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Neuroanatomical consequences of very preterm birth in middle childhood.
- Source :
-
Brain structure & function [Brain Struct Funct] 2013 Mar; Vol. 218 (2), pp. 575-85. Date of Electronic Publication: 2012 May 11. - Publication Year :
- 2013
-
Abstract
- Individuals born preterm can demonstrate reductions in brain volume, cortical surface area and thickness. However, the extent of these neuroanatomical deficits and the relation among these measures in middle childhood, a critical developmental period, have not been determined. We assessed differences in brain structure by acquiring high-resolution T(1)-weighted scans in 25 children born very preterm (<32 weeks gestational age) without significant post-natal neurological sequelae and 32 age-matched term-born children (7-10 years). Children born very preterm had decreased brain volume, surface area and cortical thickness compared to term-born children. Furthermore, children born preterm did not display the robust relation between total brain volume and basal ganglia and thalamic volume apparent in the term-born children. Cortical thickness analyses revealed that the cortex was thinner for children born preterm than term-born children in the anterior cingulate cortex/supplementary motor area, isthmus of the cingulate gyrus, right superior temporal sulcus, right anterior insula, postcentral gyrus and precuneus. Follow-up analyses revealed that right precuneus thickness was correlated with gestational age. Thus, even without significant postnatal medical sequelae, very preterm-born children showed atypical brain structure and developmental patterns in areas related to higher cognitive function. Disruptions of the typical neurodevelopmental trajectory in the third trimester of pregnancy likely underlie these differences persisting into middle childhood.
- Subjects :
- Age Factors
Analysis of Variance
Brain pathology
Brain physiopathology
Case-Control Studies
Cerebral Cortex growth & development
Cerebral Cortex pathology
Child
Child Behavior
Executive Function
Female
Gestational Age
Humans
Infant, Extremely Premature
Infant, Newborn
Intelligence
Intelligence Tests
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Organ Size
Surveys and Questionnaires
Brain growth & development
Child Development
Infant, Premature
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1863-2661
- Volume :
- 218
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Brain structure & function
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 22572806
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-012-0417-2