title: Relationship between the corpus callosum and neurocognitive disabilities in children with NF-1: diffusion tensor imaging features.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Mild neurocognitive disabilities are commonly observed in children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1). Enlargement of the corpus callosum (CC) is one of the findings in NF-1, but the pathogenesis has not yet been clarified. In this study, we investigated whether diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) features of CC differed between children with NF-1 and healthy control subjects, and we tried to evaluate the association between the microstructural integrity of CC and neurocognitive disabilities, based on apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA) values.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population consisted of 37 children with NF-1 and 31 healthy controls. Midsagittal CC surface area measurements were obtained from volumetric sagittal T1-weighted turbo spin echo images. FA and ADC values were obtained from the genu and splenium of CC. The results were compared to that of controls. The correlations between neurocognitive test results and measurements of ADC, FA, and surface areas of midsagittal CC in NF-1 patients were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total CC area in children with NF-1 was significantly larger than healthy controls. ADC values obtained from the genu of CC were significantly higher in NF-1 children. A negative correlation was observed between the ADC values of the genu of the CC and the arithmetic and digit span scores and between the FA values of the genu and coding scores in children with NF-1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The DTI changes in the genu of CC in children with NF-1 may indicate subtle structural damage, although conventional MRI is normal. ADC and FA changes in the genu may be due to loss of axonal integrity and vasogenic-like edema in the axons responsible for some intellectual functions. DTI may help clarify the underlying pathophysiology of CC changes in relation to neurocognitive function disorders in children with NF1.
authors.affiliation: Bezmialem Vakif University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiology, 34093 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey. Electronic address: sinem.rad@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sinem
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aydin
authors.affiliation: Bezmialem Vakif University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiology, 34093 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Serpil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kurtcan
authors.affiliation: Bezmialem Vakif University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiology, 34093 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Alpay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alkan
authors.affiliation: Bezmialem Vakif University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, 34093 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Serhat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guler
authors.affiliation: Bezmialem Vakif University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 34093 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mekiya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Filiz
authors.affiliation: Bezmialem Vakif University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiology, 34093 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Temel Fatih
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.affiliation: Bezmialem Vakif University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, 34093 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Turkan Uygur
authors.initials: TU
authors.lastname: Sahin
authors.affiliation: Bezmialem Vakif University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiology, 34093 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayse
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aralasmak
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016880:Anisotropy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D019965:Neurocognitive Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D009456:Neurofibromatosis 1 / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology
keywords: Corpus callosum; Demyelination; Diffusion tensor imaging; Neurofibromatosis type 1