Voxel-based morphometry of brain structural characteristics in children with cleft lip and/or palate

Abstract

Objective To investigate the structural characteristics of brain in children with cleft lip and/or palate by voxel- based morphometry （VBM）. Methods Optimized VBM （OVBM） was used to compare the data acquired on a 1.5 T magnetic resonance scanner from ten cases of cleft lip and/or palate patients and from ten normal controls. The density and volume of gray and white matters in two groups of young children were examined with two- sample t- test and displayed with the internationally accepted statistical parametric mapping （SPM）. Abnormal distribution of gray and white matters in children with cleft lip and/or palate as clinically relevant was analyzed. Results Compared with normal controls, significantly smaller volume in gray matter of bilateral medial prefrontal cortex belonging to the superior frontal gyrus was noted in children with cleft lip and/or palate, （voxels of clusters with varied volume： 5220 and 4871, adjusted P〈0.05 at cluster level） , as was significantly greater density in gray matter of the left superior temporal gyrus （adjusted P〈0.05 at voxel level）, No significant difference in density or volume of white matter was observed between groups. Conclusion Difference may exist in cortex responsible for hearing and cognition between children with cleft lip and/or palate and normal children, suggesting the necessity for such children to be early examined and intervened for central auditory processing and cognitive functions. Key words: Cleft lip; Cleft palate; Magnetic resonance imaging; Voxel; Central nervous system