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White Matter Abnormalities (white + matter_abnormality)

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Medical Sciences	95%

Selected Abstracts

Reader variability in the use of diagnostic terms to describe white matter lesions seen on cranial scans of severely premature infants: The ELGAN study

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ULTRASOUND, Issue 8 2010
Sjirk Westra MD
Abstract Purpose To evaluate reader variability of white matter lesions seen on cranial sonographic scans of extreme low gestational age neonates (ELGANs). Methods In 1,452 ELGANs, cranial sonographic scans were obtained in the first and second postnatal weeks, and between the third postnatal week and term. All sets of scans were read independently by two sonologists. We reviewed the use of four diagnostic labels: early periventricular leucomalacia, cystic periventricular leucomalacia, periventricular hemorrhagic infarction (PVHI), and other white matter diagnosis, by 16 sonologists at 14 institutions. We evaluated the association of these labels with location and laterality of hyperechoic and hypoechoic lesions, location of intraventricular hemorrhage, and characteristics of ventricular enlargement. Results Experienced sonologists differed substantially in their application of the diagnostic labels. Three readers applied early periventricular leucomalacia to more than one fourth of all the scans they read, whereas eight applied this label to ,5% of scans. Five applied PVHI to ,10% of scans, while three applied this label to ,5% of scans. More than one third of scans labeled cystic periventricular leucomalacia had unilateral hypoechoic lesions. White matter abnormalities in PVHI were more extensive than in periventricular leucomalacia and were more anteriorly located. Hypoechoic lesions on late scans tended to be in the same locations, regardless of the diagnostic label applied. Conclusions Experienced sonologists differ considerably in their tendency to apply diagnostic labels for white matter lesions. This is due to lack of universally agreed-upon definitions. We recommend reducing this variability to improve the validity of large multicenter studies. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 38:409,419, 2010 [source]

White matter abnormalities in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia detected using diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging

BIPOLAR DISORDERS, Issue 1 2009
Jessika E Sussmann
Objectives:, Strong qualitative and quantitative evidence exists of white matter abnormalities in both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (BD). Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies suggest altered connectivity in both disorders. We aim to address the diagnostic specificity of white matter abnormalities in these disorders. Methods:, DTI was used to assess white matter integrity in clinically stable patients with familial BD (n = 42) and familial schizophrenia (n = 28), and in controls (n = 38). Differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) were measured using voxel-based morphometry and automated region of interest analysis. Results:, Reduced FA was found in the anterior limb of the internal capsule (ALIC), anterior thalamic radiation (ATR), and in the region of the uncinate fasciculus in patients with BD and those with schizophrenia compared with controls. A direct comparison between patient groups found no significant differences in these regions. None of the findings were associated with psychotropic medication. Conclusions:, Reduced integrity of the ALIC, uncinate fasciculus, and ATR regions is common to both schizophrenia and BD. These results imply an overlap in white matter pathology, possibly relating to risk factors common to both disorders. [source]

White matter abnormalities in bipolar disorder: a voxel-based diffusion tensor imaging study

BIPOLAR DISORDERS, Issue 4 2008
Stefania Bruno
Objectives:, In bipolar disorder (BD), dysregulation of mood may result from white matter abnormalities that disrupt fronto-subcortical circuits. In this study, we explore such abnormalities using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), an imaging technique capable of detecting subtle changes not visible with conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and voxel-based analysis. Methods:, Thirty-six patients with BD, all but two receiving antidepressants or mood stabilizers, and 28 healthy controls matched for age and gender were studied. Diffusion-weighted echoplanar images (DW-EPI) were obtained using a 1.5T scanner. Voxel-based analysis was performed using SPM 2. Differences between the groups in mean diffusivity and fractional anisotropy (FA) were explored. Results:, In the patient group, mean diffusivity was increased in the right posterior frontal and bilateral prefrontal white matter, while FA was increased in the inferior, middle temporal and middle occipital regions. The areas of increased mean diffusivity overlapped with those previously found to be abnormal using volumetric MRI and magnetization transfer imaging (MTI) in the same group of patients. Conclusions:, White matter abnormalities, predominantly in the fronto-temporal regions, can be detected in patients with BD using DTI. The neuropathology of these abnormalities is uncertain, but neuronal and axonal loss, myelin abnormalities and alterations in axonal packing density are likely to be relevant. The neuroprotective effects of some antidepressants and mood stabilizers make it unlikely that medication effects could explain the abnormalities described here, although minor effects cannot be excluded. [source]

