Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Biomedical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; University of Malaya Research Imaging Centre, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Electronic address: norlisahramli@gmail.com
  • 2 Department of Biomedical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; University of Malaya Research Imaging Centre, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 3 Department of Biomedical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; University of Malaya Research Imaging Centre, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
  • 4 Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Clin Radiol, 2020 01;75(1):77.e15-77.e22.
PMID: 31668796 DOI: 10.1016/j.crad.2019.09.134

Abstract

AIM: To evaluate the microstructural abnormalities of the white matter tracts (WMT) using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in children with global developmental delay (GDD).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixteen children with GDD underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cross-sectional DTI. Formal developmental assessment of all GDD patients was performed using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning. An automated processing pipeline for the WMT assessment was implemented. The DTI-derived metrics of the children with GDD were compared to healthy children with normal development (ND).

RESULTS: Only two out of the 17 WMT demonstrated significant differences (p<0.05) in DTI parameters between the GDD and ND group. In the uncinate fasciculus (UF), the GDD group had lower mean values for fractional anisotropy (FA; 0.40 versus 0.44), higher values for mean diffusivity (0.96 versus 0.91×10-3 mm2/s) and radial diffusivity (0.75 versus 0.68×10-3 mm2/s) compared to the ND group. In the superior cerebellar peduncle (SCP), mean FA values were lower for the GDD group (0.38 versus 0.40). Normal myelination pattern of DTI parameters was deviated against age for GDD group for UF and SCP.

CONCLUSION: The UF and SCP WMT showed microstructural changes suggestive of compromised white matter maturation in children with GDD. The DTI metrics have potential as imaging markers for inadequate white matter maturation in GDD children.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.