Role of brain imaging
Brain imaging, particularly magnetic resonance imaging,
can provide evidence about the timing of adverse events.
For example, cortical dysplasias date from early in
pregnancy, around the 12th to 20th week of gestation,
periventricular leukomalacia occurs between the 28th and
34th week, and term infants with perinatal asphyxia have
cortical and subcortical gliosis and atrophy in the
parasagittal watershed areas.
Whilst periventricular leukomalacia is a strong predictor of
cerebral palsy in preterm infants, it is also found in infants
born at term, suggesting that the adverse event occurred
well before delivery. Factors that cause periventricular
leukomalacia may provide information as to possible
causes of cerebral palsy