JAMA Neurology-system screens tens of thousands of children's brain magnetic resonance, what are the unexpected findings?

Incidental findings (IFs) are previously unknown abnormalities found during MRI imaging.

The increasing use of high-resolution structural brain MRI has prompted people to actively discuss whether IFs screening should be used as a research imaging standard, and how to consult individuals involved, because of the true prevalence and significance of many IFs.

The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study is an ongoing longitudinal, multi-center, observational study.

The overall goal of ABCD research is to evaluate the contribution of genetic and environmental factors to mental and physical health during periods of rapid brain and cognitive development

Previous studies have reported the prevalence of IFs in brain MRI in the general population, but most of them are concentrated in the adult population

In this way, Yi Li and others of UCSF in the United States explored the prevalence of IFs in the baseline structural MRI of 11 875 9-10 year-old children in the ABCD study

Main clinical outcomes: the percentage of children with IF in each category and the prevalence of specific IF

A total of 11 679 children (52.

Among them, 2464 participants (21.

The important significance of this large-scale children's study is that the accidental findings of brain MRI and discoveries with potential clinical significance are common in the general pediatric population