Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 20, 2026
How to Measure Cortical Folding from MR Images: a Step-by-Step Tutorial to Compute Local Gyrification Index
Published on: January 2, 2012
Regional impairments of cortical folding in premature infants
Erin Engelhardt1, Terrie E Inder, Dimitrios Alexopoulos
1School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO.
Insights
Preterm birth significantly impacts cerebral cortical maturation, reducing gyrification index and cortical surface area. Factors like birth weight and postnatal health further influence these developmental changes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Preterm birth is a major concern in neonatal care.
- Understanding its long-term effects on brain development is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how preterm birth affects cerebral cortical maturation.
- To identify specific brain regions and factors influencing this disruption.
Main Methods:
- Cortical cartography was used to analyze brain scans of 52 preterm infants and 12 controls.
- Infants were assessed at term-equivalent postmenstrual age.
Main Results:
- Preterm infants showed reduced gyrification index (GI) and cortical surface area (CSA).
- The insula and superior temporal sulcus were most affected.
- CSA was more sensitive than GI to antenatal and postnatal factors.
Conclusions:
- Preterm birth causes regionally specific disruptions in cortical development by term-equivalent age.
- Antenatal growth and postnatal course significantly influence these outcomes.
Objective:
This study was undertaken to evaluate the influence of preterm birth and other factors on cerebral cortical maturation.
Methods:
We have evaluated the effects of preterm birth on cortical folding by applying cortical cartography methods to a cohort of 52 preterm infants (<31 weeks gestation, mild or no injury on conventional magnetic resonance imaging) and 12 term-born control infants. All infants were evaluated at term-equivalent postmenstrual age.
Results:
Preterm infants had lower values for the global measures of gyrification index (GI; 2.06 ± 0.07 vs 1.80 ± 0.12, p < 0.001; control vs preterm) and cortical surface area (CSA; 316 ± 24 cm(2) vs 257 ± 40 cm(2) , p < 0.001). Regional analysis of sulcal depth and cortical shape showed the greatest impact of preterm birth on the insula, superior temporal sulcus, and ventral portions of the pre- and postcentral sulci in both hemispheres. Although CSA and GI are related, CSA was more sensitive to antenatal and postnatal factors than GI. Both measures were lower in preterm infants of lower birth weight standard deviation scores and smaller occipitofrontal circumference at time of scan, whereas CSA alone was lower in association with smaller occipitofrontal circumference at birth. CSA was also lower in infants with higher critical illness in the first 24 hours of life, exposure to postnatal steroids, and prolonged endotracheal intubation.
Interpretation:
Preterm birth disrupts cortical development in a regionally specific fashion with abnormalities evident by term-equivalent postmenstrual age. This disruption is influenced by both antenatal growth and postnatal course.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Neurulation
01:17Cerebellum: Anatomical Regions
Cerebellar Structure
Externally, the cerebellum features a highly convoluted surface with numerous folia (narrow ridges) separated by shallow sulci (grooves). The cerebellum is divided into two hemispheres by a thin median structure known as the vermis. The...