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Structural MRI and tract-based spatial statistical analysis of diffusion tensor imaging in children with hemimegalencephaly

  • Paediatric Neuroradiology
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

To investigate the gross white matter abnormalities in the structural brain MR imaging as well as white matter microstructural alterations using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) analysis of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in both affected and contralateral cerebral hemispheres of children with hemimegalencephaly (HMEG).

Methods

From 2003 to 2019, we retrospectively reviewed brain MR images in 20 children (11 boys, 2 days–16.5 years) with HMEG, focusing on gross white matter abnormalities. DTI was evaluated in 12 patients (8 boys, 3 months–16.5 years) with HMEG and 12 age-, sex-, and magnetic field strength-matched control subjects. TBSS analysis was performed to analyze main white matter tracts. Regions of significant differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) were determined between HMEG and control subjects and between affected and contralateral hemispheres of HMEG.

Results

Gross white matter abnormalities were noted in both affected (n = 20, 100%) and contralateral hemisphere (n = 4, 20%) of HMEG. FA values were significantly decreased in both hemispheres of HMEG, compared with control subjects (P < 0.05). Contralateral hemispheres of HMEG showed regions with significantly decreased FA values compared with affected hemispheres (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

In addition to gross white matter abnormalities particularly evident in affected hemispheres, DTI analysis detected widespread microstructural alterations in both affected and contralateral hemispheres in HMEG suggesting HMEG may involve broader abnormalities in neuronal networks.

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Abbreviations

HMEG:

Hemimegalencephaly

DTI:

Diffusion tensor imaging

FA:

Fractional anisotropy

ROI:

Region-of-interest

TBSS:

Tract-based spatial statistics

MNI:

Montreal Neurological Institute

FSL:

FMRIB Software Library

mTOR:

Mammalian target of rapamycin

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Funding

No funding was received.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology and Center for Imaging Science, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 81 Irwon-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Tae Yeon Jeon

  2. Department of Radiology, Seattle Children’s Hospital, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Andrew V. Poliakov, Seth D. Friedman & Dennis W. W. Shaw

  3. Department of Neurology, Seattle Children’s Hospital, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Xiuhua L. Bozarth & Edward J. Novotny

  4. Department of Neurological Surgery, Seattle Children’s Hospital, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Jason S. Hauptman

  5. Department of Internal Medicine, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Anyang, Republic of Korea

    Sung-Hoon Moon

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  1. Tae Yeon Jeon
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  2. Andrew V. Poliakov
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Correspondence to Tae Yeon Jeon.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. As this is a retrospective study, formal consent is not required.

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Jeon, T.Y., Poliakov, A.V., Friedman, S.D. et al. Structural MRI and tract-based spatial statistical analysis of diffusion tensor imaging in children with hemimegalencephaly. Neuroradiology 62, 1467–1474 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-020-02491-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-020-02491-z

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