Study On The White Matter Of Visual Way In Children With Binocular Amblyopia By Diffusion Tension Imaging

Purpose: To detect the development condition of white matter in children with binocular amblyopia for revealing the pathogenesy of amblyopia.Methods: 15 children with binocular amblyopia and 14 children which the corrected visual acurity was normal underwent Diffusion Tension Imaging (DTI) scanning. The two groups were age related. Firstly, comparison between amblyopic and control groups was dereved for factional anisotropy (FA) values of the Cerebral white matter using Independent -Samples T test by Voxel-Based Morphometry (VBM) .The abnormal regions of the white matter in patients with amblyopia were revealed. Secondly, reconstructing the optic radiations (ORs) and cacluating the FA values and the voxel numbers of ORs by Region of interest (ROI) . Independent -Samples T test was used to compare the total FA ,the average FA and voxel numbers of bilateral ORs between the two groups.Results: 1.The results of VBM analysis indicated that the amblyopia group had decreased FA values in the right frontal Lobe sub-gyral white matter, the right parietal lobe sub-gyral white matter,the right fusiform gyrus white matter, the right parahippocampal gyrus white matter, the left temporal lobe sub-gyral white matter, the both sub-lobar insula white matter, the left sub-lobar extra-nuclear white matter. However, the amblyopia group also had increased FA values in the both thalamus ventral lateral nucleus, the right cingulate gyrus, the white matter, the left lentiform nucleus, the left subthalamic nucleus, the left pons, the right sub-lobar extra-nuclear white matter. 2. Comparison demonstrated both total FA values and total voxel numbers of the amblyopic group were lower than the control group. We found no significant difference of average FA between the two groups.Conclusions: 1. Tractography showed lower FA values in many region of the amblyopic children than in normal children, indicating there are general abnormities in the brain of amblyopic children. 2. The lower total FA values and total voxel numbers of ORs in amblyopic children showed abnormities of ORs.3. DTI can track the white matter and reflect the connection without trauma. It's may provide valuable insight into the pathogenesy of amblyopia.