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Microstructural alterations in association tracts and language abilities in schoolchildren born very preterm and with
Hanna Kallankari1,2, Hanna-Leena Taskila3,4, Minna Heikkinen3,5
1PEDEGO Research Unit and Medical Research Center Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland. hanna.kallankari@oulu.fi.
Insights
Premature birth impacts white matter microstructure, affecting language development. Better language skills in preterm children correlate with higher fractional anisotropy in specific brain tracts.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Radiology
Background:
- Prematurity and perinatal factors can alter white matter microstructure.
- These microstructural changes may impact language development in high-risk children.
Purpose of the Study:
- Compare white matter microstructure of association tracts in preterm versus term children.
- Evaluate differences between preterm children with appropriate growth and those with fetal growth restriction.
- Correlate diffusion tensor imaging metrics with language abilities in school-aged children without severe neurological impairment.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study of 56 very preterm and 21 term children, imaged at age 9 years.
- Used diffusion tensor imaging and automated probabilistic tractography to measure fractional anisotropy in language network tracts.
- Assessed language abilities using five standardized tests.
Main Results:
- Preterm children showed lower fractional anisotropy in the right superior longitudinal fasciculus 1 compared to term children.
- Preterm children with fetal growth restriction had lower fractional anisotropy in the left inferior longitudinal fasciculus.
- Fractional anisotropy in specific white matter tracts positively correlated with language assessments in preterm subgroups.
Conclusions:
- Microstructural differences exist in language-related tracts between preterm and term children, and between preterm subgroups based on fetal growth.
- Higher fractional anisotropy in distinct white matter tracts is associated with better language abilities in children born preterm.
Background:
Prematurity and perinatal risk factors may influence white matter microstructure. In turn, these maturational changes may influence language development in this high-risk population of children.
Objective:
To evaluate differences in the microstructure of association tracts between preterm and term children and between preterm children with appropriate growth and those with fetal growth restriction and to study whether the diffusion tensor metrics of these tracts correlate with language abilities in schoolchildren with no severe neurological impairment.
Materials And Methods:
This study prospectively followed 56 very preterm children (mean gestational age: 28.7 weeks) and 21 age- and gender-matched term children who underwent diffusion tensor imaging at a mean age of 9 years. We used automated probabilistic tractography and measured fractional anisotropy in seven bilateral association tracts known to belong to the white matter language network. Both groups participated in language assessment using five standardised tests at the same age.
Results:
Preterm children had lower fractional anisotropy in the right superior longitudinal fasciculus 1 compared to term children (P < 0.05). Preterm children with fetal growth restriction had lower fractional anisotropy in the left inferior longitudinal fasciculus compared to preterm children with appropriate fetal growth (P < 0.05). Fractional anisotropy in three dorsal tracts and in two dorsal and one ventral tract had a positive correlation with language assessments among preterm children and preterm children with fetal growth restriction, respectively (P < 0.05).
Conclusion:
There were some microstructural differences in language-related tracts between preterm and term children and between preterm children with appropriate and those with restricted fetal growth. Children with better language abilities had a higher fractional anisotropy in distinct white matter tracts.
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