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Being born small for gestational age reduces white matter integrity in adulthood: a prospective cohort study

Live Eikenes1, Marit P Martinussen, Line Knutsen Lund

  • 1Department of Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. live.eikenes@ntnu.no

Pediatric Research
|September 26, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Individuals born small for gestational age (SGA) exhibit reduced white matter (WM) integrity in adulthood. This study explored WM integrity, fractional anisotropy (FA), and related factors in young adults born SGA versus controls.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Radiology

Background:

  • Being born small for gestational age (SGA) is linked to diminished white matter (WM) integrity in newborns and higher rates of adult psychiatric issues.
  • This study investigates the long-term effects of being born SGA on WM integrity in young adulthood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if being born small for gestational age (SGA) at term impacts white matter (WM) integrity in young adulthood.
  • To examine associations between fractional anisotropy (FA) and pre/perinatal factors, cognitive, and psychiatric outcomes in SGA individuals and controls.

Main Methods:

  • Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) were employed.
  • Voxelwise differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) were assessed in young adults born SGA (n=46) and controls (n=57) aged 18-22 years.

Main Results:

  • Individuals born SGA showed reduced FA in ventral association tracts and internal/external capsules compared to controls.
  • In the SGA group, FA did not correlate with third-trimester intrauterine head growth but negatively correlated with total intelligence quotient.
  • Controls exhibited a positive correlation between FA and third-trimester brain growth and maternal smoking; no psychiatric associations were found in either group.

Conclusions:

  • Being born small for gestational age (SGA) results in decreased white matter (WM) integrity persisting into adulthood.
  • The developmental trajectories of WM integrity differ between individuals born SGA and controls, influenced by distinct modulating factors.
Abstract

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