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Altered gray matter volume and school age anxiety in children born late preterm

Cynthia E Rogers1, Deanna M Barch2, Chad M Sylvester3

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO.

The Journal of Pediatrics
|August 11, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Late preterm (LP) children show reduced gray matter in the right parietal and temporal lobes compared to full-term (FT) children. This brain difference is linked to increased anxiety symptoms in LP children by school-age.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Late preterm (LP) birth (34-36 weeks gestation) is common and may impact neurodevelopment.
  • Understanding brain differences and associated behavioral outcomes in LP children is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare brain volumes (cortex, hippocampus, corpus callosum, amygdala) between late preterm (LP) and full-term (FT) children.
  • To investigate the association between these brain differences and school-age anxiety symptoms.

Main Methods:

  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to assess brain volumes in LP (n=21) and FT (n=87) children.
  • Anxiety symptoms were evaluated annually from preschool age through school age using structured interviews.

Main Results:

  • LP children had significantly smaller gray matter volumes in the total, right parietal, and right temporal lobes compared to FT children.
  • No significant differences were found in hippocampal, callosal, or amygdala volumes, or cortical thickness.
  • LP children exhibited higher anxiety symptoms, with right temporal lobe volume decrease mediating the relationship between late prematurity and anxiety.

Conclusions:

  • Late preterm delivery is associated with altered cortical development, particularly in the right temporal and parietal regions.
  • Reduced right temporal lobe volume may be a key factor contributing to the increased risk of anxiety symptoms in LP children.
  • These findings highlight potential long-term neurodevelopmental consequences of late preterm birth.
Abstract

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