Abstract #2255

Early Sensorimotor Tract Integrity and Development of Cerebral Palsy in High Risk Infants

Rahul Chandwani¹, Julia Kline¹, Karen Harpster^2,3,4, Jean Tkach^5,6,7, and Nehal Parikh^1,2

¹Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States, ²Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States, ³Division of Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States, ⁴Department of Rehabilitation, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, University of Cincinnati College of Allied Health Sciences, Cincinnati, OH, United States, ⁵Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States, ⁶Imaging Research Center, Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States, ⁷Department of Radiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States

Very preterm (VPT) infants are at high risk of motor impairments such as cerebral palsy (CP). Currently, qualitative findings from structural MRI and outcomes from clinical assessments are insufficient for early, accurate diagnosis of CP. In a multicenter cohort of 263 VPT infants, we derived macro and microstructural biomarkers of sensorimotor white matter tracts from term-equivalent age diffusion MRI. We observed consistent negative associations between these metrics – fiber density, fiber cross-section, and combined fiber density and cross-section – and early diagnosis of CP. These findings enhance our understanding of the pathophysiology of CP in VPT infants.

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