Diffusion-tensor MR imaging in children with developmental delay: Preliminary findings

PURPOSE: To determine whether diffusion-tensor magnetic resonance (MR) imaging can depict abnormalities in patients with a diagnosis of developmental delay but structurally normal brain MR imaging results. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty pediatric patients who received a diagnosis of developmental delay underwent brain MR examinations, including diffusion-tensor MR imaging. The MR findings in these patients were compared with those in 10 age-matched neurodevelopmentally healthy children. Diffusion constant (D-av) and anisotropy were measured bilaterally in regions of interest in the centrum semiovale, corona radiata, internal capsule, corpus callosum, and subcortical white matter of the frontal and parieto-occipital lobes. By using a one-tailed Student t test in the positive direction for D-av and in the negative direction for anisotropy and P <.05 to indicate a significant difference, the D-av and anisotropy values for children with developmental delay were compare with those for children who were neurodevelopmentally healthy. RESULTS: The children with developmental delay had significant increases in D-av in all measured structures (P, <.001 to <.03). Significant decreases in anisotropy were detected in all white matter fiber tracts studied (P, <.001 to <.03) except the posterior limb of the internal capsule. CONCLUSION: In the children with developmental delay, diffusion-tensor MR imaging depicted decreases in anisotropy and increases in D-av in the white matter, fiber tracts, which appeared to be normal at conventional MR imaging. (C) RSNA, 2003.