Overview

• Using diffusion tensor imaging, researchers observed increased axial diffusivity in the right corticospinal tract, right superior longitudinal fasciculus, and left cingulum in neglected children.
• The cohort comprised 21 children who experienced neglect without other maltreatment and 106 typically developing controls examined by the University of Fukui team.
• Higher axial diffusivity in these pathways was associated with greater conduct problems, connecting neuroimaging differences to behavioral difficulties.
• The authors propose these measures as potential objective indicators to flag neglect earlier and to monitor neurodevelopment and intervention effectiveness.
• Published July 26 in Scientific Reports, the observational study highlights neglect as the most common substantiated maltreatment worldwide, reports Japanese grant funding and no competing interests, and urges larger, longitudinal replication.