Investigating the Effects of Infantile Hydrocephalus on Visuomotor Integration: A Study Utilizing Behavioural and Neuroimaging Analyses
Abstract
This thesis describes studies which explore the impact of infantile hydrocephalus on the posterior cortex, specifically focusing on the parietal and occipital lobes. Using resting-state functional MRI, the functional connectivity within the visuomotor integration network was investigated and connectivity was traced through the corpus callosum. We hypothesized that children with hydrocephalus would demonstrate altered functional connectivity compared to typically developing controls. Our findings revealed that patients had reduced functional connectivity in visuomotor pathways, particularly the inferior frontal occipital fasciculus, superior longitudinal fasciculus, and the frontal aslant tract, with notable impact on the left and right fusiform gyrus and precuneus. We observed differences in the size of the corpus callosum at the posterior and mid posterior subdivisions, along with alterations at the microstructural level. It is apparent that these disruptions hindered interhemispheric communication, affecting the efficient exchange of stimuli and signals required for coordinated functioning. Children with hydrocephalus performed significantly lower in tasks involving visual perception, fine motor manipulation, and visuomotor coordination.