Preterm children have disturbances of white matter at 11 years of age as shown by diffusion tensor imaging

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Biology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Preterm birth is associated with white matter injury, impacting long-term neurological and cognitive outcomes.
• Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has previously shown regional white matter microstructure compromise in newborns born preterm.
• The persistence of these white matter lesions into later childhood was previously unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether white matter microstructural differences observed in preterm infants persist into childhood.
• To compare white matter integrity in school-aged children born preterm with attention deficits to age-matched controls using DTI.

Main Methods:

• Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data were acquired using a 1.5-T scanner.
• Fractional anisotropy (FA) and coherence measures were computed to assess white matter integrity.
• A cohort of 9 children born preterm (mean gestational age 28.6 weeks) with attention deficits was compared to 10 age- and sex-matched controls.

Main Results:

• Children born preterm exhibited significantly lower fractional anisotropy values in the posterior corpus callosum and bilateral internal capsules compared to controls.
• The observed differences in the posterior corpus callosum may be partly attributed to variations in white matter volume.
• No significant group differences were found in the coherence measure, indicating preserved axonal organization.

Conclusions:

• White matter disturbances in children born preterm, particularly those with attention deficits, persist and are detectable at approximately 11 years of age.
• These long-term white matter alterations in the corpus callosum and internal capsules are not fully compensated for or repaired by this age.
• DTI is a valuable tool for identifying persistent neurodevelopmental consequences of preterm birth.