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Introduction Early prediction and timely intervention are particularly essential for high-risk preterm infants. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (BMRI) is frequently used alongside functional evaluations to improve predictions of developmental outcomes. This study aimed to assess voxel-based brain volumetry in extremely preterm infants using BMRI at term equivalent age (TEA) and investigate its association with developmental outcomes. Methods From March 2016 to December 2019, high-risk preterm infants (birth weight < 1500g or gestational age < 32 weeks) with BMRI at TEA and follow-up developmental data assessed by Bayley-III were included. For BMRI volumetry, manual tracing and segmentation were performed on T1-weighted scans, and after smoothing, voxels were calculated for each brain segment. Forty-seven subjects were enrolled and categorized into typical/delayed motor groups Results Results revealed a significant difference in ventricle size and ventricle ratio in BMRI at TEA between the groups. Even after controlling for other factors that could influence developmental outcomes, ventricle ratio emerged as a robust, single predictor for future motor development. Conclusion This study suggests the potential clinical utility of BMRI volumetry in predicting motor development outcomes., (The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background: Gait training may lead to functional brain changes in Parkinson's disease (PD); however, there is a lack of studies investigating structural brain changes after gait training in PD., Objective: To investigate structural brain changes induced by 4 weeks of gait training in individuals with PD., Methods: Diffusion tensor imaging and structural T1 images were acquired in PD group before and after robot-assisted gait training or treadmill training, and in healthy control group. Tract-based spatial statistics and tensor-based morphometry were conducted to analyze the data. The outcome of gait training was assessed by gait speed and dual-task interference of cognitive or physical tests of the 10-meter walking test representing gait automaticity. The associations between structural brain changes and these outcomes were investigated using correlation analysis., Results: A total of 31 individuals with PD (68.5±8.7 years, the Hoehn & Yahr stage of 2.5 or 3) and 28 healthy controls (66.6±8.8 years) participated in this study. Compared to the controls, PD group at baseline showed a significant increased fractional anisotropy (FA) in the right forceps minor and bilateral brainstem and reduced radial diffusivity (RD) in the right superior longitudinal fasciculus, as well as the expanded structural volumes in the several brain areas. After gait training, FA increased in the left internal capsule and it decreased in the left cerebellum Crus I, while the structural volume did not change. The increased FA in the left internal capsule positively correlated with the baseline gait speed and negatively correlated with gait speed improvement; moreover, the decreased FA in the left cerebellum Crus I negatively correlated with the baseline gait speed during the cognitive task., Conclusions: Gait training induces white matter changes in the brain of individuals with PD, which suggests the improvement of brain structural pathology to mitigate the impact of neurodegenerative consequences.