Myth: cerebral palsy cannot be predicted by neonatal brain imaging

Abstract

There is controversy in the literature about the value of brain imaging in neonates regarding the prediction of cerebral palsy (CP). The aim of this review was to unravel the myth that CP cannot be predicted by neuroimaging in neonates. Major intracranial lesions in the preterm infant should be recognized with sequential cranial ultrasound and will predict those with non-ambulatory CP. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at term-equivalent age will refine the prediction by assessment of myelination of the posterior limb of the internal capsule. Prediction of motor outcome in preterm infants with subtle white matter injury remains difficult, even with conventional MRI. MRI is a better tool to predict outcome in the term infant with hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy or neonatal stroke. The use of diffusion-weighted imaging as an additional sequence adds to the predictive value for motor outcome. Sequential and dedicated neuroimaging should enable us to predict motor outcome in high risk newborns infants.