White matter abnormalities in children with and at risk for bipolar disorder

BIPOLAR DISORDERS, Issue 8 2007
Jean A Frazier
Objectives:, Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DT-MRI) assesses the integrity of white matter (WM) tracts in the brain. Children with bipolar disorder (BPD) may have WM abnormalities that precede illness onset. To more fully examine this possibility, we scanned children with DSM-IV BPD and compared them to healthy peers and children at risk for BPD (AR-BPD), defined as having a first-degree relative with the disorder. Methods:, Ten children with BPD, eight healthy controls (HC), and seven AR-BPD, similar in age, had MRI scans on a 1.5 Tesla GE scanner, including a standard DT-MRI sequence (T2-EPI) with 25 axial slices. Fractional anisotropy (FA) values were compared between groups to determine regions of significant difference (p < 0.05). Results:, Compared to HC, children with BPD had decreased FA in right and left superior frontal tracts, including the superior longitudinal fasciculus I (SLF I) and the cingulate-paracingulate WM (CG-PACWM). In addition, the BPD group had reduced FA in left orbital frontal WM and the right corpus callosum body. Compared to AR-BPD, children with BPD showed reduced FA in the right and left CG-PACWM. Both the BPD and AR-BPD groups showed reduced FA relative to HC in bilateral SLF I. Conclusions:, The bilateral SLF I finding in both the BPD and AR-BPD groups may represent a trait-based marker or endophenotype of the disorder. The finding of decreased FA in the right and left CG-PACWM in children with BPD compared to the other two groups may represent a disease-state related finding. [source]

Severity of cerebral white matter lesions and infarcts in patients with transient or moderately disabling cerebral ischaemia: reproducibility of grading by neurologists

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 8 2006
E. L. L. M. De Schryver
Diffuse or multifocal ischaemic white matter lesions increase the risk of intracranial haemorrhage in patients using oral anticoagulants for secondary prevention after cerebral ischaemia of arterial origin. We studied whether neurologists could reliably assess the presence of these white matter abnormalities. As part of the European/Australian Stroke Prevention in Reversible Ischaemia Trial (ESPRIT), the severity of white matter lesions and presence of ischaemic lesions were twice assessed in a consensus meeting of three neurologists (from a pool of nine) as absent, moderate or severe, in a sample of 126 randomly selected CT or MRI scans. The neurologists were not aware of the duplicate grading. The degree of agreement between the first and second observation was calculated with kappa statistics. The kappa value for agreement between the first and second assessment of white matter lesions was 0.58 (95% CI 0.40,0.76). The kappa value for the presence of clinically relevant and/or irrelevant ischaemic lesions was 0.68 (95% CI 0.58,0.78). Clinicians can assess the presence of white matter lesions with sufficient reliability. Such assessment may prevent unnecessary risk with oral anticoagulation in secondary prevention after cerebral ischaemia of arterial origin, of which the efficacy is currently being assessed in ESPRIT. [source]

Migraine and stroke , why do we talk about it?

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 3 2006
C. Lampl
Data from observational studies suggest that migraine may be a risk factor for stroke. Furthermore, a significant association between migraine and ischemic stroke (IS) has been demonstrated in population and case,control studies. The risk of IS appears to be higher for migraine with aura than for migraine without aura. The pathogenesis is not known but several studies report some common biochemical mechanisms in the two diseases. Meta-analysis also demonstrates that subjects with migraine are at higher risk of showing white matter abnormalities on magnetic resonance images than are those without migraine. [source]

Genetic study of the myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) gene in schizophrenia

