Changes in brain microstructure during infancy and childhood using clinical feasible ADC-maps

TY - JOUR

T1 - Changes in brain microstructure during infancy and childhood using clinical feasible ADC-maps

AU - Bültmann, Eva

AU - Mußgnug, Hans Joachim

AU - Zapf, Antonia

AU - Hartmann, Hans

AU - Nägele, Thomas

AU - Lanfermann, Heinrich

PY - 2017/5

Y1 - 2017/5

N2 - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine age-related changes in apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) during infancy and childhood using routine MRI data.METHODS: A total of 112 investigations of patients aged 0 to 17.2 years showing a normal degree of myelination and no signal abnormalities on conventional MRI were retrospectively selected from our pool of pediatric MRI examinations at 1.5T. ADC maps based on our routinely included axial diffusion weighted sequence were created from the scanner. ADC values were measured in 35 different brain regions investigating normal age-related changes during the maturation of the human brain in infancy and childhood using clinical feasible sequences at 1.5T.RESULTS: The relationship between ADC values and age in infancy and childhood can be described as an exponential function. With increasing age, the ADC values decrease significantly in all brain regions, especially during the first 2 years of life. Except in the peritrigonal white matter, no significant differences were found between both hemispheres. Between 0 and 2 years of life, no significant gender differences were detected.CONCLUSIONS: Using ADC maps based on a routinely performed axial diffusion weighted sequence, it was possible first to describe the relationship between ADC values and age in infancy and childhood as exponential function in the whole brain and second to determine normative age-related ADC values in multiple brain regions.

AB - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine age-related changes in apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) during infancy and childhood using routine MRI data.METHODS: A total of 112 investigations of patients aged 0 to 17.2 years showing a normal degree of myelination and no signal abnormalities on conventional MRI were retrospectively selected from our pool of pediatric MRI examinations at 1.5T. ADC maps based on our routinely included axial diffusion weighted sequence were created from the scanner. ADC values were measured in 35 different brain regions investigating normal age-related changes during the maturation of the human brain in infancy and childhood using clinical feasible sequences at 1.5T.RESULTS: The relationship between ADC values and age in infancy and childhood can be described as an exponential function. With increasing age, the ADC values decrease significantly in all brain regions, especially during the first 2 years of life. Except in the peritrigonal white matter, no significant differences were found between both hemispheres. Between 0 and 2 years of life, no significant gender differences were detected.CONCLUSIONS: Using ADC maps based on a routinely performed axial diffusion weighted sequence, it was possible first to describe the relationship between ADC values and age in infancy and childhood as exponential function in the whole brain and second to determine normative age-related ADC values in multiple brain regions.

KW - Adolescent

KW - Age Factors

KW - Brain

KW - Child

KW - Child, Preschool

KW - Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging

KW - Feasibility Studies

KW - Female

KW - Humans

KW - Infant

KW - Infant, Newborn

KW - Male

KW - Journal Article

U2 - 10.1007/s00381-017-3391-4

DO - 10.1007/s00381-017-3391-4

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 28364169

VL - 33

SP - 735

EP - 745

JO - CHILD NERV SYST

JF - CHILD NERV SYST

SN - 0256-7040

IS - 5

ER -