An assessment of white matter development in preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia using diffusion tensor imaging

OBJECTIVE To assess white matter development in preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) using fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). METHODS Ninety-six infants with a gestational age of ≤32 weeks and a birth weight of 0.05). Compared with the non-BPD group, the BPD group had significantly lower FA values and significantly higher ADC values of the posterior limb of the internal capsule, the splenium of the corpus callosum, the occipital white matter, the cerebellum, and the cerebral peduncle (P<0.05). Compared with the non-BPD group, the BPD group had a significantly higher frequency of apnea, a significantly higher proportion of infants with pneumonia or mechanical ventilation, and a significantly longer duration of assisted ventilation (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS BPD may has potential adverse effects to white matter development in preterm infants, leading to delayed white matter development. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the neurological function of these infants.