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Effects of preterm birth on cortical thickness measured in adolescence
Zoltan Nagy1, Hugo Lagercrantz, Chloe Hutton
1Department of Woman and Child Health, Neonatal Unit, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm 171 76, Sweden.
Insights
Preterm birth is linked to long-term reductions in cortical thickness, particularly in specific brain regions. This developmental difference was observed in adolescents born prematurely, impacting brain structure years after birth.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Radiology
Background:
- Preterm birth affects brain development, but long-term impacts on cortical thickness remain understudied.
- The Stockholm Neonatal Project cohort provides a unique opportunity to examine adolescent brain structure in ex-preterm individuals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term effects of preterm birth on cortical thickness in adolescence.
- To identify specific brain regions affected by reduced cortical thickness in ex-preterm individuals.
Main Methods:
- Cortical thickness was estimated using T(1)-weighted 3D anatomical MRI scans.
- Voxel-wise t-tests were employed to compare cortical thickness between ex-preterm and term-born adolescents.
- Subgroup analyses were conducted based on gestational age and birth weight.
Main Results:
- Ex-preterm individuals showed significantly thinner cortex in focal temporal and parietal regions.
- Additional areas, including the central sulcus, temporal lobe, frontal, and occipital lobes, tended to be thinner in the ex-preterm group.
- Cortical thinning was more pronounced in individuals born closer to term or with higher birth weights within the preterm group.
Conclusions:
- Preterm birth is a significant risk factor for altered long-term cortical thickness development.
- These findings highlight the lasting neurodevelopmental consequences of preterm birth on brain structure.
- Understanding these long-term effects is crucial for targeted interventions and support for individuals born preterm.
Abstract:
Despite the extensive research into brain development after preterm birth, few studies have investigated its long-term effects on cortical thickness. The Stockholm Neonatal Project included infants between 1988 and 1993 with birth weight (BW) ≤ 1500 g. Using a previously published method, cortical thickness was estimated on T(1)-weighted 3D anatomical images acquired from 74 ex-preterm and 69 term-born adolescents (mean age 14.92 years). The cortex was significantly thinner in ex-preterm individuals in focal regions of the temporal and parietal cortices as indicated by voxel-wise t-tests. In addition, large regions around the central sulcus and temporal lobe as well as parts of the frontal and occipital lobes tended also to be thinner in the ex-preterm group. Although these results were not significant on voxel-wise tests, the spatially coherent arrangement of the thinning in ex-preterm individuals made it notable. When the group of ex-preterm individuals was divided by gestational age or BW, the thinning tended to be more pronounced in the anterior and posterior poles in those born nearer term or with a BW closer to 1500 g. These results support the notion that preterm birth is a risk factor for long-term development of cortical thickness.
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