Age-effects in white matter using associated diffusion tensor imaging and magnetization transfer ratio during late childhood and early adolescence

作者：Moura Luciana Monteiro^*; Kempton Matthew; Barker Gareth; Salum Giovanni; Gadelha Ary; Pan Pedro Mario; Hoexter Marcelo; Gomes Del Aquilla Marco Antonio; Picon Felipe Almeida; Anes Mauricio; Garcia Otaduy Maria Concepcion; Amaro Edson Jr; Rohde Luis Augusto; McGuire Philip; Bressan Rodrigo Affonseca; Sato Joao Ricardo; Jackowski Andrea Parolin

来源：Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 2016, 34(4): 529-534.

DOI：10.1016/j.mri.2015.12.021

• Magnetization transfer ratio
• Diffusion tensor imaging
• Normal brain development
• Childhood
• Adolescence

In the last decade, several studies have described the typical brain white matter maturation in children and adolescents. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is the most frequent MRI technique used to investigate the structural changes across development. However, few previous studies have used the magnetization transfer ratio (MTR), which gives a closer measure of myelin content. Here, we employed both techniques for the same sample of 176 typically developing children from 7 to 14 years of age. We investigated the associations between DTI parameters and MTR measure, to assess the myelination in the brain in development. Secondly, we investigated age-effects on DTI parameters (fractional anisotropy, axial, radial and mean diffusivities) and MTR. No significant correlations between MTR and DTI parameters were observed. In addition, a significant age-effect was detected for DTI data but was not visible for MTR data. Thereby, changes in white matter at this age might be primarily correlated with microstructural changes.

• 出版日期2016-5