Clarification of the relationship between central nervous system assessment using diffusion weighted imaging and neurodevelopmental outcome in preterm infants

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K08234
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 52050:Embryonic medicine and pediatrics-related
• Research Institution: Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Hasegawa Tatsuji 京都府立医科大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (80438217)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 早産児 / 低出生体重児 / 拡散テンソル画像 / 拡散強調画像 / 脳室内出血

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Intraventricular hemorrhage in the preterm infants has been considered to be at high risk, but it is unclear whether low-grade intraventricular hemorrhage affects future neurodevelopmental outcome.
We used quantitative parameters of diffusion tensor imaging at term-equivalent age to compare the degree of cerebral and cerebellar damage in preterm infants with and without low-grade intraventricular hemorrhage. Futhermore, we compared the neurodevelopmental prognosis between these two groups.
Our study demonstrated that low-grade intraventricular hemorrhage in preterm infants caused cerebellar white matter damage, and impaired motor and cognitive function at 3 years of age.

Free Research Field

新生児

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまで早産児の軽症脳室内出血は神経発達予後に影響するかどうかは明らかにされてこなかった。我々の研究により、軽症の脳室内出血であっても小脳白質が障害されることが明らかとなり、その小脳白質への障害が将来の運動機能、認知機能に影響を与えることがわかった。このことから、早産児で脳室内出血を認めた場合、軽症であっても慎重な発達フォローアップが必要で、早期のリハビリテーション介入を検討すべきであると考えられた。