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Measurement Of Neuromagnetic Brain Function In Pre-school Children With Custom Sized MEG
Published on: February 19, 2010
Brain morphometry and IQ measurements in preterm children.
E B Isaacs1, C J Edmonds, W K Chong
1MRC Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, Institute of Child Health, University College London, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK. E.Isaacs@ich.ucl.ac.uk
Brain : a Journal of Neurology
|September 17, 2004
Summary
Children born preterm, even without obvious neurological damage, show a significant decline in intelligence quotient (IQ) over time. This decline is linked to specific brain regions, including the parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Intelligence quotient (IQ) is generally stable in the general population.
- Preterm birth is associated with potential cognitive deficits.
- Previous studies on preterm children's IQ decline may be confounded by neurological damage.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate IQ changes in preterm children classified as neurologically normal.
- To identify potential subtle brain abnormalities related to IQ decline in this population.
- To explore the neural correlates of IQ decline using advanced neuroimaging.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal assessment of IQ scores from childhood to adolescence in preterm-born children (gestation ≤ 30 weeks).
- Conventional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Voxel-Based Morphometry (VBM) analysis of brain scans.
- Hippocampal volume measurements.
Main Results:
- Preterm children showed a significant decline in mean IQ scores over time.
- Conventional MRI revealed abnormalities in about 50% of cases, with no clear correlation to IQ.
- VBM identified relationships between absolute IQ and parietal/temporal lobes; VIQ decline correlated with frontal/temporal regions; PIQ decline correlated with occipital/temporal regions (including hippocampi).
Conclusions:
- Preterm children are at risk for IQ decline even without apparent neurological damage.
- Subtle brain abnormalities, detectable by VBM, are associated with IQ decline.
- Specific neural regions are implicated in the observed IQ trajectory changes in preterm individuals.
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