title: New means to assess neonatal inflammatory brain injury.
abstract: Preterm infants are especially vulnerable to infection-induced white matter injury, associated with cerebral palsy, cognitive and psychomotor impairment, and other adverse neurological outcomes. The etiology of such lesions is complex and multifactorial. Furthermore, timing and length of exposure to infection also influence neurodevelopmental outcomes. Different mechanisms have been posited to mediate the observed brain injury including microglial activation followed by subsequent release of pro-inflammatory species, glutamate-induced excitotoxicity, and vulnerability of developing oligodendrocytes to cerebral insults. The prevalence of such neurological impairments requires an urgent need for early detection and effective neuroprotective strategies. Accordingly, noninvasive methods of monitoring disease progression and therapy effectiveness are essential. While diagnostic tools using biomarkers from bodily fluids may provide useful information regarding potential risks of developing neurological diseases, the use of magnetic resonance imaging/spectroscopy has emerged as a promising candidate for such purpose. Various pharmacological agents have demonstrated protective effects in the immature brain in animal models; however, few studies have progressed to clinical trials with promising results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Sainte-Justine Hospital and Research Center, Université de Montréal, 3175 Chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montréal, Québec, H3T 1C5, Canada. chen.jin@alumni.ubc.ca.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Sainte-Justine Hospital and Research Center, Université de Montréal, 3175 Chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montréal, Québec, H3T 1C5, Canada. londono.irene@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Londono
authors.affiliation: Perinatal Center, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden. carina.mallard@neuro.gu.se.
authors.forename: Carina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mallard
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Sainte-Justine Hospital and Research Center, Université de Montréal, 3175 Chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montréal, Québec, H3T 1C5, Canada. ga.lodygensky@umontreal.ca.|Montreal Heart Institute, 5000 Rue Bélanger, Montréal, Québec, Canada. ga.lodygensky@umontreal.ca.|Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada. ga.lodygensky@umontreal.ca.
authors.forename: Gregory A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Lodygensky
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D014463:Ultrasonography