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Grey and White Matter Volume Changes after Preterm Birth: A Meta-Analytic Approach
Benita Schmitz-Koep1,2, Bernhard Haller3, Pierrick Coupé4
1Department of Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675 Munich, Germany.
Insights
Preterm birth is linked to lower grey matter volumes (GMV) and white matter volumes (WMV) across development. These brain volume differences persist into adulthood, with white matter particularly affected in adolescence.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Radiology
Background:
- Preterm (PT) born individuals often exhibit reduced brain grey matter volumes (GMV) and white matter volumes (WMV).
- Understanding brain growth trajectories in PT individuals is limited by the lack of large, aggregated datasets.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate GMV and WMV in PT born individuals by synthesizing existing literature.
- To contrast brain volumes in PT individuals with normative data from full-term (FT) controls across the lifespan.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search of PubMed and Web of Science (March 2021).
- Extraction of GMV, WMV, total intracranial volume (TIV), and age at scan from 9 studies (538 PT subjects).
- Comparison with individual volumetric data from 880 FT controls (ages 1-30 years).
Main Results:
- PT born individuals consistently showed lower GMV from infancy to early adulthood, with no catch-up growth observed.
- While GMV trajectories were similar to FT controls, WMV was notably reduced in PT adolescents.
- Altered brain volumes in PT individuals were evident across the first half of the lifespan.
Conclusions:
- Brain volume alterations, particularly in white matter during adolescence, are a consequence of preterm birth.
- Longitudinal studies with large, aggregated datasets of PT individuals are needed to further elucidate brain development.
Abstract:
Cross-sectional studies have reported lower brain grey matter volumes (GMV) and white matter volumes (WMV) in preterm (PT) born individuals. While large MRI studies in the normative population have led to a better understanding of brain growth trajectories across the lifespan, such results remain elusive for PT born individuals since large, aggregated datasets of PT born individuals do not exist. To close this gap, we investigated GMV and WMV in PT born individuals as reported in the literature and contrasted it against individual volumetric data and trajectories from the general population. Systematic database search of PubMed and Web of Science in March 2021, and extraction of outcome measures were conducted by two independent reviewers. Individual data on full-term (FT) controls was extracted from freely available databases. Mean GMV, WMV, total intracranial volume (TIV), and mean age at scan were the main outcome measures. Of 532 identified records, nine studies were included with 538 PT born subjects between 1.1 and 28.5 years of age. Reference data was generated from 880 FT controls between 1 and 30 years of age. GMV was consistently lower in PT born individuals from infancy to early adulthood with no evidence for catch-up growth. While GMV changes followed a similar trajectory as FT controls, WMV was particularly low in adolescence after PT birth. Results demonstrate altered brain volumes after PT birth across the first half of lifespan. Future studies should address this issue in large aggregated datasets of PT born individuals.
