Neurodevelopmental Outcomes of Infantile Hydrocephalus: An fMRI Case Study
Abstract
Ventricle dilatation caused by infantile hydrocephalus may result in extensive damage of the posterior cortex (parietal and occipital lobes). We hypothesize that pathological changes in the development of the posterior cortex can be linked to non-verbal learning disabilities in children with previous infantile hydrocephalus. This case study will investigate the neurodevelopmental outcomes of 3 treated hydrocephalus patients, when compared to a group of healthy control children (n = 12). Within the hydrocephalus group, patients displayed differences in non-verbal test performance as well as parietal brain activation during an fMRI number comparison task. We associated these differences with clinical variables such as prematurity of birth, age of onset, and timing of treatment. The methodology and findings of this case study offers new possibilities for future research of using fMRI in conjunction with behavioural assessments as a prognostic tool for studying the neurodevelopmental outcomes of pediatric patient populations