title: Diffusion Tensor Imaging of White Matter in Children Born from Preeclamptic Gestations.
abstract: Individuals born from pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia have an elevated risk for cognitive impairment. Deviations in maternal plasma angiokines occur for prolonged intervals before clinical signs of preeclampsia. We hypothesized that fetal brain vascular and nervous tissue development become deviated during maternal progression toward preeclampsia and that such deviations would be detectable by MR imaging.
  
  
  
  In this pilot study, 10 matched (gestational and current ages) pairs (5 boys/5 girls, 7-10 years of age) from preeclampsia or control pregnancies were examined by using diffusion tensor MR imaging. An unbiased voxel-based analysis was conducted on fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity parametric maps. Six brain ROIs were identified for subsequent analysis by tractography (middle occipital gyrus, caudate nucleus and precuneus, cerebellum, superior longitudinal fasciculus, and cingulate gyrus).
  
  
  
  Statistical differences were present between groups for fractional anisotropy in the caudate nucleus (offspring from preeclamptic gestation > controls), volume of the tract for the superior longitudinal fasciculus (offspring from preeclamptic gestation > controls) and the caudate nucleus (offspring from preeclamptic gestation > controls), and for parallel diffusivity of the cingulate gyrus (offspring from preeclamptic gestation > controls).
  
  
  
  These novel preliminary results along with previous results from the same children that identified altered cerebral vessel calibers and increased regional brain volumes justify fully powered MR imaging studies to address the impact of preeclampsia on human fetal brain development.
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences (E.A.F.-F., B.A.C., J.N.R., F.D., D.P., N.D.F., G.N.S.) eaff@queensu.ca.|Centre for Neuroscience Studies (E.A.F.-F., J.N.R., P.W.S.), Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.|Faculty of Medicine (E.A.F.-F.), Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: E A
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1573-1300
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Figueiró-Filho
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences (E.A.F.-F., B.A.C., J.N.R., F.D., D.P., N.D.F., G.N.S.).
authors.forename: B A
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-1866-3270
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Croy
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences (E.A.F.-F., B.A.C., J.N.R., F.D., D.P., N.D.F., G.N.S.).|Centre for Neuroscience Studies (E.A.F.-F., J.N.R., P.W.S.), Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: J N
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8837-2295
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences (E.A.F.-F., B.A.C., J.N.R., F.D., D.P., N.D.F., G.N.S.).
authors.forename: F
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7068-3156
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dang
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences (E.A.F.-F., B.A.C., J.N.R., F.D., D.P., N.D.F., G.N.S.).
authors.forename: D
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8618-5007
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Piro
authors.affiliation: Obstetrics and Gynecology (M.T.R., G.N.S.).
authors.forename: M T
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8017-3371
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Rätsep
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences (E.A.F.-F., B.A.C., J.N.R., F.D., D.P., N.D.F., G.N.S.).|Department of Radiology and Hotchkiss Brain Institute (N.D.F.), University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: N D
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-2556-3224
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Forkert
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Infant Studies (A.P.), University of Toronto Scarborough, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: A
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-5238-9802
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paolozza
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences (E.A.F.-F., B.A.C., J.N.R., F.D., D.P., N.D.F., G.N.S.).|Obstetrics and Gynecology (M.T.R., G.N.S.).
authors.forename: G N
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-3128-4523
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Centre for Neuroscience Studies (E.A.F.-F., J.N.R., P.W.S.), Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: P W
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9814-260X
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Stroman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016880:Anisotropy; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002648:Child; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011247:Pregnancy; D066127:White Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*