Mapping developmental precentral and postcentral gyral changes in children on magnetic resonance images.

摘要

PURPOSE: To study the shape changes in precentral gyrus (PRG) and postcentral gyrus (PCG) during healthy brain development in childhood. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Magnetic resonance (MR) images from 20 healthy children scanned twice at 6.3 +/- 0.8 and 8.1 +/- 0.9 years old were analyzed in this study. The analysis steps included: 1) The PRG and PCG were manually segmented from the MR images of each subject; 2) 3D mesh representing the PRG and PCG were built from the manually segmented images; 3) a series of shape description features were extracted and statistically analyzed by a permutation test method. RESULTS: This study showed the following statistically significant findings (P < 0.05): left PCG and PRG are located more posteriorly and superiorly than their right compartments; the hemispheric asymmetry of the PRG in the inferior-superior direction decreased after 2 years; the superior part of the PCG and PRG shifted and rotated to the posterior side of the brain. CONCLUSION: During normal pediatric brain development hemispheric asymmetry and shape of PCG and PRG are changed. These findings, together with previous reports in the literature, illustrate a region-specific brain structure maturation pattern in children and may be related to changing neurocognitive functions.