title: Case Series: Fractional Anisotropy Profiles of the Cerebellar Peduncles in Adolescents Born Preterm With Ventricular Dilation.
abstract: This case series assesses white matter microstructure of the cerebellar peduncles in 4 adolescents born preterm with enlarged ventricles and reduced white matter volume in the cerebrum but no apparent injury to the cerebellum. Subjects (ages 12-17 years, gestational age 26-32 weeks, birth weight 825-2211 g) were compared to a normative sample of 19 full-term controls (9-17 years, mean gestational age 39 weeks, mean birth weight 3154 g). Tract profiles for each of the cerebellar peduncles were generated by calculating fractional anisotropy at 30 points along the central portion of each tract. One or more case subjects exhibited higher fractional anisotropy beyond the 90th percentile in the inferior, middle, and superior cerebellar peduncles. Findings demonstrate that differences in cerebellar white matter microstructure can be detected in the absence of macrostructural cerebellar abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Katherine E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Travis
authors.affiliation: Child Development Center, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Yael
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Leitner
authors.affiliation: The Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel Department of English Literature and Linguistics, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ben-Shachar
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Kristen W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Yeom
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA hfeldman@stanford.edu.
authors.forename: Heidi M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Feldman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016880:Anisotropy; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000002:abnormalities*; D002648:Child; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008297:Male; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000473:pathology*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000473:pathology
keywords: cerebellum; diffusion MRI; preterm; tractography; white matter