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Habenula volume alterations in adults born very preterm

Theresa Stüwe1,2, Angelika Maurer3,4, Marcel Daamen3,4,5

  • 1University of Bonn, University Hospital Bonn, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Clinical Functional Imaging Group, Bonn, Germany. theresa.stuewe@outlook.de.

Scientific Reports
|July 14, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Adults born very preterm (VP) may have a larger right habenula volume and higher anxiety and avoidant personality traits. Neonatal treatment intensity correlated with right habenula volume in VP individuals.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • Preterm birth is a significant risk factor for adult psychopathology, including anxiety and avoidant personality traits.
  • Brain structure alterations, particularly in emotional processing regions, are documented in preterm individuals.
  • The habenula's role in affective and reward processing makes it a potential candidate for study in preterm-born adults.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate alterations in habenula volume in adults born very preterm (VP).
  • To examine the association between habenula volume and adult psychopathology, specifically anxiety, depression, and avoidant personality traits, in VP individuals.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the Bavarian Longitudinal Study including 103 VP individuals (<32 weeks gestational age and/or <1500g birth weight) and 110 term-born controls.
  • Assessed habenula volumes via manual segmentation on T1-weighted MRI scans.
  • Administered psychological assessments including the Achenbach Young Adult Self-Report (YASR) and Beck Depression Inventory.

Main Results:

  • A trend towards a relatively larger right habenula volume was observed in the VP group compared to term-born controls (p=0.080).
  • Relative right habenula volume positively correlated with the intensity of neonatal treatment in VP/very low birth weight (VLBW) individuals.
  • VP/VLBW individuals reported higher scores on YASR anxiety and avoidant personality scales than controls, but these were not correlated with habenula volumes.

Conclusions:

  • Very preterm birth is associated with a trend towards increased relative right habenula volume and higher adult anxiety and avoidant personality traits.
  • While direct correlations between habenula volume and psychopathology were not found, the link to neonatal treatment intensity suggests perinatal stress impacts habenular morphology.
  • Further research is warranted to elucidate the neurobiological mechanisms connecting preterm birth, habenula development, and long-term psychological outcomes.

Keywords:
AnxietyAvoidant personalityBavarianDepressionLongitudinal studyNeuroradiologyStructural MRI

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