Designing a novel method for brain volume quantification in investigating childhood brain atrophy and its functional effects

Abstract

Brain atrophy is a result of volume loss commonly indicated by brain parenchyma separation from calvarium on neuroimaging. The prevalence of childhood brain atrophy has not been determined globally. Despite sporadic reports, surprisingly little is known about the prevalence, risk factors, and functional effects, except in children's brains associated with epilepsy. There is currently no published alternative to high-priced automated technologies for reproducible manual quantification of brain volume. The primary aim of the study was to develop a manual diagonal brain fraction (DBF) formula for quantifying and grading brain volume to evaluate the effects of brain atrophy among children in the selected East African Countries-Northern Tanzania and Rwanda. Children in Northern Tanzania and Rwanda were analysed for evidence of brain atrophy using one-dimension linear radiological techniques and a newly developed formula, revealing a prevalence of 14.06% and 22% respectively. There were four distinct grades of disease severity. Head trauma, neonatal hypoxia, central nervous system infections, and increased intracranial pressure were cited as potential inducers of the atrophy. Significant alterations in brain waves were observed using EEG, which proved the altered functional implications of brain atrophy. These included, for example, decreased Delta/Alpha ratios (DAR) and higher beta activity. There is a negative relation between brain volume and IQ test scores in atrophied brain. Brain atrophy was also found to be strongly related to the presence of convulsive disorders. The results of this study conclude that, childhood brain atrophy is quite widespread among the population that was studied. The DBF is a straightforward technique for evaluating overall brain volume. Possible risks of brain atrophy in children include birth injury, central nervous system infection, head trauma and increased intracranial pressure. Beta activities such as Beta/Alpha ratio (BAR) may serve as brain atrophy bio-markers while the Delta/Alpha ratio (DAR) is trivial in brain atrophy settings. Damage to the brain's neurocognitive functions is reflected by lower-than-average IQ percentile score for age in atrophied brains. As a result, it is critical to develop methods of protecting children's mental health from potential risks.