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Updated: Jul 4, 2025
Transcutaneous Microcirculatory Imaging in Preterm Neonates
Published on: December 31, 2015
Visual outcomes and their association with grey and white matter microstructure in adults born preterm with very low
Sigrid Hegna Ingvaldsen1,2, Anna Perregaard Jørgensen3, Arnstein Grøtting4
1Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. sigrid.h.ingvaldsen@ntnu.no.
Insights
Individuals born with very low birth weight (VLBW) show altered brain structure and reduced visual function. Higher fractional anisotropy in the corpus callosum is linked to better vision in VLBW adults.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Ophthalmology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Very low birth weight (VLBW) is associated with increased risks of visual impairment and neurological differences.
- Longitudinal studies are crucial for understanding the long-term effects of VLBW on brain development and visual pathways.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare visual outcomes and white matter integrity in the visual pathway between VLBW adults and controls.
- To investigate the association between diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics at age 26 and visual function at age 32 in VLBW individuals.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal cohort study comparing 33 VLBW adults with 50 term-born controls.
- Assessment of visual outcomes (visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, P100 latency, retinal nerve fibre layer thickness).
- Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) at 3 tesla to analyze white matter microstructure in key visual pathway regions.
Main Results:
- VLBW adults exhibited poorer contrast sensitivity and thicker retinal nerve fibre layers compared to controls.
- Elevated axial and radial diffusivity were observed in the genu of the corpus callosum and optic radiations in the VLBW group.
- Higher fractional anisotropy in corpus callosum regions correlated with better visual function in VLBW adults.
Conclusions:
- VLBW impacts visual function and white matter integrity in adulthood.
- Specific microstructural differences in the visual pathway are present in VLBW individuals.
- Corpus callosum microstructure may be a key indicator of visual prognosis in VLBW adults.
Abstract:
Individuals born with very low birth weight (VLBW; < 1500 g) have a higher risk of reduced visual function and brain alterations. In a longitudinal cohort study, we assessed differences in visual outcomes and diffusion metrics from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) at 3 tesla in the visual white matter pathway and primary visual cortex at age 26 in VLBW adults versus controls and explored whether DTI metrics at 26 years was associated with visual outcomes at 32 years. Thirty-three VLBW adults and 50 term-born controls was included in the study. Visual outcomes included best corrected visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, P100 latency, and retinal nerve fibre layer thickness. Mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, radial diffusivity, and fractional anisotropy was extracted from seven regions of interest in the visual pathway: splenium, genu, and body of corpus callosum, optic radiations, lateral geniculate nucleus, inferior-fronto occipital fasciculus, and primary visual cortex. On average the VLBW group had lower contrast sensitivity, a thicker retinal nerve fibre layer and higher axial diffusivity and radial diffusivity in genu of corpus callosum and higher radial diffusivity in optic radiations than the control group. Higher fractional anisotropy in corpus callosum areas were associated with better visual function in the VLBW group but not the control group.
