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Brain volumes and cortical thickness and associations with cognition in children born extremely preterm

Hedvig Kvanta1, Nelly Padilla2, Daniela Nosko3

  • 1Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institute, Solna, Stockholm, Sweden. hedvig.kvanta@ki.se.

Pediatric Research
|August 21, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Extremely preterm children

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Radiology

Background:

  • Extremely preterm (EPT) birth is associated with altered brain development and lower cognitive function compared to term-born infants.
  • Limited research exists on the specific brain-cognition associations in EPT populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate brain volumes, cortical thickness, and volumetric growth in EPT children compared to term-born controls.
  • To explore the relationship between neuroimaging findings and cognitive outcomes at 12 years of age in EPT children.

Main Methods:

  • Brain MRI scans were acquired at term-equivalent age and/or 10 years in EPT children and term-born controls.
  • Cognitive assessments were performed at 12 years of age.
  • Longitudinal data from term to 10 years was analyzed for EPT children.

Main Results:

  • Positive associations were found between 10-year brain volumes and cognitive outcomes in both EPT and control groups.
  • Negative associations were observed between 10-year cortical thickness and cognitive outcomes in both groups.
  • Insular volume at 10 years showed a positive association with cognitive outcomes in EPT children.

Conclusions:

  • Brain structure at 10 years relates to cognitive function similarly in EPT and term-born children.
  • Insular volume may serve as a potential biomarker for cognitive outcomes in EPT individuals.
  • Further research is needed to understand the link between brain volumetric growth and cognition in EPT populations.
Abstract

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