Structural and functional brain correlates of behavioral outcomes during adolescence

Several studies have described an association between very preterm birth and behavioral and psychiatric outcomes in childhood and adolescence. The exact mechanisms underlying this association are unknown, but impaired neurodevelopment has been proposed as a possible etiological factor. Existing research suggests a selective vulnerability of brain regions associated with a variety of behavioral and psychiatric outcomes following very preterm birth. This article reviews studies that have directly explored the structural and functional brain correlates of behavioral outcomes in ex-preterm individuals, with an emphasis on attentional problems, overall mental health functioning including internalizing and externalizing scores, and psychosocial adjustment. The focus here is on neuroimaging research conducted during adolescence, a period of life associated with the emergence and early expression of several psychiatric disorders. The neurodevelopmental hypothesis is used as a theoretical framework, according to which early brain lesions interact with the developing brain to increase later vulnerability to psychopathology.