TY - JOUR T1 - Regional Cerebral Blood Flow in Children From 3 to 5 Months of Age JF - American Journal of Neuroradiology JO - Am. J. Neuroradiol. DO - 10.3174/ajnr.A3728 AU - A.F. Duncan AU - A. Caprihan AU - E.Q. Montague AU - J. Lowe AU - R. Schrader AU - J.P. Phillips Y1 - 2013/10/03 UR - http://www.ajnr.org/content/early/2013/10/03/ajnr.A3728.abstract N2 - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Understanding the relationship between brain and behavior in early childhood requires a probe of functional brain development. We report the first large study of regional CBF by use of arterial spin-labeling in young children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cerebral blood flow by use of arterial spin-labeling was measured in 61 healthy children between the ages of 3 and 5 months. Blood flow maps were parcellated into 8 broadly defined anatomic regions of each cerebral hemisphere. RESULTS: There was no sex effect; however, group analysis demonstrated significantly greater CBF in the sensorimotor and occipital regions compared with dorsolateral prefrontal, subgenual, and orbitofrontal areas (P < .0001). A significant age effect was also identified, with the largest increase in blood flow between 3 and 5 months occurring in the following regions: orbitofrontal (P < .009), subgenual (P < .002), and inferior occipital lobe (P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: These results are consistent with prior histologic studies demonstrating regional variation in brain maturation and suggest that arterial spin-labeling is sensitive to regional as well as age-related differences in CBF in young children. Abbreviations ASLarterial spin-labeling ER -