title: Cerebello-cerebral connectivity in the developing brain.
abstract: Disrupted cerebellar development and injury is associated with impairments in both motor and non-motor domains. Methods to non-invasively characterize cerebellar afferent and efferent connections during early development are lacking. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of delineating cortico-ponto-cerebellar (CPC) and cerebello-thalamo-cortical (CTC) white matter tracts during brain development using high angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI). HARDI data were obtained in 24 infants born between 24+6and 39 weeks gestational age (median 33+4weeks) and scanned between 29+1and 44 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA) (median 37+1weeks). Probabilistic tractography of CPC and CTC fibers was performed using constrained spherical deconvolution. Connections between cerebellum and contralateral cerebral hemisphere were identified in all infants studied. Fractional anisotropy (FA) values of CTC and CPC pathways increased with increasing PMA at scan (p < 0.001). The supratentorial regions connecting to contralateral cerebellum in most subjects, irrespective of PMA at scan, included the precentral cortex, superior frontal cortex, supplementary motor area, insula, postcentral cortex, precuneus, and paracentral lobule. This study demonstrates the feasibility of assessing CTC and CPC white matter connectivity in vivo during the early stages of development. The ability to assess cerebellar connectivity during this critical developmental period may help improve our understanding of the role of the cerebellum in a wide range of neuromotor and neurocognitive disorders.
authors: Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, Centre for the Developing Brain, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK.|Department of Neonatology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.|Department of Radiology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Kay
authors: K
authors: Pieterman
authors: Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, Centre for the Developing Brain, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK.
authors: Dafnis
authors: D
authors: Batalle
authors: Department of Neonatology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.|Department of Radiology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.|Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Jeroen
authors: J
authors: Dudink
authors: Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, Centre for the Developing Brain, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK.|Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK.
authors: J-Donald
authors: JD
authors: Tournier
authors: Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, Centre for the Developing Brain, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK.
authors: Emer J
authors: EJ
authors: Hughes
authors: Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, Centre for the Developing Brain, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK.
authors: Madeleine
authors: M
authors: Barnett
authors: Department of Perinatology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital and Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors: Manon J
authors: MJ
authors: Benders
authors: Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, Centre for the Developing Brain, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK.
authors: A David
authors: AD
authors: Edwards
authors: Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. f.hoebeek@erasmusmc.nl.
authors: Freek E
authors: FE
authors: Hoebeek
authors: Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, Centre for the Developing Brain, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK.
authors: Serena J
authors: SJ
authors: Counsell
mesh_terms: D002531:Cerebellum / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development*; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development; D013788:Thalamus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development
keywords: Brain; Cerebellum; Diffusion MRI; Infant; Tractography