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Updated: Mar 15, 2026
Preterm EEG: A Multimodal Neurophysiological Protocol
Published on: February 18, 2012
Longitudinal Study of White Matter Development and Outcomes in Children Born Very Preterm
Julia M Young1,2,3, Benjamin R Morgan4, Hilary E A Whyte2,5
11 Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1X8.
Insights
Early white matter development in very preterm infants shows distinct anterior and posterior tract maturation timelines. Slower changes in specific tracts correlate with lower cognitive function at age four.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Pediatric Imaging
Background:
- Understanding early brain development is crucial for preterm infants.
- White matter development trajectories inform predictions of functional outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize early white matter development trajectories in very preterm children.
- To investigate the relationship between white matter development and later cognitive function.
Main Methods:
- Diffusion MRI data acquired at multiple time points (birth, term-equivalent, 2, and 4 years).
- Calculation of diffusion metrics (FA, MD, AD, RD) within 12 white matter tracts using a pediatric atlas.
- Partial least squares analysis to correlate white matter changes with cognitive scores.
Main Results:
- White matter tracts showed age-related changes, with posterior tracts plateauing earlier than anterior tracts.
- Fractional anisotropy (FA) change rates were slower in anterior tracts compared to posterior tracts between preterm birth and term-equivalent age.
- Slower mean diffusivity (MD) and radial diffusivity (RD) changes in the external and internal capsule were associated with lower intelligence and language scores at 4 years.
Conclusions:
- Early white matter development follows distinct temporal patterns in anterior and posterior regions.
- Aberrant white matter maturation in specific tracts is linked to impaired cognitive development in very preterm children.
Abstract:
Identifying trajectories of early white matter development is important for understanding atypical brain development and impaired functional outcomes in children born very preterm (<32 weeks gestational age [GA]). In this study, 161 diffusion images were acquired in children born very preterm (median GA: 29 weeks) shortly following birth (75), term-equivalent (39), 2 years (18), and 4 years of age (29). Diffusion tensors were computed to obtain measures of fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD), which were aligned and averaged. A paediatric atlas was applied to obtain diffusion metrics within 12 white matter tracts. Developmental trajectories across time points demonstrated age-related changes which plateaued between term-equivalent and 2 years of age in the majority of posterior tracts and between 2 and 4 years of age in anterior tracts. Between preterm and term-equivalent scans, FA rates of change were slower in anterior than posterior tracts. Partial least squares analyses revealed associations between slower MD and RD rates of change within the external and internal capsule with lower intelligence quotients and language scores at 4 years of age. These results uniquely demonstrate early white matter development and its linkage to cognitive functions.
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