Image Processing Reference
In-Depth Information
Prefrontal Cortical Folding of the Preterm
Brain: A Longitudinal Analysis of Preterm-Born
Neonates
B
)
, Andrew Melbourne
1
,HerveLombaert
2
,
Manuel Jorge Cardoso
1
, Stian Flage Johnsen
1
, Giles S. Kendall
3
,
Nicola J. Robertson
3
,NeilMarlow
3
, and Sebastien Ourselin
1
Eliza Orasanu
1(
1
Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, London, UK
eliza.orasanu.12@ucl.ac.uk
2
INRIA, Microsoft Research Joint Centre, Palaiseau, France
3
Academic Neonatology, EGA UCL Institute for Women's Health, London, UK
Abstract.
Very preterm birth (less than 32 weeks completed gestation)
coincides with a rapid period of brain growth and development. Investi-
gating the changes of certain brain regions may allow the development of
biomarkers for predicting neurological outcome. The prefrontal cortex,
associated with the executive function, undergoes major changes during
the last 10 weeks of pregnancy, and therefore its development may be
altered by very-preterm birth. In this paper we use surface-based spec-
tral matching techniques to analyse how the prefrontal cortex develops
between 30 weeks and 40 weeks equivalent gestational age in 5 infants
born preterm. Using this method, we can accurately map the regions
where the secondary and tertiary sulci and gyri of the prefrontal cortex
will form. Additionally, measurements of cortical curvature can be used
to estimate the local bending energy required to generate the observed
pattern of cortical folding. Longitudinal measurement of the cortical fold-
ing change can provide information about the mechanical properties of
the underlying tissue and may be useful in discriminating mechanical
changes during growth in this vulnerable period of development.
1
Introduction
Infants that were born prematurely are at higher risk of developing cognitive
and neurologic impairment from an early age, despite the advances in neonatal
intensive care [
1
]. During the last 10 weeks of pregnancy, major changes occur in
the appearance and connectivity of the fetal brain. During this relatively short
period of time, the cortex develops from a lissencephalic state and dramati-
cally increases in volume and surface area [
2
]. Following premature birth the
structural development of the brain takes place under the altered conditions of
the extrauterine environment. Recently, there has been much interest in under-
standing changes in brain development during the preterm period [
3
]. Accurate
measurements of the preterm brain during this early post-natal period may yield
predictive biomarkers of neurological outcome.
