Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 10, 2026

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
19:15

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

Neonatal brain abnormalities and memory and learning outcomes at 7 years in children born very preterm

Cristina Omizzolo1, Shannon E Scratch, Robyn Stargatt

  • 1a Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital , Parkville , VIC , Australia.

Memory (Hove, England)
|June 29, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Very preterm children show deficits in memory and learning by age 7. Neonatal brain abnormalities, especially in deep grey matter, predict poorer cognitive outcomes in these children.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Very preterm birth is associated with increased risk of neurodevelopmental challenges.
  • Understanding long-term cognitive outcomes in very preterm children is crucial for early intervention.
  • Neonatal brain structure may offer insights into later cognitive function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize memory and learning abilities in very preterm children at 7 years of age.
  • To investigate the relationship between neonatal brain abnormalities and 7-year cognitive outcomes.
  • To identify specific brain regions associated with memory and learning deficits in this population.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective longitudinal study of 198 very preterm and 70 full-term children.
  • Assessment of verbal and visual memory and learning at 7 years of age.
  • Qualitative assessment of neonatal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for brain abnormalities.

Main Results:

  • Very preterm children exhibited poorer performance in immediate memory, working memory, long-term memory, and learning compared to controls.
  • Neonatal brain abnormalities, particularly deep grey-matter abnormalities, were linked to worse memory and learning outcomes.
  • Cerebral neonatal pathology is a significant predictor of later memory and learning function.

Conclusions:

  • Very preterm children face significant challenges in memory and learning functions.
  • Neonatal brain imaging is a valuable tool for predicting cognitive development.
  • Early identification of brain abnormalities can guide interventions for very preterm infants.

More Related Videos

Use of an Eight-arm Radial Water Maze to Assess Working and Reference Memory Following Neonatal Brain Injury08:09

Use of an Eight-arm Radial Water Maze to Assess Working and Reference Memory Following Neonatal Brain Injury

Published on: December 4, 2013

Modeling Encephalopathy of Prematurity Using Prenatal Hypoxia-ischemia with Intra-amniotic Lipopolysaccharide in Rats07:36

Modeling Encephalopathy of Prematurity Using Prenatal Hypoxia-ischemia with Intra-amniotic Lipopolysaccharide in Rats

Published on: November 20, 2015

Related Concept Videos

Neurulation01:30

Neurulation

Neurulation is the embryological process which forms the precursors of the central nervous system and occurs after gastrulation has established the three primary cell layers of the embryo: ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. In humans, the majority of this system is formed via primary neurulation, in which the central portion of the ectoderm—originally appearing as a flat sheet of cells—folds upwards and inwards, sealing off to form a hollow neural tube. As development proceeds, the anterior...
Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory01:14

Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory

The cerebellum, while traditionally associated with motor control, also plays a crucial role in memory, particularly in procedural memory, which involves learning motor tasks that become automatic through repetition. For example, studies have shown that when the cerebellum is damaged, individuals or animals lose the ability to learn conditioned motor responses, such as the conditioned eye-blink response in classical conditioning experiments with rabbits. This study demonstrates the cerebellum's...