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Updated: Apr 27, 2026
Preterm EEG: A Multimodal Neurophysiological Protocol
Published on: February 18, 2012
Delay of cortical thinning in very preterm born children
Ines Mürner-Lavanchy1, Maja Steinlin2, Mathias Nelle3
1Division of Neuropediatrics, Development and Rehabilitation, Children's University Hospital, Inselspital, Bern, Switzerland; University Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, University Hospital, Inselspital, Bern, Switzerland; Centre for Cognition, Learning and Memory, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Insights
Cortical thinning continues in school-aged preterms, unlike controls, indicating slower brain development. This study highlights ongoing changes in frontal and parietal regions in preterm children up to age 12.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Pediatric Neurology
Background:
- Childhood cortical gray matter thinning results from synaptic pruning and myelination.
- Premature infants exhibit altered brain structures, including delayed frontal lobe maturation and reduced brain volumes.
- The study questions if age influences cortical thinning differently in preterm children compared to controls.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between age and cortical thinning in school-aged preterm children versus controls.
- To compare the trajectory of cortical thinning in preterms and typically developing children.
Main Methods:
- Utilized FreeSurfer software for automated surface reconstruction and cortical thickness measurements.
- Analyzed T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data.
- Included 41 preterm children (gestational age <32 weeks and/or birth weight <1500g) and 30 controls, aged 7-12 years.
Main Results:
- In preterm children, age negatively correlated with cortical thickness in the right frontal, parietal, and inferior temporal regions.
- Younger preterms had thicker cortices than older preterms in bilateral frontal, parietal, and temporal areas.
- No significant association between age and cortical thickness was observed in control children.
Conclusions:
- Cortical thinning persists in preterm children aged 7-12 years, particularly in frontal and parietal regions.
- In contrast, cortical thinning appears largely complete before age 7 in control children.
- These findings suggest a slower rate of cortical thinning in preterm individuals compared to controls.
Background:
Cortical gray matter thinning occurs during childhood due to pruning of inefficient synaptic connections and an increase in myelination. Preterms show alterations in brain structure, with prolonged maturation of the frontal lobes, smaller cortical volumes and reduced white matter volume. These findings give rise to the question if there is a differential influence of age on cortical thinning in preterms compared to controls.
Aims:
To investigate the relationship between age and cortical thinning in school-aged preterms compared to controls.
Study Design And Outcome Measures:
The automated surface reconstruction software FreeSurfer was applied to obtain measurements of cortical thickness based on T1-weighted MRI images.
Subjects:
Forty-one preterms (<32weeks gestational age and/or <1500g birth weight) and 30 controls were included in the study (7-12years).
Results:
In preterms, age correlated negatively with cortical thickness in right frontal, parietal and inferior temporal regions. Furthermore, young preterms showed a thicker cortex compared to old preterms in bilateral frontal, parietal and temporal regions. In controls, age was not associated with cortical thickness.
Conclusion:
In preterms, cortical thinning still seems to occur between the age of 7 and 12years, mainly in frontal and parietal areas whereas in controls, a substantial part of cortical thinning appears to be completed before they reach the age of 7years. These data indicate slower cortical thinning in preterms than in controls.
