Abstract #0495

White Matter Maturation in Healthy Children and Patients Treated with Brain Radiation: A Longitudinal DTI Study

Firouzeh Tannazi¹, Todd R. McNutt², Siamak Ardekani³, Moody D. Wharam², Alena Horska¹

¹The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; ²Radiation Oncology & Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; ³Institute for Computational Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

A longitudinal DTI study with 3 follow-up examinations (over a 27 month period) was conducted to examine brain maturation of selected white matter regions in healthy children and adolescents, and pediatric patients who received radiation therapy for brain malignancies. Healthy children demonstrated regional age-related decrease in ADC and increase in FA. In children who received radiation therapy, regional increase in ADC, decline in FA, and increase in radial diffusivity was detected consistent with radiation-induced demyelination.