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Motor predictors of cortical brain development and full-IQ in children born extremely preterm with and without

L Fernández de Gamarra-Oca1, D Nosko2, H Kvanta3

  • 1Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Deusto, Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain. lexuri.fernandez@deusto.es.

Brain Structure & Function
|December 24, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Children born extremely preterm (EPT) with white matter abnormalities (WMA) show thicker cortical brain development. Early fine motor skills predict full-scale IQ in these EPT children with WMA.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Radiology

Background:

  • Extremely preterm (EPT) birth (<27 weeks gestation) poses risks for neurodevelopmental outcomes.
  • Discrete white matter abnormalities (WMA) are common in EPT survivors and may impact brain development.
  • Understanding cortical development and predictors of cognitive function in EPT children with WMA is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate cortical brain development and full-scale IQ in school-aged children born EPT, considering WMA.
  • To identify early motor predictors of cortical development and IQ in EPT children with and without WMA.

Main Methods:

  • T1-weighted MRI analysis using Freesurfer for cortical volume and thickness in 51 EPT children and 40 controls at age 10.
  • Assessment of fine and gross motor function (BSID-III) at 2.5 years and full-scale IQ (WISC-V) at 12 years.

Main Results:

  • No significant differences in motor function or full-scale IQ between EPT children with and without WMA.
  • EPT children with WMA exhibited thicker bilateral mean cortical thickness, particularly in frontal and temporal lobes.
  • Fine motor impairments at 2.5 years predicted 42.9% of the variance in full-scale IQ for EPT children with WMA.

Conclusions:

  • Children born EPT with WMA demonstrate altered cortical thickness at age 10.
  • Early fine motor skills are significant predictors of later full-scale IQ in EPT children with WMA.
Abstract

Keywords:
Cortical thicknessDiscrete white matter abnormalitiesExtremely preterm birthMotor function and full-IQ

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