Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 2, 2025
Use of an Eight-arm Radial Water Maze to Assess Working and Reference Memory Following Neonatal Brain Injury
Published on: December 4, 2013
Hippocampal volumes and cognitive performance in children born extremely preterm with and without low-grade
L Fernández de Gamarra-Oca1, H Kvanta2, L Broström2,3
1Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Deusto, Avda de Las Universidades 24, 48007, Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain. lexuri.fernandez@deusto.es.
Insights
Children born extremely preterm with low-grade intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) may have better cognitive outcomes if they have larger right hippocampal volumes. This finding highlights a protective effect of hippocampal size in extremely preterm infants with IVH.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Children born extremely preterm face heightened risks for cognitive deficits.
- Intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) in preterm infants is associated with poorer neurodevelopmental outcomes.
- The hippocampus plays a crucial role in memory and cognitive functions, making it a key area of investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of low-grade intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) on hippocampal volumes in extremely preterm children.
- To examine the relationship between hippocampal volumes and cognitive performance in extremely preterm children.
- To determine if IVH moderates the association between hippocampal volume and cognitive outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to assess hippocampal volumes in 94 children (54 extremely preterm, 40 term-born) at age 10.
- Cognitive assessments were administered to 74 participants at age 12.
- Statistical analyses, including partial correlations and moderation analyses, were performed to explore relationships.
Main Results:
- Extremely preterm children exhibited lower cognitive performance compared to term-born peers.
- In term-born children, hippocampal volumes positively correlated with processing speed.
- In extremely preterm children, low-grade IVH moderated the relationship between right hippocampal volume and full-scale IQ, indicating a protective effect of larger right hippocampal volumes.
Conclusions:
- While extremely preterm birth is linked to cognitive impairments, specific brain structures like the hippocampus may offer protective benefits.
- Larger right hippocampal volumes appear to mitigate the impact of low-grade IVH on overall cognitive ability in extremely preterm children.
- Further research is warranted to understand the neurobiological mechanisms underlying hippocampal function and its role in cognitive resilience in preterm populations.
Abstract:
Children born extremely preterm, especially those with intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH), are at increased risk of adverse cognitive outcomes during childhood. The present study aimed to explore the effects of IVH (grades I-II) on hippocampal volumes, and their correlates with cognitive performance. The sample consisted of 94 participants, including 54 children born extremely preterm (19 with IVH, grades I-II), and 40 children born at term. All participants underwent a magnetic resonance imaging study at the age of 10 (Mage = 10.20 years; SDage = 0.78), and 74 of them (45 extremely preterm and 29 full-term) carried out a cognitive assessment at 12 years old. Children born extremely preterm had lower scores in cognitive performance compared to their full-term peers. Significant positive partial correlations were observed between global bilateral hippocampus, left CA-field, and left subiculum volumes with processing speed in the full-term group, while no significant correlations were found in the extremely preterm group. Moderation analyses in the extremely preterm sample revealed that low-grade IVH moderated the relationship between right hippocampal volume and full-IQ (F(4,40) = 5.42, p = 0.001, R2 = 0.35). Having greater right hippocampal volume had a protective effect on full-IQ in those children born extremely preterm with low-grade IVH.
