Comparison of cerebral volume in children aged 18-22 and 36-47 months born preterm and term
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Published on: September 6, 2017
Jean R Lowe1, Peggy C Maclean, Arvind Caprihan
1Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-5313, USA. jrlowe@unm.edu
Insights
Preterm birth impacts regional brain volumes in early childhood. Neuroimaging reveals differences in parietal regions, white matter, and ventricles, correlating with developmental outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Pediatric Imaging
Background:
- Limited studies exist on regional brain volume differences in preterm vs. term children during early childhood.
- Neuroimaging offers insights into deficits and developmental targets in preterm infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify regional brain volume differences using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in preterm and term children at two distinct early childhood ages.
- To explore correlations between regional cerebral volumes and developmental testing outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and developmental assessments were conducted on two groups of children: 18-22 months and 36-47 months.
- Participants included both preterm and term-born children in each age cohort.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in regional brain volumes were observed between the four groups (preterm/term at each age).
- Specific areas showing differences included the parietal region, cerebral white matter, third ventricle, and lateral ventricle.
- Correlations between regional cerebral volume and developmental testing were found for the third and lateral ventricles.
Conclusions:
- Regional cerebral volume differences in young children are influenced by both natural maturation processes and the effects of prematurity.
- These findings highlight the importance of neuroimaging in understanding the long-term neurological impact of preterm birth.
Abstract:
Studies investigating differences in regional brain volumes in children born preterm and term during early childhood are limited. Neuroimaging could help understand patterns of deficit in children born preterm and target areas of development associated with these regions. The goal of this study was to identify differences in regional brain volume at 2 different ages using magnetic resonance imaging in preterm and term children. Magnetic resonance imaging and developmental testing occurred in children 18 to 22 months old (16 preterm and 10 term children) and 36 to 47 month old (12 preterm and 10 term children). There were significant differences between the 4 groups in the parietal region, cerebral white matter, third ventricle, and lateral ventricle. Correlations between regional cerebral volume and developmental testing were explored for the third and lateral ventricles. Our findings indicate that in young children differences in regional cerebral volume are due to both maturation and prematurity.
