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White matter microstructure and gray matter density in 12-year-old preterm born children
Annette Karimi1,2, Ylva Fredriksson Kaul3,4, Olga Kochukhova4,5
1Department of Surgical Sciences, Neuroradiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. annette.geeb.karimi@akademiska.se.
Pediatric Research
|October 6, 2025
Summary
Very preterm birth in children is linked to altered gray matter density and reduced white matter integrity correlated with gestational age. Antenatal steroids showed no effect, but intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) was associated with decreased gray matter density.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Radiology
Background:
- Investigating brain development in children born very preterm.
- Assessing the impact of antenatal steroids and intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH).
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine white matter microstructure and gray matter densities in 12-year-old children born very preterm.
- To evaluate the effects of antenatal steroids and IVH on brain development.
Main Methods:
- Brain MRI (3Tesla) in 57 very preterm children and 22 controls.
- Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) for white matter and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) for gray matter analysis.
Main Results:
- Preterm children had altered gray matter density but no white matter fractional anisotropy (FA) differences compared to controls.
- Lower gestational age correlated with reduced FA in specific white matter tracts.
- Antenatal steroid exposure did not impact FA or gray matter density; IVH was linked to decreased gray matter density in the temporo-occipital cortex.
Conclusions:
- Very preterm birth is associated with gray matter density alterations and white matter integrity changes related to gestational age.
- Antenatal steroid exposure does not influence white matter or gray matter.
- Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is linked to localized gray matter density reduction.
