 145±62%), followed by a significant reduction (p<0.02) during the second year of life (Left: -24±27% and Right: -20±18%) despite the continuing increase of intracranial volume. Morphological analysis reveals that the ventricular growth is spatially non-uniform, and that the most significant growth occurs during the first 6 months. The first 3 months of life exhibit a significant (p<0.01) bilateral lengthening of the anterior lateral ventricle and a significant increase of radius (p<0.01) and area (p<0.01) at the posterior portion of the ventricle. Shape analysis shows that the horns exhibit a faster growth rate than the mid-body. Finally, bilateral significant age effects (p<0.01) are observed for the growth of LVs whereas gender effects are more subtle and significant effects (p<0.01) only present at the left anterior and posterior horns. More importantly, both the age and gender effects are growth directionally dependent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have demonstrated the temporospatial shape growth characteristics of human LVs during the first two years of life using a unique longitudinal MR data set. A temporally and spatially non-uniform growth pattern was reported. These normative results could provide invaluable information to discern abnormal growth patterns in patients with neurodevelopmental disorders.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.
authors.forename: Lucile
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bompard
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.
authors.forename: Shun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Styner
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Paniagua
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.
authors.forename: Mihye
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jewells
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America; Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America; Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.
authors.forename: Dinggang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America; Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.
authors.forename: Hongtu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America; Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.
authors.forename: Weili
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D054022:Cerebrum / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D020547:Lateral Ventricles / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis