Brain structures and their association with executive and attentional abilities in very preterm 8-year-old children
Marion Décaillet1,2,3, Yasser Alemán-Gómez4, Mikkel Schöttner Sieler4
1Department of Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. marion.decaillet@chuv.ch.
Insights
Very preterm children show thinner cortices in brain regions linked to attention and executive functions. This thinner cortex correlates with better inhibitory control, flexibility, and attention skills in school-aged children.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatric Neurology
Background:
- Very preterm (VPT) children often experience neurodevelopmental challenges, particularly in attention and executive functions.
- These functions include inhibition, shifting, and working memory, crucial for academic and social success.
- Understanding the neural underpinnings of these difficulties is vital for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between brain morphometry and connectivity in key regions and executive/attentional functions in VPT children.
- To identify specific brain characteristics associated with attention and executive function deficits in this population.
- To explore the role of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in these abilities.
Main Methods:
- Thirty-three VPT children (aged 8-10 years) underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and neurodevelopmental testing.
- Factor analysis was used to define distinct executive and attentional capacities (inhibition, attention, flexibility).
- Cortical thickness, fractional anisotropy, volume, surface area, and centrality of ACC and DLPFC were measured using MRI.
Main Results:
- A significant negative association was found between cortical thickness and executive/attentional functioning after statistical corrections.
- Thinner cortical thickness in the ACC and DLPFC was related to better inhibitory control, flexibility, and attentional performance.
- These associations were hemisphere-independent, with a stronger link between inhibitory abilities and DLPFC thickness.
Conclusions:
- Cortical thickness in the ACC and DLPFC is a significant neuroanatomical correlate of executive and attentional abilities in school-aged VPT children.
- These findings highlight specific brain structural differences that may underlie neurodevelopmental impairments in VPT individuals.
- The study provides novel insights into brain-behavior relationships relevant to the long-term outcomes of preterm birth.
Abstract:
Very preterm (VPT) children are prone to a variety of neurodevelopmental impairments, particularly regarding their attention and executive functions (i.e., inhibition, shifting, and working memory). Here, we aimed to investigate whether morphometric and connectivity characteristics from key brain regions associated with attention and executive functions may underlie their difficulties. Thirty-three VPT children (Mgestational age = 27.22 weeks, SD = 1.36) aged 8-10 years (Mage = 8.85, SD = 0.49, 17 girls) underwent a brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) session alongside neurodevelopmental testing. We performed a factor analysis to group the different behavioural variables measuring executive and attentional capacities. The analysis yielded a tripartite structure wherein the first factor was predominantly characterized by inhibitory abilities, the second by attentiveness, and the third by flexibility. To encompass brain regions involved in attention and executive processes, based on functional MRI meta-analyses, we selected the anterior cingulate (ACC) and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortices (DLPFC). From T1-weighted and diffusion MRI images we estimated their cortical thickness, fractional anisotropy, volume, cortical surface area, and betweenness centrality. Significant negative associations were observed for cortical thickness after multiple comparison corrections and adjustments for age and sex. Thinner cortex was related to higher inhibitory, flexibility, and attentional functioning. While these associations were independent of the hemispheres, the association with the inhibitory abilities was stronger in the DLPFC than in the ACC. No associations were found for the other brain measures. These findings provide new insights into brain structures underpinning executive and attentional abilities in VPT children at school age.
More Related Videos
10:02Event Related Potentials ERPs and other EEG Based Methods for Extracting Biomarkers of Brain Dysfunction: Examples from Pediatric Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder ADHD
Published on: March 12, 2020
12:21Probing the Brain in Autism Using fMRI and Diffusion Tensor Imaging
Published on: September 12, 2011
Related Concept Videos
01:30Information Processing Approach
01:14Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory
01:30Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings....
01:30Biological Influences on Intelligence
01:24Working Memory
01:22Lobes of the Cerebrum
Frontal lobe
The frontal lobes, located behind the forehead, are the command center of our brain, controlling personality, intelligence, and voluntary muscle movements....