GENES, BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR, Issue 1 2005
G. Zai
Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a neuropsychiatric disorder that affects approximately 1% of the general population. The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system has been implicated in several genetic studies of SCZ. The myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) gene, which is located close to the HLA region, is considered a candidate for SCZ due to its association with white matter abnormalities and its importance in mediating the complement cascade. Four polymorphisms in the MOG gene (CA)n (TAAA)n, and two intronic polymorphisms, C1334T and C10991T, were investigated for the possibility of association with SCZ using 111 SCZ proband and their families. We examined the transmission of the alleles of each of these polymorphisms with the transmission disequilibrium test. We did not observe significant evidence for biased transmission of alleles at the (CA)n (,2 = 2.430, 6 df, P = 0.876) (TAAA)n (,2 = 3.550, 5 df, P = 0.616), C1334T (,2 = 0.040, 1 df, P = 0.841) and C10991T (,2 = 0.154, 1 df, P = 0.695) polymorphisms. Overall haplotype analysis using the TRANSMIT program was also not significant (,2 = 7.954, 9 df, P = 0.539). Furthermore, our results comparing mean age at onset in the genotype groups using the Kruskal,Wallis Test were not significant. Our case-control analyses (182 cases age-, sex- and ethnicity-matched with healthy controls) and combined z -score [(CA)n: z -score =,1.126, P = 0.130; (TAAA)n: z -score = ,0.233, P = 0.408; C1334T: z -score = 0.703, P = 0.241; C10991T: z -score = 0.551, P = 0.291] were also not significant. Although our data are negative, the intriguing hypothesis for MOG in SCZ may warrant further investigation of this gene. [source]

Clinical and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Regression of Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy in an AIDS Patient After Intensive Antiretroviral Therapy

JOURNAL OF NEUROIMAGING, Issue 3 2001
Rita A. Shapiro DO
ABSTRACT A 36-year-old homosexual man with 6 months of visual symptoms and headaches had right homonymous hemianopia, mild new learning impairment, and alexia with agraphia. The initial brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan was reported consistent with left occipital infarction. Subsequent MRI demonstrated abnormal demyelination in the subcortical white matter and deep parieto-occipital white matter bilaterally, but primarily left. Human immunodeficiency virus testing and cerebrospinal fluid polymerase chain reaction for JC virus DNA were both positive, consistent with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) with AIDS. His clinical status steadily deteriorated, and MRI white matter abnormalities worsened despite high-dose antiretroviral therapy. After the antiretroviral regimen was intensified by the addition of a protease inhibitor, rapid clinical and radiographic improvement occurred with subsequent MRI studies revealing only residual left parieto-occipital encephalomalacia. PML in AIDS patients has been associated with a nearly uniformly poor prognosis until recent reports of improved outcomes after highly active antiretroviral therapy. This patient with PML and AIDS similarly showed a robust clinical and MRI response to intensive antiretroviral combination therapy, which has been maintained for more than 3 years. [source]

Altered White Matter Integrity in Adolescent Binge Drinkers

ALCOHOLISM, Issue 7 2009
Tim McQueeny
Background:, White matter integrity has been found to be compromised in adult alcoholics, but it is unclear when in the course of alcohol exposure white matter abnormalities become apparent. This study assessed microstructural white matter integrity among adolescent binge drinkers with no history of an alcohol use disorder. Methods:, We used diffusion tensor imaging to examine fractional anisotropy (FA), a measure of directional coherence of white matter tracts, among teens with (n = 14) and without (n = 14) histories of binge drinking but no history of alcohol use disorder, matched on age, gender, and education. Results:, Binge drinkers had lower FA than controls in 18 white matter areas (clusters ,27 contiguous voxels, each with p < 0.01) throughout the brain, including the corpus callosum, superior longitudinal fasciculus, corona radiata, internal and external capsules, and commissural, limbic, brainstem, and cortical projection fibers, while exhibiting no areas of higher FA. Among binge drinkers, lower FA in 6 of these regions was linked to significantly greater lifetime hangover symptoms and/or higher estimated peak blood alcohol concentrations. Conclusions:, Binge drinking adolescents demonstrated widespread reductions of FA in major white matter pathways. Although preliminary, these results could indicate that infrequent exposure to large doses of alcohol during youth may compromise white matter fiber coherence. [source]

Characterization of White Matter Microstructure in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

