Cerebral Ultrasound at Term-Equivalent Age: Correlations with Neuro-Motor Outcomes at 12–24 Months Corrected Age

Adrian Ioan Toma, Vlad Dima, Lidia Rusu, Alexandra Floriana Nemes, Bogdan Florin Gont, Alexandra Arghirescu, Andreea Necula, Alina Fieraru, Roxana Stoiciu, Larisa Andrăsoaie, Loredana Mitran, Claudia Mehedint, and Al Jashi Isam

Abstract: Background/Objectives: Our research aimed to assess if correlations could be

found between items evaluated at the cerebral ultrasound performed at term-equivalent

age (TEA) and neuro-motor outcomes evaluated at 12 and 24 months of corrected age in

a group of preterm infants. Methods: The following were assessed: the Levine Index,

the diagonals of the lateral ventricles, the size of the ventricular midbody, the sinocortical

distance, the width of the basal ganglia, the cortical depth at the level of the cingular sulcus

and the maturation of the gyral folding. The neurologic evaluation was performed at

12 and 24 months of corrected age, according to the Amiel Tison neurologic examination,

and the items from the calendar of motor acquisitions were used as outcome measures of

the study—gross and fine motor subsets. The comparisons between the different groups

were performed using the FANOVA test, with a statistically significant association for a

p < 0.05. Results: The abnormal gross motor acquisitions at 12 months were significantly

associated with an increased size of the ventricular midbody (p < 0.009) and a signifi-

cantly decreased diameter of the basal ganglia (p < 0.011) on the TEA cerebral ultrasound.

Cerebral Ultrasound at Term-Equivalent Age: Correlations with Neuro-Motor Outcomes at 12–24 Months Corrected Age (PDF)