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Study conducted at VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam suggests that Diffusion Weighted (DW) imaging is a useful additional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technique to predict the motor outcome in Neonatal Hypoxic Ischemia (HI).

Forty-six infants with neonatal HI were enrolled in this prospective study. MRI was done on the neonates on days ranging from 1 to 45. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) was measured in 14 brain regions. DW and conventional images were qualitatively scored for abnormalities, resulting in cumulative scores and patterns of damage. Surviving infants were scored for motor outcome at the age of 2 years, and outcome was classified as poor if the motor score was less than 70 or in case of death.

Twenty-five infants had a good outcome and 21 had a poor outcome. The infants with poor outcome had significantly lowered ADC values in several brain areas, with the posterior limb of the internal capsule being the most predictive. Cumulative scores of DW imaging were the best predictor of poor motor outcome at the age of 2 years .The basal ganglia and central cortex and the diffuse pattern of brain damage were highly associated with poor outcome.