Independent antecedents of fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity regional abnormalities from the EPI cohort identified in multiple regression analyses.

*<p>P<0.05,</p>**<p>P<0.01,</p>†<p>P<0.001.</p><p>(PLIC: posterior limb of internal capsule; FPVZ: frontal periventricular zone; OPVZ: occipital periventricular zone; CC: splenium and genu of corpus callosum; CS: centrum. semiovale; SVZ: subventricular zone; EC: external capsule; MCP: middle cerebellar peduncles).ALIC – anterior limb of internal capsule; PLIC – posterior limb of internal capsule; FPVZ – frontal periventricular zone; OPVZ – occipital periventricular zone; CC – corpus callosum; CS – centrum semiovale; SVZ – subventricular zone; EC – external capsule; MCP – middle cerebellar peduncles.</p

Demographic and clinical characteristics of participating infants.

*<p>P<0.05 and.</p>**<p>P<0.001 in comparison of term and EPI infants.</p>†<p>Defined as any presence of ventriculomegaly (with or without blood in the ventricles, blood/echodensity or cystic areas in the parenchyma, cystic periventricular leukomalacia, and/or porencephalic cyst evident on cranial US prior to 28 days of life.</p>‡<p>Defined as presence of signal abnormalities, brain atrophy, and/or abnormal gray matter or white matter maturation for age.</p

Study and control region of interest templates and placements shown on FA maps.

<p>Panel A: 1) Anterior limb of internal capsule, 2) Posterior limb of internal capsule, 3) Frontal periventricular zone, 4) Occipital periventricular zone, 5a–b) Centrum semiovale at two consecutive levels, 6 a–b) Genu and splenium of corpus callosum, and 7) Subventricular zone. Panel B: 1) External capsule, 2) Middle cerebellar peduncles. Same templates were utilized for all scans.</p

Comparison of mean (SD) fractional anisotropy (A) and mean diffusivity (SD) (B) between extremely preterm infants (light blue) and healthy term infants (navy) for seven study ROIs – ALIC, anterior limb of internal capsule, PLIC, posterior limb of internal capsule, FPVZ, frontal periventricular zone, OPVZ, occipital periventricular zone, CC, corpus callosum (genu and splenium), CS, centrum semiovale, SVZ, subventricular zone; and two control ROIs – EC, external capsule, MCP, middle cerebellar peduncles.

<p>*P<0.05 and **P<0.001.</p