Diffusion MRI tractography with along-tract profiling reveals subtle neurodevelopmental differences between moderate and late preterm infants

Anouk S Verschuur; Chantal MW Tax; Ingrid M Nijholt; Gerda van Wezel-Meijler; Leonora Hendson; Hussein Zein; Jeanne Scotland; Regan King; Khorshid Mohammad; Martijn F Boomsma; Alexander Leemans; Lara M Leijser

doi:10.1016/j.ejrad.2025.112098

Diffusion MRI tractography with along-tract profiling reveals subtle neurodevelopmental differences between moderate and late preterm infants

Anouk S Verschuur^*, Chantal MW Tax, Ingrid M Nijholt, Gerda van Wezel-Meijler, Leonora Hendson, Hussein Zein, Jeanne Scotland, Regan King, Khorshid Mohammad, Martijn F Boomsma, Alexander Leemans, Lara M Leijser

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

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Abstract

PURPOSE: Moderately preterm (MP) infants (32-33 weeks' gestation) are at increased risk for developmental problems compared to late preterm (LP) infants (34-36 weeks' gestation). Fiber bundle tractography remains an unexplored avenue to understanding this risk-difference between MP and LP infants. This study aimed to examine along-tract profile differences between MP and LP infants at term-equivalent age (TEA).

METHODS: Ninety-five infants (31 MP and 64 LP), born between November 2020 and March 2023, underwent MRI around TEA (40-44 weeks postmenstrual age). MRI included T2-weighted imaging and diffusion MRI (dMRI) with b-values 800 and 2000 s/mm2 (single shell). dMRI scans were preprocessed to reduce common artifacts. For all infants, 15 fiber bundles were reconstructed using TractSeg and along-tract profiles, expressed as fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD), and were compared between MP and LP infants using tractometry.

RESULTS: Reconstructions with TractSeg demonstrated shape, position, and orientation of fiber bundles consistent with known neuroanatomy. FA and MD profiles were not significantly different between MP and LP infants. However, alternating trends towards along-tract profile differences between MP and LP infants were observed for multiple bundles. Wide 95% confidence intervals indicated substantial variability in fiber bundle organization within groups.

CONCLUSION: Although not significant, along-tract differences between MP and LP infants suggest subtle alterations in white matter maturation. These findings indicate along-tract variability as potential focus for future research aimed at uncovering the mechanisms underlying early maturational differences and their potential role in later neurodevelopmental challenges encountered in moderate-late preterm infants.

Original language	English
Article number	112098
Number of pages	9
Journal	European Journal of Radiology
Volume	187
Early online date	5 Apr 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrad.2025.112098
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 5 Apr 2025

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Diffusion MRI tractography with along-tract profiling reveals subtle neurodevelopmental differences between moderate and late preterm infantsFinal published version, 5.07 MBLicence: CC BY

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Verschuur, A. S., Tax, C. MW., Nijholt, I. M., van Wezel-Meijler, G., Hendson, L., Zein, H., Scotland, J., King, R., Mohammad, K., Boomsma, M. F., Leemans, A., & Leijser, L. M. (2025). Diffusion MRI tractography with along-tract profiling reveals subtle neurodevelopmental differences between moderate and late preterm infants. European Journal of Radiology, 187, Article 112098. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrad.2025.112098

@article{3f271863882b466f8c3234d7df27a712,

title = "Diffusion MRI tractography with along-tract profiling reveals subtle neurodevelopmental differences between moderate and late preterm infants",

abstract = "PURPOSE: Moderately preterm (MP) infants (32-33 weeks' gestation) are at increased risk for developmental problems compared to late preterm (LP) infants (34-36 weeks' gestation). Fiber bundle tractography remains an unexplored avenue to understanding this risk-difference between MP and LP infants. This study aimed to examine along-tract profile differences between MP and LP infants at term-equivalent age (TEA).METHODS: Ninety-five infants (31 MP and 64 LP), born between November 2020 and March 2023, underwent MRI around TEA (40-44 weeks postmenstrual age). MRI included T2-weighted imaging and diffusion MRI (dMRI) with b-values 800 and 2000 s/mm2 (single shell). dMRI scans were preprocessed to reduce common artifacts. For all infants, 15 fiber bundles were reconstructed using TractSeg and along-tract profiles, expressed as fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD), and were compared between MP and LP infants using tractometry.RESULTS: Reconstructions with TractSeg demonstrated shape, position, and orientation of fiber bundles consistent with known neuroanatomy. FA and MD profiles were not significantly different between MP and LP infants. However, alternating trends towards along-tract profile differences between MP and LP infants were observed for multiple bundles. Wide 95% confidence intervals indicated substantial variability in fiber bundle organization within groups.CONCLUSION: Although not significant, along-tract differences between MP and LP infants suggest subtle alterations in white matter maturation. These findings indicate along-tract variability as potential focus for future research aimed at uncovering the mechanisms underlying early maturational differences and their potential role in later neurodevelopmental challenges encountered in moderate-late preterm infants.",

