Initial Application of Diffusional Kurtosis Imaging in Evaluating Brain Development of Healthy Preterm Infants.
To explore the parametric characteristics of diffusional kurtosis imaging (DKI) in the brain development of healthy preterm infants.



Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and DKI were performed in 35 preterm (29 to 36 weeks gestational age [GA]; scanned at 33 to 44 weeks postmenstrual age [PMA]) and 10 term infants (37.4 to 40.7 weeks GA; scanned at 38.3 to 42.9 weeks PMA). Fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD) and mean kurtosis (MK) values from 8 regions of interest, including both white matter (WM) and gray matter (GM), were obtained.



MK and FA values were positively correlated with PMA in most selected WM regions, such as the posterior limbs of the internal capsule (PLIC) and the splenium of the corpus callosum (SCC). The positive correlation between MK value and PMA in the deep GM region was higher than that between FA and PMA. The MK value gradually decreased from the PLIC to the cerebral lobe. In addition, DKI parameters exhibited subtle differences in the parietal WM between the preterm and term control groups.



MK may serve as a more reliable imaging marker of the normal myelination process and provide a more robust characterization of deep GM maturation.
Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Jingjing
J
Shi
Department ofneonatology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Liwen
L
Chang
Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Jian
J
Wang
Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Shun
S
Zhang
Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Yihao
Y
Yao
Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Shuixia
S
Zhang
Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Rifeng
R
Jiang
Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Linying
L
Guo
Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Hanxiong
H
Guan
Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Wenzhen
W
Zhu
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001724:Birth Weight; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D066128:Gray Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008297:Male; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000378:metabolism; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D047929:Term Birth; D066127:White Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism