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Increased temporal lobe gyrification in preterm children
Shelli R Kesler1, Betty Vohr, Karen C Schneider
1Stanford Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5719, USA. skesler@stanford.edu
Insights
Preterm birth can impact learning. This study found altered temporal lobe development in preterm children, linking brain changes to language and reading difficulties.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Radiology
Background:
- Preterm birth is linked to learning disabilities.
- Previous MRI studies show reduced cortical tissue in preterm children, especially in the temporal lobe.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate cortical gyrification in preterm children at 8 years old.
- To correlate gyrification findings with language abilities.
- To understand the impact of preterm birth on neurodevelopment and functional outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to measure cortical gyrification.
- 73 preterm children and 33 term-born controls were studied at 8 years of age.
- Gyrification indices were correlated with language and reading test scores.
Main Results:
- Preterm children showed significantly increased bilateral temporal lobe gyrification compared to term controls.
- In preterm children, left temporal gyrification negatively correlated with left temporal gray matter volume and reading recognition scores.
Conclusions:
- Cortical development in the temporal lobe is differentially vulnerable in preterm birth.
- Altered temporal lobe gyrification may contribute to neurodevelopmental and functional deficits in preterm individuals.
Abstract:
Preterm birth often results in significant learning disability, and previous magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of preterm children have demonstrated reduction in overall cortical tissue with particular vulnerability in the temporal lobe. We measured cortical gyrification in 73 preterm and 33 term control children at 8 years of age and correlated these findings with tests of language ability to determine the associations among preterm birth, neurodevelopment and functional outcome. Preterm children demonstrated significantly increased bilateral temporal lobe gyrification index compared to term controls. Left temporal gyrification index was significantly negatively correlated with left temporal lobe gray matter volume as well as reading recognition scores in the preterm group. Cortical development in the temporal lobe appears to be differentially vulnerable to preterm birth.
