MRI CHANGES AND DEFICITS OF HIGHER BRAIN FUNCTIONS IN PRETERM DIPLEGIA

Forty-one preterm children (29 with spastic diplegia and 12 without mo tor deficits) who had a normal verbal IQ were studied to clarify the c linical significance of neuroanatomical abnormalities disclosed by T1- weighted and T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Both types of images clearly showed abnormalities in the frontal corona radiata o f the children with spastic diplegia, while there were no abnormalitie s in the children without motor deficits. We compared the T1-weighted imaging findings with deficits of higher brain functions, evaluated by the performance subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale. Thinning of the parietal and/or occipital white matter was noted in children w ith visuospatial cognitive deficits. Thus, MRI may be helpful in confi rming early clinical suspicions of visuospatial cognitive deficits as well as motor deficits in preterm children, especially those with spas tic diplegia.