Brain White Matter Microstructural Abnormalities in Children with Global Developmental Delay: A Tract-Based Spatial Statistics Analysis

Motivation: The diagnosis of global developmental delay (GDD) heavily relies on clinical scale assessments, which are highly subjective and present challenges for early diagnosis and intervention. Goal(s): The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in white matter microstructure in children with GDD.Approach: We used a diffusional kurtosis imaging (DKI)-based TBSS approach to analyze the whole brain. Results: Our findings indicate abnormalities in multiple white matter brain regions among children with GDD. Additionally, DKI parameters were found to be correlated with clinical developmental levels. Impact: The DKI can offer quantitative parameter values for assessing microstructural changes in the brain of GDD, making it a promising diagnostic tool.