Defining "Normal" in Pediatric Brain MRI
Oral
Pediatrics
Wednesday, 13 May 2026
The developing brain follows distinct trajectories that can be monitored and quantified using MRI. This session will highlight examples from both large-scale and small-scale studies that characterize typical brain development, from white matter maturation to cortical lamination and myelination, and will discuss approaches to detect deviations from normal developmental patterns. A range of MRI methodologies will be covered, spanning structural and functional imaging, including post-processing techniques such as volumetry as well as statistical modelling and advanced analytical frameworks.
Skill Level: Intermediate
| 13:40 |
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502-03-001.
A White Matter Tract Atlas of Geometric and Microstructural Growth from Birth to Five Years
Impact: We present an infant-centric, temporally-evolving atlas of 51 white-matter pathways spanning birth to five years. This normative reference characterizes tract-specific geometric and microstructural maturation, uncovering central-to-pole developmental gradients and enabling early identification of atypical organization in neurodevelopmental and clinical populations.
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| 13:51 |
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502-03-002.
Comprehensive multi-modal MRI templates of the infant brain: a foundational resource for infant brain research
Impact: The
established foundational resource for infant brain research offers multi-modal age-specific
MRI templates at densely sampled infant ages. This resource uniquely featured
with co-registered cortical surfaces and atlases of small infant cerebellum significantly
improves infant neuroimaging analysis precision.
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| 14:02 |
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502-03-003.
Pediatric normative models of subcortical grey matter nuclei with application to prenatal alcohol exposure
Impact: The lifespan normative models developed here can be used for multiple neurodegenerative diseases and conditions characterized by heterogeneity, resulting in potentially new imaging biomarkers for autism and Parkinson's disease which have been hitherto elusive.
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| 14:13 |
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502-03-004.
Multicenter normative neonatal brain growth trajectories identify early predictors of neurodevelopment in preterm infants
Impact: We provide neonatal sex-specific
normative brain growth charts, derived from a large multicenter cohort, to enable
early detection of atypical brain trajectories. Preterm infants show widespread
deviations, linking with later neurodevelopment, underscoring the impact or
early brain growth disruption.
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| 14:24 |
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502-03-005.
Indian Fetal MR Brain Volumetric Norms: Cross-Population Applicability, and Implications for Brain Abnormalities
Impact: We modeled Indian fetal brain
volumetric norms for gestational weeks 22 to 36, which aligned with Western
standards and effectively identified brain abnormalities such as enlarged CSP, ventriculomegaly,
and macrocephaly, highlighting Auto-SVRTK’s clinical applicability for the
Indian population.
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| 14:35 |
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502-03-006.
Pediatric Brain Age Prediction via Age-Gated Interpretable Dual-Pathway Model with Disentangled Myelination and Gyrification
Impact: An
interpretable dual-process model with an age-dependent weight gate yields more
accurate and biologically grounded pediatric brain-age estimates than
single-process models. The model supports early detection and longitudinal
monitoring of neurodevelopmental disorders through developmentally informed AI
tools.
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| 14:46 |
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502-03-007.
Infant laminal cortical myelination associated with behavior and environment
Impact: We presented for the first time
laminal cortical myelination trajectories in infancy with high resolution MRI,
revealing differential layer-specific myelination and its association with
behavior. Environmental factors modulate this coupling. The study advances
understanding of neurodevelopmental mechanisms and vulnerability.
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| 14:57 |
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502-03-008.
Mapping the Emergence of Anticorrelated Functional Networks in Early Infancy using HBCD R1.0
Impact: The emergence of anti-correlated networks is necessary to support increasingly complex cognitive functions across development. Mapping the neonatal development of anti-correlated networks can be insightful to understand how large-scale brain networks interact to perform brain function.
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| 15:08 |
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502-03-009.
Functional connectivity brain growth charts: Identifying subgroups with heterogeneous executive functioning profiles
Impact: This study demonstrates the use of normative modelling and
resting state functional connectivity data to develop brain growth charts
across childhood. Deviations from a normative developmental trajectory can be
used to parse heterogeneity in executive functioning profiles.
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| 15:19 |
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502-03-010.
Quantification of White Matter Perivascular Spaces in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Healthy Controls Using WPSS
Impact: In young children, WM PVS burden aligns with brain volumes and ASD severity but not with the diagnosis of ASD. These results support morphology- and severity-informed interpretation and discourage using PVS metrics to make a diagnosis of ASD.
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