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Updated: May 29, 2026

Preterm EEG: A Multimodal Neurophysiological Protocol
19:32

Preterm EEG: A Multimodal Neurophysiological Protocol

Published on: February 18, 2012

Prematurity affects cortical maturation in early childhood

John P Phillips1, Erica Q Montague, Miranda Aragon

  • 1Department of Neurology, University of New Mexico Health Science Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. jphillips@mrn.org

Pediatric Neurology
|September 13, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Brain development in premature infants is not well understood. Very low birth weight children show altered cortical thickness and surface area, suggesting delayed brain maturation.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Pediatric Imaging

Background:

  • Cortical development in early childhood is crucial for long-term neurological outcomes.
  • Limited research characterizes brain development in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants during the first few years of life.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate and characterize cortical development in VLBW children compared to term-born controls.
  • To assess the relationship between birth weight and cortical surface area and thickness.

Main Methods:

  • High-resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was acquired from VLBW and term-born children at 18-22 months and 3-4 years of age.
  • Cortical surface area and thickness were quantified using FreeSurfer software.
  • Manual inspection ensured the accuracy of the automated analysis.

Main Results:

  • VLBW children exhibited a trend towards thicker cortices and reduced surface area compared to term controls at both time points.
  • A negative correlation was found between birth weight and cortical thickness at 18-22 months (P=0.04).
  • A positive correlation was observed between birth weight and cortical surface area at 3-4 years (P=0.02).

Conclusions:

  • Premature delivery may delay normal cortical thinning and surface area expansion processes.
  • The degree of prematurity may influence the extent of these developmental delays.
  • Findings highlight potential long-term impacts of VLBW on brain maturation.

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