ALCOHOLISM, Issue 3 2009
Susanna L. Fryer
Background:, Exposure to alcohol during gestation is associated with CNS alterations, cognitive deficits, and behavior problems. This study investigated microstructural aspects of putative white matter abnormalities following prenatal alcohol exposure. Methods:, Diffusion tensor imaging was used to assess white matter microstructure in 27 youth (age range: 8 to 18 years) with (n = 15) and without (n = 12) histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Voxelwise analyses, corrected for multiple comparisons, compared fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) between groups, throughout the cerebrum. Results:, Prenatal alcohol exposure was associated with low FA in multiple cerebral areas, including the body of the corpus callosum and white matter innervating bilateral medial frontal and occipital lobes. Fewer between-group differences in MD were observed. Conclusions:, These data provide an account of cerebral white matter microstructural integrity in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and support extant literature showing that white matter is a target of alcohol teratogenesis. The white matter anomalies characterized in this study may relate to the neurobehavioral sequelae associated with gestational alcohol exposure, especially in areas of executive dysfunction and visual processing deficits. [source]

Structural white matter abnormalities in patients with idiopathic dystonia

MOVEMENT DISORDERS, Issue 8 2007
Leonardo Bonilha MD
Abstract We investigated whether structural white matter abnormalities, in the form of disruption of axonal coherence and integrity as measured with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), constitute an underlying pathological mechanism of idiopathic dystonia (ID), independent of genotype status. We studied seven subjects with ID: all had cervical dystonia as their main symptom (one patient also had spasmodic dysphonia and two patients had concurrent generalized dystonia, both DYT1-negative). We compared DTI MR images of patients with 10 controls, evaluating differences in mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA). ID was associated with increased FA values in the thalamus and adjacent white matter, and in the white matter underlying the middle frontal gyrus. ID was also associated with increase in MD in adjacent white matter to the pallidum and putamen bilaterally, left caudate, and in subcortical hemispheric regions, including the postcentral gyrus. Abnormal FA and MD in patients with ID indicate that abnormal axonal coherence and integrity contribute to the pathophysiology of dystonia. These findings suggest that ID is not only a functional disorder, but also associated with structural brain changes. Impaired connectivity and disrupted flow of information may contribute to the impairment of motor planning and regulation in dystonia. © 2006 Movement Disorder Society [source]

Diffusion tensor imaging in fixed brain tissue at 7.0 T

NMR IN BIOMEDICINE, Issue 2 2003
David N. Guilfoyle
Abstract The purpose of this work is to assess the feasibility of performing quantitative in vitro brain tissue diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measurements and to examine their comparability to in vivo measurements. DTI of fixed tissue at high field strength is potentially a very valuable investigative tool as very high spatial resolution can be achieved. DTI was applied to human and mouse brain fixed tissue samples as well as in vivo measurements of the mouse brain. T1 and T2 relaxography of the fixed tissue samples was also performed to provide further characterization of the tissue. All experiments were performed at 7,T. The fractional anisotropy (FA) of the human fixed brain tissue samples is found to be higher in the corpus callosum than in the occipital white matter region, consistent with in vivo measurements reported in the literature. Our FA measurements of the corpus callosum of a mouse brain are also found to be the same both in vitro and in vivo. This preliminary work supports the use of DTI in both fixed human and fixed animal brain tissue as a valid investigative tool. With the increased availability of brain banks in different brain disorders, DTI in fixed tissue may prove to be a very useful method for the study of white matter abnormalities. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Brain involvement in muscular dystrophies with defective dystroglycan glycosylation,

