Tzarouchi L C, Astrakas L G, Xydis V, Zikou A, Kosta P, Drougia A, Andronikou S, Argyropoulou M I
Department of Radiology, Medical School, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece.
Neuroimage. 2009 Oct 1;47(4):1148-53. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2009.03.072. Epub 2009 Apr 5.
Grey matter (GM) maturation has not been previously studied in healthy preterm children. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the age dependency of GM development in 116 GM areas in preterm subjects. Sixty one preterm infants (corrected age: 13.7+/-9.92 months, gestational age: 33.4+/-1.9 weeks) with normal structural appearance on MRI were included in the study. Using a T1-weighted high resolution 3D spoiled gradient echo sequence, volumes of 116 GM areas were calculated after their segmentation using the Voxel Based Morphometry Toolboxes and the Individual Brain Atlas Statistical Parametric Mapping (IBASPM) software packages. Non linear regression analysis assessed age dependency of volume data for every GM area using the monoexponential function y=A-Bexp(-x/C). All supratentorial GM areas followed the monoexponential function model reasonably well. Cerebellar structures had a poor goodness of fit. Volume increase of the individual GM areas followed an inferior to superior and a posterior to anterior pattern. The putamen, thalamus, and caudate nucleus reached 99% of the final volume earlier than most cortical GM areas. The visual cortex and the postcentral and precentral cortices matured earlier than the parietal, frontal and temporal cortices. The fronto-occipital asymmetry or torque seen in adults was observed in the preterm infants; the left occipital areas reached maturation earlier than the right, while the right prefrontal and frontal areas matured earlier than the left. To conclude, GM development progresses in a region-specific manner coinciding with functional, phylogenetical and regional white matter (WM) maturation.
以往尚未对健康早产儿的灰质（GM）成熟情况进行研究。本研究的目的是评估早产儿116个灰质区域发育的年龄依赖性。研究纳入了61例MRI结构外观正常的早产儿（矫正年龄：13.7±9.92个月，胎龄：33.4±1.9周）。使用T1加权高分辨率3D扰相梯度回波序列，在使用基于体素的形态计量学工具箱和个体脑图谱统计参数映射（IBASPM）软件包对116个灰质区域进行分割后计算其体积。非线性回归分析使用单指数函数y = A - Bexp(-x/C)评估每个灰质区域体积数据的年龄依赖性。所有幕上灰质区域均较好地遵循单指数函数模型。小脑结构的拟合优度较差。各个灰质区域的体积增加遵循从下到上、从后到前的模式。壳核、丘脑和尾状核比大多数皮质灰质区域更早达到最终体积的99%。视觉皮质以及中央后回和中央前回皮质比顶叶、额叶和颞叶皮质成熟得更早。在早产儿中观察到了成人中出现的额枕不对称或扭矩；左侧枕叶区域比右侧更早成熟，而右侧前额叶和额叶区域比左侧更早成熟。总之，灰质发育以区域特异性方式进行，与功能、系统发育和区域白质（WM）成熟相一致。
