Abstract
BackgroundTo study early neurodevelopment in preterm infants, evaluation of brain maturation and injury is increasingly performed using diffusion tensor imaging, for which the reliability of underlying data is paramount.ObjectiveTo review the literature to evaluate acquisition and processing methodology in diffusion tensor imaging studies of preterm infants.Materials and methodsWe searched the Embase, Medline, Web of Science and Cochrane databases for relevant papers published between 2003 and 2013. The following keywords were included in our search: prematurity, neuroimaging, brain, and diffusion tensor imaging.ResultsWe found 74 diffusion tensor imaging studies in preterm infants meeting our inclusion criteria. There was wide variation in acquisition and processing methodology, and we found incomplete reporting of these settings. Nineteen studies (26%) reported the use of neonatal hardware. Data quality assessment was not reported in 13 (18%) studies. Artefacts-correction and data-exclusion was not reported in 33 (45%) and 18 (24%) studies, respectively. Tensor estimation algorithms were reported in 56 (76%) studies but were often suboptimal.ConclusionDiffusion tensor imaging acquisition and processing settings are incompletely described in current literature, vary considerably, and frequently do not meet the highest standards.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00247-015-3307-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
The rate of premature birth is rising globally [1]
Diffusion tensor imaging acquisition and processing settings are incompletely described in current literature, vary considerably, and frequently do not meet the highest standards
Improvements in obstetric and neonatal care have resulted in increased survival rates, neurodevelopmental outcome remains a source of concern because many preterm infants have neuromotor, cognitive and behavioral disabilities that persist in later life [2, 3]
Summary
The rate of premature birth is rising globally [1]. improvements in obstetric and neonatal care have resulted in increased survival rates, neurodevelopmental outcome remains a source of concern because many preterm infants have neuromotor, cognitive and behavioral disabilities that persist in later life [2, 3]. White matter injury is suggested to account for many neurological sequelae among preterm infants, and cystic periventricular leukomalacia is becoming less common, diffuse non-cystic white matter changes such as alterations in signal intensity and punctate white matter lesions are frequently observed [4–7]. Major changes of fetal white matter take place during the final stages of a normal pregnancy [8]. Infants born preterm undergo these changes in a high-risk extra-uterine environment, which poses risks for normal brain ontogenesis. Diffusion tensor imaging allows us to objectively assess these (microstructural) changes by mapping restricted random motion of water molecules within white matter tissue in vivo [9, 10]. To study early neurodevelopment in preterm infants, evaluation of brain maturation and injury is increasingly performed using diffusion tensor imaging, for which the reliability of underlying data is paramount
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