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Executive function relates to surface area of frontal and temporal cortex in very-low-birth-weight late teenagers

Heidi Furre Østgård1, Anne Elisabeth Sølsnes1, Knut Jørgen Bjuland1

  • 1Department of Laboratory Medicine, Children's and Women's Health, Medical Faculty, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.

Early Human Development
|March 4, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Young adults born with very low birth weight (VLBW) exhibit attention and executive function deficits. These cognitive issues correlate with reduced cortical surface area in specific brain regions, impacting higher-order cognitive functions.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Very low birth weight (VLBW; ≤1500 g) increases the risk of brain maldevelopment.
  • VLBW survivors often show attention and executive function deficits compared to healthy peers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate attention and executive functions in VLBW young adults.
  • To correlate cognitive test results with cortical morphometry in VLBW individuals versus term-born controls.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective follow-up study of VLBW and control cohorts from birth to adulthood.
  • Administered comprehensive neuropsychological tests to 55 VLBW subjects and 81 controls at age 19-20.
  • Utilized FreeSurfer software for cortical morphometry analysis on MRI scans from 46 VLBW subjects and 61 controls.

Main Results:

  • VLBW group scored lower on 15 of 29 attention and executive function measures, and on overall domain scores.
  • Positive correlations were observed between executive function scores and cortical surface area in VLBW subjects.
  • Key areas showing correlation included antero-medial frontal and temporal lobes.

Conclusions:

  • Young adults born with VLBW demonstrate significant deficits in attention and executive functions.
  • Executive function impairments in VLBW individuals are linked to reduced cortical surface area.
  • Brain regions involved in higher-order cognition show altered morphometry in VLBW survivors.
Abstract

Keywords:
AttentionCerebral MRICortical surface areaExecutive functionPreterm birthVery-low-birth-weight

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