author = "Verschuur, {Anouk S} and Tax, {Chantal MW} and Nijholt, {Ingrid M} and {van Wezel-Meijler}, Gerda and Leonora Hendson and Hussein Zein and Jeanne Scotland and Regan King and Khorshid Mohammad and Boomsma, {Martijn F} and Alexander Leemans and Leijser, {Lara M}",

year = "2025",

month = apr,

day = "5",

doi = "10.1016/j.ejrad.2025.112098",

language = "English",

volume = "187",

journal = "European Journal of Radiology",

issn = "0720-048X",

publisher = "Elsevier Ireland Ltd",

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Verschuur, AS , Tax, CMW, Nijholt, IM, van Wezel-Meijler, G, Hendson, L, Zein, H, Scotland, J, King, R, Mohammad, K, Boomsma, MF, Leemans, A & Leijser, LM 2025, 'Diffusion MRI tractography with along-tract profiling reveals subtle neurodevelopmental differences between moderate and late preterm infants', European Journal of Radiology, vol. 187, 112098. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrad.2025.112098

TY - JOUR

T1 - Diffusion MRI tractography with along-tract profiling reveals subtle neurodevelopmental differences between moderate and late preterm infants

AU - Verschuur, Anouk S

AU - Tax, Chantal MW

AU - Nijholt, Ingrid M

AU - van Wezel-Meijler, Gerda

AU - Hendson, Leonora

AU - Zein, Hussein

AU - Scotland, Jeanne

AU - King, Regan

AU - Mohammad, Khorshid

AU - Boomsma, Martijn F

AU - Leemans, Alexander

AU - Leijser, Lara M

PY - 2025/4/5

Y1 - 2025/4/5

N2 - PURPOSE: Moderately preterm (MP) infants (32-33 weeks' gestation) are at increased risk for developmental problems compared to late preterm (LP) infants (34-36 weeks' gestation). Fiber bundle tractography remains an unexplored avenue to understanding this risk-difference between MP and LP infants. This study aimed to examine along-tract profile differences between MP and LP infants at term-equivalent age (TEA).METHODS: Ninety-five infants (31 MP and 64 LP), born between November 2020 and March 2023, underwent MRI around TEA (40-44 weeks postmenstrual age). MRI included T2-weighted imaging and diffusion MRI (dMRI) with b-values 800 and 2000 s/mm2 (single shell). dMRI scans were preprocessed to reduce common artifacts. For all infants, 15 fiber bundles were reconstructed using TractSeg and along-tract profiles, expressed as fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD), and were compared between MP and LP infants using tractometry.RESULTS: Reconstructions with TractSeg demonstrated shape, position, and orientation of fiber bundles consistent with known neuroanatomy. FA and MD profiles were not significantly different between MP and LP infants. However, alternating trends towards along-tract profile differences between MP and LP infants were observed for multiple bundles. Wide 95% confidence intervals indicated substantial variability in fiber bundle organization within groups.CONCLUSION: Although not significant, along-tract differences between MP and LP infants suggest subtle alterations in white matter maturation. These findings indicate along-tract variability as potential focus for future research aimed at uncovering the mechanisms underlying early maturational differences and their potential role in later neurodevelopmental challenges encountered in moderate-late preterm infants.

AB - PURPOSE: Moderately preterm (MP) infants (32-33 weeks' gestation) are at increased risk for developmental problems compared to late preterm (LP) infants (34-36 weeks' gestation). Fiber bundle tractography remains an unexplored avenue to understanding this risk-difference between MP and LP infants. This study aimed to examine along-tract profile differences between MP and LP infants at term-equivalent age (TEA).METHODS: Ninety-five infants (31 MP and 64 LP), born between November 2020 and March 2023, underwent MRI around TEA (40-44 weeks postmenstrual age). MRI included T2-weighted imaging and diffusion MRI (dMRI) with b-values 800 and 2000 s/mm2 (single shell). dMRI scans were preprocessed to reduce common artifacts. For all infants, 15 fiber bundles were reconstructed using TractSeg and along-tract profiles, expressed as fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD), and were compared between MP and LP infants using tractometry.RESULTS: Reconstructions with TractSeg demonstrated shape, position, and orientation of fiber bundles consistent with known neuroanatomy. FA and MD profiles were not significantly different between MP and LP infants. However, alternating trends towards along-tract profile differences between MP and LP infants were observed for multiple bundles. Wide 95% confidence intervals indicated substantial variability in fiber bundle organization within groups.CONCLUSION: Although not significant, along-tract differences between MP and LP infants suggest subtle alterations in white matter maturation. These findings indicate along-tract variability as potential focus for future research aimed at uncovering the mechanisms underlying early maturational differences and their potential role in later neurodevelopmental challenges encountered in moderate-late preterm infants.

U2 - 10.1016/j.ejrad.2025.112098

DO - 10.1016/j.ejrad.2025.112098

M3 - Article

C2 - 40220737

SN - 0720-048X

VL - 187

JO - European Journal of Radiology

JF - European Journal of Radiology

M1 - 112098

ER -

Diffusion MRI tractography with along-tract profiling reveals subtle neurodevelopmental differences between moderate and late preterm infants

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