MRI as a biomarker for mild neonatal encephalopathy

Brian H Walsh; Terrie E Inder

doi:10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2018.02.006

MRI as a biomarker for mild neonatal encephalopathy

Early Hum Dev. 2018 May:120:75-79. doi: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2018.02.006. Epub 2018 Feb 17.

Authors

Brian H Walsh¹, Terrie E Inder²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pediatric Newborn Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis St, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Neonatology, Cork University Maternity Hospital, Cork, Ireland. Electronic address: Bhwalsh@bwh.harvard.edu.
² Department of Pediatric Newborn Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis St, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address: tinder@bwh.harvard.edu.

PMID: 29463417
DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2018.02.006

Abstract

Historically, there has been limited neuro-imaging data acquired on infants with mild neonatal encephalopathy (NE). This likely reflects the traditional assumption that these infants had a universally good prognosis. As new evidence has emerged challenging this assumption, there has been a renewed interest in the neuro-imaging findings of these infants. To date, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies in infants with mild NE have demonstrated abnormalities in 20-40% of cases suggestive that the injury occurs during the peripartum period with a predominant watershed pattern of injury. The severity of the injury on MRI in infants with mild NE varies, but includes patterns of injury that have been associated with long-term neuro-developmental impairment.

Keywords: Biomarker; Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy; Magnetic resonance imaging; Mild neonatal encephalopathy; Perinatal asphyxia.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Brain Diseases / diagnostic imaging*
Brain Diseases / physiopathology
Humans
Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain / complications
Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain / diagnostic imaging
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Infant, Newborn, Diseases / diagnostic imaging*
Infant, Newborn, Diseases / physiopathology
Magnetic Resonance Imaging*