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Preterm birth associated alterations in brain structure, cognitive functioning and behavior in children from the ABCD
Weibin Ji1,2, Guanya Li1,2, Fukun Jiang1,2
1Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University & Engineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China.
Insights
Preterm birth is linked to higher mental health risks and lower cognitive function in children. Brain imaging reveals differences in cortical thickness, volume, and connectivity, impacting emotional regulation and cognition.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Preterm birth poses global health challenges with inconsistent findings on long-term developmental impairments.
- Understanding adverse outcomes of prematurity is crucial for early intervention and support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate brain structure, cognitive function, and mental health in preterm children compared to controls.
- To explore associations between prematurity, brain development, and cognitive/behavioral outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study.
- Compared 1706 preterm children with 1865 matched controls using MRI, cognitive tests, and mental health assessments.
Main Results:
- Preterm children exhibited higher psychopathological risk and lower cognitive scores.
- Structural MRI revealed altered cortical thickness, regional brain volumes, and white matter tract integrity in preterm individuals.
- Gestational age and birth weight correlated with ADHD symptoms, cognitive scores, and brain structure in key regions.
Conclusions:
- Preterm birth is associated with significant alterations in brain structure and function.
- A complex interplay exists between psychopathological risk, cognitive deficits, and neuroanatomical changes in preterm children.
- Findings highlight the impact on brain regions critical for cognition and emotional well-being.
Background:
Preterm birth is a global health problem and associated with increased risk of long-term developmental impairments, but findings on the adverse outcomes of prematurity have been inconsistent.
Methods:
Data were obtained from the baseline session of the ongoing longitudinal Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. We identified 1706 preterm children and 1865 matched individuals as Control group and compared brain structure (MRI data), cognitive function and mental health symptoms.
Results:
Results showed that preterm children had higher psychopathological risk and lower cognitive function scores compared to controls. Structural MRI analysis indicated that preterm children had higher cortical thickness in the medial orbitofrontal cortex, parahippocampal gyrus, temporal and occipital gyrus; smaller volumes in the temporal and parietal gyrus, cerebellum, insula and thalamus; and smaller fiber tract volumes in the fornix and parahippocampal-cingulum bundle. Partial correlation analyses showed that gestational age and birth weight were associated with ADHD symptoms, picvocab, flanker, reading, fluid cognition composite, crystallized cognition composite and total cognition composite scores, and measures of brain structure in regions involved with emotional regulation, attention and cognition.
Conclusions:
These findings suggest a complex interplay between psychopathological risk and cognitive deficits in preterm children that is associated with changes in regional brain volumes, cortical thickness, and structural connectivity among cortical and limbic brain regions critical for cognition and emotional well-being.
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