Inga Koerte1,2, Paula Pelavin2,
Martha E. Shenton2, Marek Kubicki2, Berit Kirmess3,
Steffen Berweck3, Maximilian Reiser1, Florian Heinen3,
Birgit Ertl-Wagner1
1Institute of Clinical Radiology,
Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany; 2Psychiatry
Neuroimaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, United
States; 3Dr. von Hauners Children's Hospital,
Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
Patients
with periventricular leukomalacia are known to have altered white matter
structure of motor tracts1. We aimed to evaluate the microstructure (DTI),
interhemispheric inhibitory competence as measured by transcranial magnetic
stimulation (TMS) and hand motor function in children with mild cerebral
palsy compared to normal controls.Anisotropy values of transcallosal motor
fibers appear to correlate with functional impairment of hand motor function
in children with PVL. The microstructure of transcallosal motor fibers could
serve as a potential predictor for hand motor function in patients with
cerebral palsy.