Author/Authors :
Zhang Lin نويسنده , Li Quan نويسنده , Wang Ping نويسنده , Zhang Cheng-Zhou نويسنده Shandong Medical Imaging Research Institute, Shandong
University, Road Jing-Wu, No. 324, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R.
China , Bian Jia نويسنده Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Hospital of
Binzhou Medical University, # No. 661 Huang-He second Road,
Bin-cheng, Binzhou, Shandong, P. R. China, 256603 , Liu Xin-Jiang نويسنده Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Hospital of
Binzhou Medical University, # No. 661 Huang-He second Road,
Bin-cheng, Binzhou, Shandong, P. R. China, 256603 , Jiang Xing-Yue نويسنده Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Hospital of
Binzhou Medical University, # No. 661 Huang-He second Road,
Bin-cheng, Binzhou, Shandong, P. R. China, 256603 , Cao Xin-Shan نويسنده Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Hospital of
Binzhou Medical University, # No. 661 Huang-He second Road,
Bin-cheng, Binzhou, Shandong, P. R. China, 256603 , Li Chuan-Ting نويسنده Shandong Medical Imaging Research Institute, Shandong
University, Road Jing-Wu, No. 324, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R.
China
Abstract :
Background Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) of infants with
bilirubin encephalopathy shows abnormal changes in the metabolite
concentrations in various parts of the brain. Diffusional kurtosis
imaging (DKI) is an extension of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), which
includes non-Gaussian diffusion effects, thereby allowing more
comprehensive characterization of microstructural changes in
pathological analysis. Objectives Our study retrospectively analyzed DKI
data to determine whether the DKI profiles of newborns with bilirubin
encephalopathy can evaluate microstructural changes and illustrate
related mechanisms. This study also verified whether DKI parametrics can
serve as an in vivo marker for neonatal bilirubin encephalopathy.
Patients and Methods A total of 17 patients with neonatal bilirubin
encephalopathy and 21 healthy, age-matched control newborns were
included in this study. Conventional MRI and DKI were performed for all
patients and controls. The mean kurtosis (MK), axial kurtosis (AK),
radial kurtosis (RK), fractional anisotropy (FA), and mean diffusion
(MD) were obtained from the voxels of interest (VOIs) within the
bilateral globus pallidus, putamen, and thalamus. Results Compared with
the control group, the MK, AK, RK, and FA in all VOIs were significantly
decreased in neonatal bilirubin encephalopathy, whereas MD increased.
Among the kurtosis tensor parameters, RK had the largest change between
groups (reduced 15.2% in globus pallidus, 8.8% in putamen and 9.0% in
thalamus, respectively). Between neonatal bilirubin encephalopathy and
control newborns, the values of MK, AK, RK, and MD more markedly varied
in the globus pallidus than in the putamen and thalamus. However, FA
more obviously changed in the thalamus than in the globus pallidus and
putamen. Conclusions DKI detects significant microstructural changes,
which are consistent with known patterns of neurological damage in
neonatal bilirubin encephalopathy. DKI parametrics can comprehensively
evaluate microstructural changes and may serve as an in vivo marker for
neonatal bilirubin encephalopathy.
