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The effect of preterm birth on thalamic development based on shape and structural covariance analysis
Hongzhuang Li1, Mengting Liu2, Jianfeng Zhang1
1School of Information Science and Engineering, Shandong Normal University, Shandong, China.
Neuroimage
|July 1, 2024
Summary
Preterm birth impacts infant thalamus development, particularly its ventral, dorsomedial, and posterior regions. This study reveals altered thalamic growth and increased structural covariance with the insula in preterm infants.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- The thalamus is crucial for high-order brain functions.
- Preterm birth can significantly affect infant brain development.
- Previous research often overlooked thalamic subregion development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare thalamic volumetric and shape development in preterm versus full-term infants.
- To identify specific thalamic subregions vulnerable to preterm birth effects.
- To investigate structural covariance between thalamus and insula in preterm infants.
Main Methods:
- Volumetric and shape analysis of thalamic hemispheres.
- Comparison between preterm and full-term infant cohorts.
- Statistical analysis of structural covariance (SC) between thalamus and insula.
Main Results:
- Preterm infants showed significant differences in left thalamic volume and normalized volume compared to full-term infants.
- The ventral, dorsomedial, and posterior thalamic nuclei were more vulnerable to preterm birth.
- Increased structural covariance between thalamus and insula thickness was observed in preterm infants.
Conclusions:
- Preterm birth adversely affects overall thalamic development and its subregions.
- Specific thalamic nuclei (ventral, dorsomedial, posterior) are particularly susceptible.
- Altered structural connectivity between the thalamus and insula may indicate developmental changes due to preterm birth.
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