Abstract #4399

Anisotropy of Callosal Motor Fibers Predicts Functional Impairment in Children with Periventricular Leukomalacia

Inga Koerte^1,2, 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.