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Updated: Dec 16, 2025
Preterm EEG: A Multimodal Neurophysiological Protocol
Published on: February 18, 2012
Extremely preterm children exhibit altered cortical thickness in language areas
Maria E Barnes-Davis1,2, Brady J Williamson3, Stephanie L Merhar4,5
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, USA. maria.barnes@cchmc.org.
Insights
Children born extremely preterm (EPT) may show altered brain structure. Intracranial volume (ICV)-normalized cortical thickness in the right temporal lobe is linked to better language skills in EPT children.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Children born extremely preterm (EPT) face higher risks for neurocognitive deficits, including language impairments.
- Previous studies on cortical thickness in EPT individuals yielded inconsistent findings, potentially due to not normalizing for intracranial volume (ICV).
- EPT children often exhibit smaller head sizes and ICV, necessitating ICV normalization for accurate structural brain analyses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate cortical thickness differences in the brains of children born extremely preterm (EPT) compared to term controls (TC).
- To examine the relationship between cortical thickness, intracranial volume (ICV), and language performance in EPT children.
- To determine if ICV normalization influences the observed cortical thickness patterns and their association with language outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed on 15 EPT children and 15 TC aged 4-6 years.
- Cortical thickness and volumetric analyses were conducted using FreeSurfer software.
- Whole-brain analyses of cortical thickness were performed both with and without ICV normalization.
Main Results:
- Non-normalized analyses revealed thinner temporal cortex in EPT children compared to TC.
- ICV-normalized analyses demonstrated significantly thicker cortical regions in the right temporal lobe of EPT children (FDRq < 0.05).
- Language scores were significantly correlated only with ICV-normalized cortical thickness, specifically a positive association with right temporal cortical thickness.
Conclusions:
- Intracranial volume normalization is crucial for accurately assessing cortical thickness in extremely preterm children.
- ICV-normalized cortical thickness in the right temporal lobe is associated with language abilities in EPT children.
- These findings highlight potential structural correlates of language development in the context of extremely preterm birth.
Abstract:
Children born extremely preterm (< 28 weeks gestation, EPT) are at increased risk for language and other neurocognitive deficits compared to term controls (TC). Prior studies have reported both increases and decreases in cortical thickness in EPT across the cerebrum. These studies have not formally normalized for intracranial volume (ICV), which is especially important as EPT children often have smaller stature, head size, and ICV. We previously reported increased interhemispheric functional and structural connectivity in a well-controlled group of school-aged EPT children with no known brain injury or neurological deficits. Functional and structural hyperconnectivity between left and right temporoparietal regions was positively related with language scores in EPT, which may be reflected in measures of cortical thickness. To characterize possible language network cortical thickness effects, 15 EPT children and 15 TC underwent standardized assessments of language and structural magnetic resonance imaging at 4 to 6 years of age. Images were subjected to volumetric and cortical thickness analyses using FreeSurfer. Whole-brain analyses of cortical thickness were conducted both with and without normalization by ICV. Non-normalized results showed thinner temporal cortex for EPT, while ICV-normalized results showed thicker cortical regions in the right temporal lobe (FDRq = 0.05). Only ICV-normalized results were significantly related to language scores, with right temporal cortical thickness being positively correlated with performance.
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