Corpus Callosum in Preterm Infants and Patients with Cerebral Palsy

Midsagittal magnetic resonance images of the brain of 25 infants (16 preterm vs 9 term) and those of 100 children of age between 2 and 11 (50 cerebral palsy patients vs 50 healthy peers) were analyzed in order to reveal morphometric differences in the corpus callosum between those groups. The MRI and clinical findings were analyzed retrospectively. For morphometric measuring the midsagittal area of the corpus callosum was divided into seven segments (CC1 - CC7) using the Witelson's method. The ratio of the areas of the anterior and posterior segments of the corpus callosum, described by self-designed formula KCC = (CC2 + CC3) x CC6/CC7 proved to be a reliable indicator of differences between the brain of preterm and term infants, and of children with cerebral palsy and their healthy peers respectively.