Maturation of Corpus Callosum Anterior Midbody Is Associated with Neonatal Motor Function in Eight Preterm-Born Infants

Background. The etiology of motor impairments in preterm infants is multifactorial and incompletely understood. Whether corpus callosum development is related to impaired motor function is unclear. Potential associations between motor-related measures and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of the corpus...

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Main Authors: Preethi Mathew, Kerstin Pannek, Pamela Snow, M. Giulia D'Acunto, Andrea Guzzetta, Stephen E. Rose, Paul B. Colditz, Simon Finnigan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2013-01-01
Series:Neural Plasticity
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/359532
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author Preethi Mathew
Kerstin Pannek
Pamela Snow
M. Giulia D'Acunto
Andrea Guzzetta
Stephen E. Rose
Paul B. Colditz
Simon Finnigan
author_facet Preethi Mathew
Kerstin Pannek
Pamela Snow
M. Giulia D'Acunto
Andrea Guzzetta
Stephen E. Rose
Paul B. Colditz
Simon Finnigan
author_sort Preethi Mathew
collection DOAJ
description Background. The etiology of motor impairments in preterm infants is multifactorial and incompletely understood. Whether corpus callosum development is related to impaired motor function is unclear. Potential associations between motor-related measures and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of the corpus callosum in preterm infants were explored. Methods. Eight very preterm infants (gestational age of 28–32 weeks) underwent the Hammersmith neonatal neurological examination and DTI assessments at gestational age of 42 weeks. The total Hammersmith score and a motor-specific score (sum of Hammersmith motor subcategories) were calculated. Six corpus callosum regions of interest were defined on the mid-sagittal DTI slice—genu, rostral body, anterior midbody, posterior midbody, isthmus, and splenium. The fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) of these regions were computed, and correlations between these and Hammersmith measures were sought. Results. Anterior midbody FA measures correlated positively with total Hammersmith (rho =0.929, P=0.001) and motor-specific scores (rho =0.857, P=0.007). Total Hammersmith scores also negatively correlated with anterior midbody MD measures (rho =−0.714, P=0.047). Discussion. These results suggest the integrity of corpus callosum axons, particularly anterior midbody axons, is important in mediating neurological functions. Greater callosal maturation was associated with greater motor function. Corpus callosum DTI may prove to be a valuable screening or prognostic marker.
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spelling doaj-art-bf5ac7dc3eea4f6197ce9ecbf8c39fe82025-08-20T03:23:07ZengWileyNeural Plasticity2090-59041687-54432013-01-01201310.1155/2013/359532359532Maturation of Corpus Callosum Anterior Midbody Is Associated with Neonatal Motor Function in Eight Preterm-Born InfantsPreethi Mathew0Kerstin Pannek1Pamela Snow2M. Giulia D'Acunto3Andrea Guzzetta4Stephen E. Rose5Paul B. Colditz6Simon Finnigan7Perinatal Research Centre and UQ Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland and Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Brisbane, QLD 4029, AustraliaPerinatal Research Centre and UQ Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland and Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Brisbane, QLD 4029, AustraliaSchool of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3806, AustraliaInfant Neurology Section, Stella Maris Scientific Institute, 56018 Pisa, ItalyInfant Neurology Section, Stella Maris Scientific Institute, 56018 Pisa, ItalyPerinatal Research Centre and UQ Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland and Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Brisbane, QLD 4029, AustraliaPerinatal Research Centre and UQ Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland and Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Brisbane, QLD 4029, AustraliaPerinatal Research Centre and UQ Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland and Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Brisbane, QLD 4029, AustraliaBackground. The etiology of motor impairments in preterm infants is multifactorial and incompletely understood. Whether corpus callosum development is related to impaired motor function is unclear. Potential associations between motor-related measures and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of the corpus callosum in preterm infants were explored. Methods. Eight very preterm infants (gestational age of 28–32 weeks) underwent the Hammersmith neonatal neurological examination and DTI assessments at gestational age of 42 weeks. The total Hammersmith score and a motor-specific score (sum of Hammersmith motor subcategories) were calculated. Six corpus callosum regions of interest were defined on the mid-sagittal DTI slice—genu, rostral body, anterior midbody, posterior midbody, isthmus, and splenium. The fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) of these regions were computed, and correlations between these and Hammersmith measures were sought. Results. Anterior midbody FA measures correlated positively with total Hammersmith (rho =0.929, P=0.001) and motor-specific scores (rho =0.857, P=0.007). Total Hammersmith scores also negatively correlated with anterior midbody MD measures (rho =−0.714, P=0.047). Discussion. These results suggest the integrity of corpus callosum axons, particularly anterior midbody axons, is important in mediating neurological functions. Greater callosal maturation was associated with greater motor function. Corpus callosum DTI may prove to be a valuable screening or prognostic marker.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/359532
spellingShingle Preethi Mathew
Kerstin Pannek
Pamela Snow
M. Giulia D'Acunto
Andrea Guzzetta
Stephen E. Rose
Paul B. Colditz
Simon Finnigan
Maturation of Corpus Callosum Anterior Midbody Is Associated with Neonatal Motor Function in Eight Preterm-Born Infants
Neural Plasticity
title Maturation of Corpus Callosum Anterior Midbody Is Associated with Neonatal Motor Function in Eight Preterm-Born Infants
title_full Maturation of Corpus Callosum Anterior Midbody Is Associated with Neonatal Motor Function in Eight Preterm-Born Infants
title_fullStr Maturation of Corpus Callosum Anterior Midbody Is Associated with Neonatal Motor Function in Eight Preterm-Born Infants
title_full_unstemmed Maturation of Corpus Callosum Anterior Midbody Is Associated with Neonatal Motor Function in Eight Preterm-Born Infants
title_short Maturation of Corpus Callosum Anterior Midbody Is Associated with Neonatal Motor Function in Eight Preterm-Born Infants
title_sort maturation of corpus callosum anterior midbody is associated with neonatal motor function in eight preterm born infants
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/359532
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