PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Duncan, A.F.
AU  - Caprihan, A.
AU  - Montague, E.Q.
AU  - Lowe, J.
AU  - Schrader, R.
AU  - Phillips, J.P.
TI  - Regional Cerebral Blood Flow in Children From 3 to 5 Months of Age
AID  - 10.3174/ajnr.A3728
DP  - 2014 Mar 01
TA  - American Journal of Neuroradiology
PG  - 593--598
VI  - 35
IP  - 3
4099  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/35/3/593.short
4100  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/35/3/593.full
SO  - Am. J. Neuroradiol.2014 Mar 01; 35
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Understanding the relationship between brain and behavior in early childhood requires a probe of functional brain development. We report the first large study of regional CBF by use of arterial spin-labeling in young children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cerebral blood flow by use of arterial spin-labeling was measured in 61 healthy children between the ages of 3 and 5 months. Blood flow maps were parcellated into 8 broadly defined anatomic regions of each cerebral hemisphere. RESULTS: There was no sex effect; however, group analysis demonstrated significantly greater CBF in the sensorimotor and occipital regions compared with dorsolateral prefrontal, subgenual, and orbitofrontal areas (P < .0001). A significant age effect was also identified, with the largest increase in blood flow between 3 and 5 months occurring in the following regions: orbitofrontal (P < .009), subgenual (P < .002), and inferior occipital lobe (P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: These results are consistent with prior histologic studies demonstrating regional variation in brain maturation and suggest that arterial spin-labeling is sensitive to regional as well as age-related differences in CBF in young children. ASLarterial spin-labeling