RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Quantitative Fiber Tracking in the Corpus Callosum and Internal Capsule Reveals Microstructural Abnormalities in Preterm Infants at Term-Equivalent Age JF American Journal of Neuroradiology JO Am. J. Neuroradiol. FD American Society of Neuroradiology DO 10.3174/ajnr.A2859 A1 C. van Pul A1 B.J.M. van Kooij A1 L.S. de Vries A1 M.J.N.L. Benders A1 A. Vilanova A1 F. Groenendaal YR 2011 UL http://www.ajnr.org/content/early/2011/12/22/ajnr.A2859.abstract AB BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Signal-intensity abnormalities in the PLIC and thinning of the CC are often seen in preterm infants and associated with poor outcome. DTI is able to detect subtle abnormalities. We used FT to select bundles of interest (CC and PLIC) to acquire additional information on the WMI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred twenty preterm infants born at <31 weeks' gestation with 3T DTI at TEA entered this prospective study. Quantitative information (ie, volume, length, anisotropy, and MD) was obtained from fiber bundles passing through the PLIC and CC. A general linear model was used to assess the effects of factor (sex) and variables (GA, BW, HC, PMA, and WMI) on FT-segmented parameters. RESULTS: Seventy-two CC and 85 PLIC fiber bundles were assessed. For the CC, increasing WMI and decreasing FA (P = .038), bundle volume (P < .001), and length (P = .001) were observed, whereas MD increased (P = .001). For PLIC, MD increased with increasing WMI (P = .002). Higher anisotropy and larger bundle length were observed in the left PLIC compared with the right (P = .003, P = .018). CONCLUSIONS: We have shown that in the CC bundle, anisotropy was decreased and diffusivity was increased in infants with high WMI scores. A relation of PLIC with WMI was also shown but was less pronounced. Brain maturation is affected more if birth was more premature. Abbreviations BWbirth weightCCcorpus callosumClcase linear anisotropy indexFAfractional anisotropyFTfiber trackingGAgestational ageHChead circumferenceMDmean diffusivityPLICposterior limb of the internal capsulePMApostmenstrual ageTEAterm-equivalent ageWMIwhite matter injury