Association between neonatal brain volume and school-age executive function in children born moderate-to-late preterm

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Pediatrics
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Larger neonatal brain volumes correlate with better cognitive development in moderate-to-late preterm (MLP) infants.
• The persistence of this association into school-age executive function (EF) remains largely unexplored in MLP populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between neonatal brain volumes and executive function (EF) at 9 years of age in children born moderate-to-late preterm (MLP).
• To determine if neonatal brain structure predicts school-age EF outcomes in this specific preterm group.

Main Methods:

• Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed at term-equivalent age in 168 MLP infants.
• Executive function (EF) was assessed at 9 years in 159 children using measures of attentional control, cognitive flexibility, goal setting, and behavioral EF.
• Linear regression models estimated associations between brain volumes and EF subdomains, with analyses stratified by subgroups.

Main Results:

• Few significant associations were observed between neonatal brain volumes and school-age EF.
• Small positive associations were found between larger white matter volume and improved goal setting (p=0.01).
• Subgroup analyses yielded similar, limited associations.

Conclusions:

• Neonatal brain volumes are not strong predictors of school-age executive function (EF) in children born moderate-to-late preterm (MLP).
• Findings contrast with previous studies in very preterm infants, suggesting unique developmental trajectories.
• Future research should focus on more sensitive neuroimaging techniques and other risk factors impacting EF in MLP children.