Altered microstructure of the splenium of corpus callosum is associated with neurodevelopmental impairment in preterm infants with necrotizing enterocolitis

Table 3 Network parameters of diffusion tensor analysis in preterm infants with and without NEC

Region of interest	Without NEC (n = 66)	With NEC (n = 20)	Unadjusted p value^*	Adjusted p value^**	Adjusted p value + TPN days^‡
gCC
FA	0.181 ± 0.027	0.175 ± 0.012	0.841	0.509	0.386
MD	1.434 ± 0.129	1.445 ± 0.107	0.883	0.399	0.280
sCC
FA	0.185 ± 0.032	0.173 ± 0.013	0.109	0.098	0.129
MD	1.446 ± 0.151	1.543 ± 0.108	0.002	0.001	0.001
ltCST
FA	0.261 ± 0.041	0.257 ± 0.032	0.891	0.207	0.221
MD	1.230 ± 0.110	1.297 ± 0.082	0.003	0.001	0.001
rtCST
FA	0.267 ± 0.038	0.261 ± 0.031	0.473	0.070	0.068
MD	1.296 ± 0.107	1.303 ± 0.122	0.720	0.129	0.160
ltILF
FA	0.181 ± 0.028	0.170 ± 0.015	0.109	0.047	0.038
MD	1.484 ± 0.139	1.487 ± 0.101	0.620	0.029	0.743
rtILF
FA	0.182 ± 0.027	0.174 ± 0.014	0.306	0.107	0.122
MD	1.406 ± 0.132	1.407 ± 0.117	0.736	0.586	0.515

Data are expressed as mean ± standard deviation
^*For non-normal distribution, Mann-Whitney U Test was used to compare the groups
^**Adjusted for gestational age and PMA at MRI; Quade’s nonparametric rank analysis of covariance was used to compare the groups
^‡Adjusted by gestational age, PMA at MRI, and TPN days; Quade’s nonparametric rank analysis of covariance was used to compare the groups
The significance level was corrected from 0.05 to 0.008 (0.05/6) by the Bonferroni correction method
Abbreviations: NEC necrotizing enterocolitis, FA fractional anisotropy, MD mean diffusivity, gCC corpus callosum genu, sCC corpus callosum splenium, ltCST left corticospinal tract, rtCST right corticospinal tract, ltILF left inferior longitudinal fiber, rtILF right inferior longitudinal fiber, PMA postmenstrual age, MRI magnetic resonance imaging, TPN total parenteral nutrition

ISSN: 1824-7288