We applied acoustic radiation force impulse imaging (ARFI) for examination of the brains of 41 neonatal infants of different gestational ages. We used a new technical index, Virtual Touch tissue quantification (VTQ), to evaluate elastic properties of the brain tissues. Different brain tissues demonstrated different values of this index. The greater the gestational age, the higher the VTQ value. We conclude that ARFI provides a new quantitative index to evaluate the level of neonatal brain development and increases the objectivity and reliability of clinical analysis. The method is noninvasive, safe, simple, convenient, and can be extensively applied in clinics.
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Su, Y., Ma, J., Du, L.F. et al. Evaluation of Neonatal Brain Development Using Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Imaging (ARFI). Neurophysiology 47, 322–325 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11062-015-9539-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11062-015-9539-5