J. Skranes et al., CAN CEREBRAL MRI AT AGE 1 YEAR PREDICT MOTOR AND INTELLECTUAL OUTCOMES IN VERY-LOW-BIRTH-WEIGHT CHILDREN, Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 40(4), 1998, pp. 256-262
This follow-up study reports on cerebral MRI findings in 20 very-low-b
irthweight (VLBW) infants without disabilities at age 1 year in relati
on to motor, intellectual, and perceptual function at age 6 years. MRI
findings, anthropometrics, and Bayley Scales of Infant Development sc
ores at age 1 year as predictors of psychomotor status at age 6 years
are also evaluated and compared. Outcome parameters were the Peabody D
evelopmental Motor Scales and the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale
of Intelligence. The results show that infants with myelin hyperinten
sities including the centrum semiovale or with occipital hyperintensit
ies with associated ventricular dilatation at age 1 scored lower on th
e Peabody Gross Motor Locomotion Scale at age 6 than infants with norm
al myelination or with isolated occipital hyperintensities. This may i
ndicate damage to motor fibers caused by perinatal periventricular leu
komalacia. No relation was found between abnormal MRI findings at age
1 and later fine motor, intellectual, and perceptual function. Compari
ng different age 1-year predictors, an abnormality score defined by MR
I was used as an independent predictor of gross motor locomotion funct
ion at age 6 years. However, the Bayley Mental Development Index score
s and weight at age 1 were more important predictors of later motor an
d intellectual outcome, respectively, than MRI findings. It is recomme
nded that cerebral MRI should not be used routinely to examine VLBW in
fants without disabilities at 1 year of age.