TY - JOUR
T1 - -Thalamic atrophy in infants with PVL and cerebral visual impairment
AU - Ricci, Daniela
AU - Anker, Shirley
AU - Cowan, Frances
AU - Pane, Marika
AU - Gallini, Francesca
AU - Luciano, Rita Paola Maria
AU - Donvito, Valeria
AU - Baranello, Giovanni
AU - Cesarini, Laura
AU - Bianco, Flaviana
AU - Rutherford, Mary
AU - Romagnoli, Costantino
AU - Atkinson, Janette
AU - Braddick, Oliver
AU - Guzzetta, Francesco
AU - Mercuri, Eugenio Maria
PY - 2006
Y1 - 2006
N2 - The aim of this retrospective study was to establish the presence and severity of cerebral visual impairment in preterm infants with PVL. We also wished to establish whether abnormalities of visual function are related to brain MRI findings and more specifically not only to the involvement of optic radiations and occipital cortex but also to changes in the thalami, that are often affected in infants with PVL. Twelve infants with cystic PVL were assessed at 1 year (+2) corrected age with a battery of tests specifically designed to assess various aspects of visual function in infancy, such as ocular movements, visual acuity, visual fields and fixation shift. All infants also had a brain MRI. Eleven of the 12 had involvement of the optic radiations: all had some abnormalities of visual function and visual impairment was more severe in infants with more extensive involvement of the optic radiations. The child with normal optic radiations had normal visual function. Six of the 12 infants also had obvious signs of atrophy of the thalami and all had severe and wide-ranging abnormalities of visual function in all testing domains. Two children had equivocal atrophy of the thalami, both had some abnormalities of visual function. Four children had normal thalami and had normal visual function or only minor abnormalities on one of the visual tests. Our results suggest that the atrophy of the thalami may play an additional role in the abnormal development of visual function in infants with PVL and abnormal optic radiations.
AB - The aim of this retrospective study was to establish the presence and severity of cerebral visual impairment in preterm infants with PVL. We also wished to establish whether abnormalities of visual function are related to brain MRI findings and more specifically not only to the involvement of optic radiations and occipital cortex but also to changes in the thalami, that are often affected in infants with PVL. Twelve infants with cystic PVL were assessed at 1 year (+2) corrected age with a battery of tests specifically designed to assess various aspects of visual function in infancy, such as ocular movements, visual acuity, visual fields and fixation shift. All infants also had a brain MRI. Eleven of the 12 had involvement of the optic radiations: all had some abnormalities of visual function and visual impairment was more severe in infants with more extensive involvement of the optic radiations. The child with normal optic radiations had normal visual function. Six of the 12 infants also had obvious signs of atrophy of the thalami and all had severe and wide-ranging abnormalities of visual function in all testing domains. Two children had equivocal atrophy of the thalami, both had some abnormalities of visual function. Four children had normal thalami and had normal visual function or only minor abnormalities on one of the visual tests. Our results suggest that the atrophy of the thalami may play an additional role in the abnormal development of visual function in infants with PVL and abnormal optic radiations.
KW - PVL
KW - thalamic atrophy
KW - PVL
KW - thalamic atrophy
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10807/22818
U2 - 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2005.12.007
DO - 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2005.12.007
M3 - Article
SN - 0378-3782
VL - 82
SP - 591
EP - 595
JO - Early Human Development
JF - Early Human Development
ER -