White Matter and Cognition in Adults Who Were Born Preterm

Overview

Journal PLoS One

Specialties General Medicine
Science

Date 2011 Oct 25

PMID 22022357

Citations 70

Authors

Matthew P G Allin

Dimitris Kontis

Muriel Walshe

John Wyatt

Gareth J Barker

Richard A A Kanaan

Philip McGuire

Larry Rifkin

Robin M Murray

Chiara Nosarti

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background And Purpose: Individuals born very preterm (before 33 weeks of gestation, VPT) are at risk of damage to developing white matter, which may affect later cognition and behaviour.

Methods: We used diffusion tensor MRI (DT-MRI) to assess white matter microstructure (fractional anisotropy; FA) in 80 VPT and 41 term-born individuals (mean age 19.1 years, range 17-22, and 18.5 years, range 17-22 years, respectively). VPT individuals were part of a 1982-1984 birth cohort which had been followed up since birth; term individuals were recruited by local press advertisement. General intellectual function, executive function and memory were assessed.

Results: The VPT group had reduced FA in four clusters, and increased FA in four clusters relative to the Term group, involving several association tracts of both hemispheres. Clusters of increased FA were associated with more severe neonatal brain injury in the VPT group. Clusters of reduced FA were associated with lower birth weight and perinatal hypoxia, and with reduced adult cognitive performance in the VPT group only.

Conclusions: Alterations of white matter microstructure persist into adulthood in VPT individuals and are associated with cognitive function.

Citing Articles

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Childhood ADHD and subthreshold symptoms are associated with cognitive functioning at age 40-a cohort study on perinatal birth risks.

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Increased white matter fibre dispersion and lower IQ scores in adults born preterm.

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Human white matter myelinates faster in utero than ex utero.

Grotheer M, Bloom D, Kruper J, Richie-Halford A, Zika S, Aguilera Gonzalez V Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2023; 120(33):e2303491120.

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