ANNALS OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 5 2008
Emma Clement MBChB
Objective To assess the range and severity of brain involvement, as assessed by magnetic resonance imaging, in 27 patients with mutations in POMT1 (4), POMT2 (9), POMGnT1 (7), Fukutin (4), or LARGE (3), responsible for muscular dystrophies with abnormal glycosylation of dystroglycan (dystroglycanopathies). Methods Blinded review of magnetic resonance imaging brain scans from 27 patients with mutations in 1 of these 5 genes. Results Brain magnetic resonance images were normal in 3 of 27 patients; in another 5, only nonspecific abnormalities (ventricular dilatation, periventricular white matter abnormalities, or both) were seen. The remaining 19 patients had a spectrum of structural defects, ranging from complete lissencephaly in patients with Walker,Warburg syndrome to isolated cerebellar involvement. Cerebellar cysts and/or dysplasia and hypoplasia were the predominant features in four patients. Polymicrogyria (11/27) was more severe in the frontoparietal regions in 6, and had an occipitofrontal gradient in 2. Pontine clefts, with an unusual appearance to the corticospinal tracts, were seen in five patients with a muscle-eye-brain,like phenotype, three patients with POMGnT1, one with LARGE, and one with POMT2 mutations. Prominent cerebellar cysts were always seen with POMGnT1 mutations, but rarely seen in POMT1 and POMT2. Brainstem and pontine abnormalities were common in patients with POMT2, POMGnT1, and LARGE mutations. Interpretation Our results expand the spectrum of brain involvement associated with mutations in LARGE, POMGnT1, POMT1, and POMT2. Pontine clefts were visible in some dystroglycanopathy patients. Infratentorial structures were often affected in isolation, highlighting their susceptibility to involvement in these conditions. Ann Neurol 2008;64:573,582 [source]

White matter abnormalities in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia detected using diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging

White matter abnormalities in bipolar disorder: a voxel-based diffusion tensor imaging study

Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of white matter in bipolar disorder: a pilot study

BIPOLAR DISORDERS, Issue 2 2006
William T Regenold
Objective:, Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has shown increased sensitivity in detecting brain white matter disease compared to traditional T2-weighted MRI. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) can quantitatively assess the microstructural integrity of white matter using the average apparent diffusion coefficient (ADCav), a measure of the extent to which water molecules move freely within tissue. On the basis of numerous studies suggesting white matter disease in bipolar patients, particularly patients with more severe illness, this study aimed to test the utility of DWI in assessing the white matter integrity of bipolar patients with severe illness. Methods:, The existing MRI scans of eight bipolar patients and eight age-matched controls with neurological illness were examined retrospectively. ADCav values for pixels within white matter regions of interest (ROIs) were calculated and used to plot ADCav frequency histograms for each ROI. Mean ADCav values for the two groups were then compared by ANCOVA. Results:, The bipolar mean ADCav (0.855 ± 0.051 × 10,3 mm2/s) for combined white matter ROIs significantly exceeded that of controls (0.799 ± 0.046 × 10,3 mm2/s), while covarying for age (F = 4.47, df = 3, p = 0.025). Conclusions:, This is the first report of an elevated ADCav in the white matter of a group of patients with bipolar disorder. In this group of patients with severe illness, increased white matter ADCav suggests microstructural changes consistent with decreased white matter integrity. DWI may be an additional, useful tool to assess white matter abnormalities in bipolar disorder. [source]

Histological and Ultrastructural Analysis of White Matter Damage after Naturally-occurring Spinal Cord Injury

BRAIN PATHOLOGY, Issue 2 2006
Peter M. Smith
Detailed analysis of the structural changes that follow human clinical spinal cord injury is limited by difficulties in achieving adequate tissue fixation. This study bypasses this obstacle by examining the spinal cord from paraplegic domestic animals, enabling us to document the ultrastructural changes at different times following injury. In all but one case, injury resulted from a combination of contusion and compression. There was infarction and hemorrhage, followed by gray matter destruction and the rapid development of a variety of white matter changes including axon swelling and myelin degeneration. Axons greater than 5 µm in diameter were more susceptible to degenerative changes, whereas smaller axons, particularly those in the subpial region, were relatively well preserved. Demyelinated axons were seen within 2 weeks after injury and, at later time points, both Schwann cell and oligodendrocyte remyelination was common. More subtle white matter abnormalities were identified by examining sagittal sections, including focal accumulation of organelles in the axoplasm and partial and paranodal myelin abnormalities. These observations serve to validate observations from experimental models of spinal contusion but also highlight the complexity of naturally occurring (ie, clinical) spinal injury. They also raise the possibility that focal abnormalities such as paranodal demyelination may contribute to early axonal dysfunction and possibly to progressive tissue damage. [source]

