Early White Matter Microstructure Alterations in Infants with Down Syndrome.

Importance: Down syndrome, resulting from trisomy 21, is the most prevalent chromosomal disorder and a leading cause of intellectual disability. Despite its significant impact on brain development, research on the white matter microstructure in infants with Down syndrome remains limited.

Objective: To investigate early white matter microstructure in infants with Down syndrome using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI).

Design: Infants were recruited and scanned between March 2019 and May 2024 as participants in prospective studies conducted by the Infant Brain Imaging Study (IBIS) Network. Data were analyzed in October 2024.

Setting: Data collection occurred at five research centers in Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Washington.

Participants: Down syndrome and control infants were scanned at 6 months of age. Control infants had no Down syndrome diagnosis and either had a typically developing older sibling or, if they had an older sibling with autism, were confirmed not to meet clinical best estimate criteria for an autism diagnosis.

Exposure: Diagnosis of Down syndrome.

Main Outcomes And Measures: The outcome of interest was white matter microstructure quantified using DTI and NODDI measures.

Results: A total of 49 Down syndrome (28 [57.14%] female) and 37 control (18 [48.65%] female) infants were included. Infants with Down syndrome showed significant reductions in fractional anisotropy and neurite density index across multiple association tracts, particularly in the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus and superior longitudinal fasciculus II, consistent with reduced structural integrity and neurite density. These tracts also demonstrated increased radial diffusivity, suggesting delayed myelination. The inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus and uncinate fasciculus exhibited increased neurite dispersion and fanning in Down syndrome infants, reflected by elevated orientation dispersion index. Notably, the optic tracts in Down syndrome infants exhibited a distinct pattern of elevated fractional anisotropy and axial diffusivity, and lower radial diffusivity and orientation dispersion index, suggesting an early maturation of these pathways.

Conclusions And Relevance: This first characterization of white matter microstructure in Down syndrome infants reveals widespread white matter developmental delays. These findings provide new insights into the early neurodevelopment of Down syndrome and may inform early therapeutic interventions.