Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 24, 2026
Mouse Models of Periventricular Leukomalacia
Published on: May 18, 2010
Thalamic changes in a preterm sample with periventricular leukomalacia: correlation with white-matter integrity and
Leire Zubiaurre-Elorza1, Sara Soria-Pastor, Carme Junqué
1Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Insights
Premature infants with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) show thalamic abnormalities that correlate with white matter damage and impact cognitive function, particularly working memory, at school age.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Radiology
Background:
- Thalamic abnormalities are known in premature infants with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL).
- The long-term cognitive impact of these thalamic changes remains under-investigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of PVL-associated thalamic injury on school-age cognitive status.
- To correlate thalamic damage with white matter (WM) integrity in preterm children.
Main Methods:
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to assess thalamic volume and shape in 21 preterm children with PVL.
- Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measured WM integrity (fractional anisotropy, radial diffusivity).
- Cognitive function was evaluated using neuropsychological assessments.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in global thalamic volume were observed between groups.
- Preterm infants with PVL scored lower on full intelligence quotient, processing speed, and working memory compared to controls.
- Thalamic atrophy correlated with WM damage indices and cognitive deficits, including working memory.
Conclusions:
- Thalamic damage is a frequent finding in preterm infants with PVL.
- It is associated with microstructural white matter alterations.
- Thalamic injury may contribute to cognitive deficits observed in school-aged children with a history of PVL.
Introduction:
Thalamic abnormalities have been well documented in preterms with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), although their contribution to long-term cognitive dysfunctions has not been thoroughly investigated.
Results:
Significant differences between groups were observed for global thalamic volume. Neuropsychological assessments showed that preterms with PVL scored within the normal range, although significantly below controls in the full intelligence quotient and the specific cognitive domains of processing speed and working memory. Correlations of several thalamic regions with Working Memory Index and FIQ were found in the PVL group. Moreover, thalamic atrophy correlated with white-matter (WM) damage indexes (fractional anisotropy and radial diffusivity) assessed by diffusion tensor imaging.
Discussion:
The findings suggest that thalamic damage is a common correlate of WM microstructural alterations and might be involved in the cognitive deficits seen in premature infants with PVL at school age.
Methods:
We analyzed the impact of PVL-associated thalamic injury on cognitive status at school age and its correlation with WM integrity as measured by magnetic resonance imaging techniques. Thalamic volume and shape of 21 preterm children with PVL were compared with those of 11 preterm children of similar gestational age and birth weight with no evidence of focal WM abnormality.