Cognitive impairment and white matter damage in hypertension: a pilot study

ACTA NEUROLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 4 2009
K. Hannesdottir
Objectives,,, Hypertension has been associated with impaired cognition. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy were applied to assess white matter abnormalities in treated vs untreated hypertension and if these correlated with neuropsychological performance. Methods,,, Subjects were 40 patients with medically treated hypertension (mean age 69.3 years), 10 patients with untreated hypertension (mean age 57.6 years) and 30 normotensive controls (mean age 68.2 years). Hypertension was defined as a previous diagnosis and taking hypertensive medication, or a resting blood pressure of >140/90 mmHg on the day of assessment. Results,,, Patients with treated hypertension performed worse on immediate (P = 0.037) as well as delayed memory tasks (P = 0.024) compared with normotensive controls. Cognitive performance was worse in untreated compared with treated hypertension on executive functions (P = 0.041) and psychomotor speed (P = 0.003). There was no significant correlation between cognition and any of the imaging parameters in treated hypertension. However, in untreated hypertension the results revealed a positive correlation between an executive functioning and attention composite score and DTI mean diffusivity values (P = 0.016) and between psychomotor speed and spectroscopy NAA/tCr levels (P = 0.015). Conclusions,,, These results suggest there is cognitive impairment in hypertension. Treated hypertension was associated with deficits in memory while untreated hypertension revealed a more ,subcortical' pattern of cognitive impairment. [source]

White matter changes in extremely preterm infants, a population-based diffusion tensor imaging study

ACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 6 2010
Béatrice Skiöld
Abstract Aim:, To investigate cerebral white matter (WM) abnormalities (J Pediatr 2003; 143: 171) and diffuse and excessive high signal intensities (DEHSI), (J Pediatr 1999; 135: 351) in a cohort of extremely preterm infants born in Stockholm during a 3-year period, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Methods:, MRI at term-equivalent age was performed in 109 infants and DTI data were acquired in 54 infants. Survival rate in the entire cohort was 67%. Sixteen term-born healthy control infants were scanned for comparison. Results:, No or mild WM abnormalities were seen in 86% of infants and 14% had moderate or severe WM abnormalities. DEHSI were seen in infants with all grades of white matter abnormalities and were present in 56% of infants. In the WM at the level of centrum semiovale, infants with any WM abnormalities or DEHSI had lower Fractional Anisotropy and higher Apparent Diffusion Coefficient compared with control infants. No significant differences in diffusion were seen in infants without DEHSI compared with the controls in this region. Compared with controls, the preterm infants had significantly altered diffusion in the corpus callosum. Conclusion:, Only 14% of the extremely preterm infants had moderate or severe WM abnormalities on MRI. However, the incidence of DEHSI was high. In the DEHSI regions, changes in diffusion parameters were detected, indicating altered WM organization. [source]

Brain abnormalities in extremely low gestational age infants: a Swedish population based MRI study

ACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 7 2007
Sandra Horsch
Abstract Aims: Brain abnormalities are common in preterm infants and can be reliably detected by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging at term equivalent age. The aim of the present study was to acquire population based data on brain abnormalities in extremely low gestational age (ELGA) infants from the Stockholm region and to correlate the MR findings to perinatal data, in order to identify risk factors. Methods: All infants with gestational age <27 weeks, born in the Stockholm region between January 2004 and August 2005, were scanned on a 1.5 T MR system at term equivalent age. Images were analysed using a previously established scoring system for grey and white matter abnormalities. Results: No or only mild white matter abnormalities were observed in 82% and moderate to severe white matter abnormalities in 18% of infants. The Clinical Risk Index for Babies (CRIB II) score, use of inotropes, the presence of high-grade intraventricular haemorrhages and posthaemorrhagic ventricular dilatation were associated with white matter abnormalities. Conclusion: The incidence of moderate to severe white matter abnormalities in a population-based cohort of ELGA infants from the Stockholm region was 18%. To examine the clinical relevance of these promising results, neurodevelopmental follow up at 30 month corrected age, is ongoing. [source]