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Reduced hippocampal subfield volumes and memory function in school-aged children born preterm with very low
Synne Aanes1, Knut Jørgen Bjuland2, Kam Sripada1
1Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science & Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
Insights
Children born preterm with very low birth weight (VLBW) have smaller hippocampal subfield volumes, particularly the dentate gyrus. This reduction is linked to impaired working memory function in VLBW individuals.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- The hippocampus is crucial for learning and memory.
- Preterm-born individuals with very low birth weight (VLBW) often exhibit reduced hippocampal volume, potentially impacting memory.
- Specific hippocampal subfields may be differentially affected by preterm birth complications, with unclear consequences for VLBW children's learning and memory.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how preterm birth and VLBW affect specific hippocampal subfield volumes.
- To examine the relationship between altered hippocampal subfield volumes and memory function in VLBW children.
- To clarify the impact of preterm birth-related brain development on hippocampal structure-function relationships.
Main Methods:
- Structural MRI and neuropsychological memory assessments were conducted on preterm VLBW children and term-born controls.
- Hippocampal subfield volumes were analyzed using FreeSurfer 6.0.
- Correlations between hippocampal subfield volumes and memory performance were explored in the VLBW group.
Main Results:
- Children with VLBW showed significantly lower volumes in all hippocampal subfields compared to controls.
- The left and right dentate gyrus and right subiculum volumes remained significantly reduced after adjusting for total intracranial volume.
- VLBW children exhibited poorer working memory, with the Spatial Span backwards score positively correlated with right dentate gyrus volume.
Conclusions:
- Preterm birth differentially impacts hippocampal subfield volumes, with the dentate gyrus being particularly vulnerable.
- Reduced working memory in VLBW children is associated with a smaller right dentate gyrus volume.
- These findings highlight altered hippocampal structure-function relationships in VLBW individuals due to early brain development.
Background:
The hippocampus, an essential structure for learning and memory, has a reduced volume in preterm born (gestational age < 37 weeks) individuals with very low birth weight (VLBW: birth weight < 1500 g), which may affect memory function. However, the hippocampus is a complex structure with distinct subfields related to specific memory functions. These subfields are differentially affected by a variety of neuropathological conditions, but it remains unclear how these subfields may be affected by medical complications following preterm birth which may cause aberrant brain development, and the consequences of this on learning and memory function in children with VLBW.
Methods:
Children born preterm with VLBW (n = 34) and term-born controls from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) (n = 104) underwent structural MRI and a neuropsychological assessment of memory function at primary school age. FreeSurfer 6.0 was used to analyze the volumes of hippocampal subfields which were compared between groups, as was memory performance. Correlations between abnormal hippocampal subfields and memory performance were explored in the VLBW group.
Results:
All absolute hippocampal subfield volumes were lower in the children with VLBW compared to MoBa term-born controls, and the volumes of the left and right dentate gyrus and the right subiculum remained significantly lower after correcting for total intracranial volume. The VLBW group had inferior working memory performance and the score on the subtest Spatial Span backwards was positively correlated to the volume of the right dentate gyrus.
Conclusions:
Hippocampal subfield volumes seem to be differently affected by early brain development related to preterm birth. The dentate gyrus appears particularly susceptible to adverse effects of preterm birth. Reduced working memory function among children with VLBW was associated with smaller volume of right dentate gyrus. This finding demonstrates alterations in hippocampal structure-function relationships associated with early brain development related to preterm birth.
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