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Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
Neurodevelopment and brain maturation in late preterm children: insights from the adolescent brain cognitive
Ryoko Yoshinare1,2,3, Masatoshi Yamashita1,3,4, Yoshifumi Mizuno1,2,3,5
1Division of Developmental Higher Brain Functions, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, and University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan.
Frontiers in Pediatrics
|August 4, 2026
Summary
Late preterm birth is linked to subtle brain differences in early adolescence, particularly affecting white matter tracts shown by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics. Neurodevelopmental outcomes in these children require further investigation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Late preterm (LP) birth (34-36 weeks gestation) outcomes are not fully understood.
- Early adolescence is a critical period for neurodevelopmental assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate neurodevelopmental outcomes in late preterm children compared to full-term children.
- To examine behavioral, cognitive, and multimodal neuroimaging differences in early adolescence.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study.
- Employed longitudinal mixed-effects models to analyze behavioral, cognitive, and neuroimaging data (structural MRI, DTI, resting-state fMRI).
- Compared children born late preterm (LP) with full-term (FT) children aged 9-11 years at baseline.
Main Results:
- No significant group differences or interactions were found in behavioral, emotional, or most cognitive outcomes.
- Structural MRI revealed group effects in six regional brain volumes.
- Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) showed significant group effects and group-by-timepoint interactions in white matter tracts and regional metrics.
Conclusions:
- Late preterm birth is associated with subtle, regionally specific neuroimaging differences in early adolescence.
- DTI metrics highlight the most prominent differences, suggesting impacts on white matter development.
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