Diffusion MRI abnormalities in pediatric neurological disorders

Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) makes it possible to measure early changes in cellular function in the central nervous system. The purpose of this article is to discuss the diagnostic value of diffusion-weighted and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in different pediatric cerebral disorders. First, the principles of DWI and DTI are briefly reviewed. The clinical usefulness of these imaging techniques is then discussed using cases with pediatric neurological disorders, such as hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy in neonates, trauma (shaken baby syndrome), encephalopathy or encephalitis in infants, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome and congenital brain anomaly (callosal dysgenesis). In addition, using DTI, we evaluate normal brain development, particularly in the corpus callosum and cortico-spinal tract, and discuss the application of DTI to the study of white matter in the developing brain.