A Framework For Memory Performance Prediction From Brain Volume In Preterm-Born Adolescents
Hassna Irzan1,2, Helen O'Reilly3, Sebastien Ourselin2,1
1Dept. Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London.
Insights
Extremely preterm birth can impact adult memory. Specific brain cortical volumes are linked to visual working and short-term memory performance in adolescents born very early. This research aids understanding of long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Advances in neonatal care increase survival rates for extremely preterm infants.
- However, neurodevelopmental and neurological complications persist, leading to increased disabilities and healthcare costs.
- Understanding long-term brain development in preterm survivors is crucial for informed decision-making.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between cortical volumes and memory performance in adolescents.
- To determine if these associations persist into late adolescence for individuals born extremely preterm.
- To identify specific brain regions predictive of memory function in this population.
Main Methods:
- Utilized LASSO (Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator) regression.
- Analyzed cortical volumes in 133 19-year-old adolescents, with 61% born extremely preterm.
- Assessed visual working memory and visual short-term memory performance.
Main Results:
- LASSO identified specific brain regions correlating with memory performance.
- These identified regions explained 27% of the variance in visual working memory and 32% in visual short-term memory.
- Significant correlations (58% for working memory, 56% for short-term memory) were found between predicted and validation memory scores.
Conclusions:
- Cortical volumes in specific brain regions are significant predictors of memory performance in adolescents.
- These findings highlight the lasting impact of extremely preterm birth on neurodevelopment and cognitive function into late adolescence.
- This research provides valuable insights for understanding and potentially intervening in long-term outcomes for preterm survivors.
Abstract:
With advances in medical care, higher numbers of extremely preterm-born babies are now surviving, however the rate of neurodevelopmental and neurological complications has not improved at the same rate and the relative rate of disabilities and health problems is increasing, with associated high costs for health care systems and education. Understanding brain development after early birth is of great importance to be able to make informed decisions. Many studies have associated different areas of the preterm brain with poor cognitive performance, however it is less clear whether these associations persist into adult life. In this study, we investigate how well cortical volumes describe memory performance in 133 19 year-old adolescents, 61% of whom were born extremely preterm. We employ LASSO to identify brain regions that better explain memory performance. The brain regions identified by LASSO explained 27% and 32% of the variance in the visual working memory scores and the visual short term memory respectively. Furthermore, the correlation between the predicted scores and validation scores is statistically significant and it is 58% for the visual working memory task and 56% for the visual short term memory task.
