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Altered Cerebellar Biochemical Profiles in Infants Born Prematurely

Marie Brossard-Racine1,2, Jonathan Murnick3, Marine Bouyssi-Kobar4

  • 1McGill University Health Centre, Division of Pediatric Neurology, Montreal, PQ, Canada.

Scientific Reports
|August 17, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Premature birth alters cerebellar biochemistry, showing lower NAA and higher Cho in preterm infants. Cerebellar injury, infection, and brain injury severity worsen these biochemical changes.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Biochemistry
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Premature birth can lead to long-term neurodevelopmental deficits.
  • Cerebellar development is crucial for motor and cognitive functions.
  • Understanding cerebellar biochemical changes in preterm infants is vital.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare cerebellar biochemical profiles in preterm infants at term equivalent age (TEA) with healthy full-term newborns.
  • To investigate associations between altered cerebellar metabolites and brain injury, and clinical complications.
  • To identify risk factors impacting preterm cerebellar biochemistry.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective collection of high-quality proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-MRS) data.
  • ¹H-MRS data analyzed using LCModel software for absolute metabolite concentrations (NAA, Cho, Cr).
  • Comparison of metabolite profiles between 59 preterm infants (≤32 weeks) and 61 healthy full-term controls.

Main Results:

  • Preterm infants exhibited significantly lower cerebellar N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) and higher choline (Cho) at TEA compared to controls.
  • Creatine (Cr) levels did not differ significantly between groups.
  • Cerebellar injury was linked to reduced NAA, Cho, and Cr; postnatal infection to lower NAA and Cr; and cortical injury severity to reduced Cho and Cr.

Conclusions:

  • Premature birth is associated with significant alterations in cerebellar metabolite profiles.
  • Cerebellar injury, postnatal infection, and supratentorial injury are key risk factors for impaired cerebellar biochemistry in preterm infants.
  • These findings highlight the impact of prematurity and associated complications on cerebellar development and function.

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