Variations in brain morphometry among healthy preschoolers born preterm

Holly M Hasler; Timothy T Brown; Natacha Akshoomoff

doi:10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2019.104929

Variations in brain morphometry among healthy preschoolers born preterm

Early Hum Dev. 2020 Jan:140:104929. doi: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2019.104929. Epub 2019 Nov 18.

Authors

Holly M Hasler¹, Timothy T Brown², Natacha Akshoomoff³

Affiliations

¹ Center for Human Development, University of California San Diego, United States of America; San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, United States of America.
² Center for Human Development, University of California San Diego, United States of America; Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, United States of America.
³ Center for Human Development, University of California San Diego, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, United States of America. Electronic address: nakshoomoff@ucsd.edu.

Abstract

Background: Preterm birth is associated with an increased risk of neonatal brain injury, which can lead to alterations in brain maturation. Despite being born without the most significant medical consequences of preterm birth, infants born early remain at increased risk for subtle brain injury that affects future neurodevelopment and functioning.

Aims: To investigate the gray matter morphometry measures of cortical thickness, cortical surface area, and sulcal depth using MRI at 5 years of age in healthy children born preterm.

Study design: Cohort study.

Subjects: Participants were 52 children born preterm (<33 weeks gestational age) and 37 children born full term.

Outcome measures: Cortical segmentation and calculation of morphometry measures were completed using FreeSurfer version 5.3.0 and compared between groups using surface-based, voxel-wise analyses.

Results: The preterm group had a significantly thinner cortex in temporal and parietal regions while cortical thickness was significantly larger within occipital and inferior frontal regions. Surface area was significantly reduced within the fusiform gyrus. Sulcal depth was significantly lower within the posterior parietal and inferior temporal regions but greater in the middle temporal and medial parietal regions.

Conclusions: Regional differences were found between preschoolers born preterm and full term in cortical thickness, surface area, and sulcal depth. Cortical thickness differences primarily overlapped with regions found in previous studies of older children and adults. Differences in sulcal depth may represent additional areas of maturational differences in preterm children. These findings likely represent a combination of delayed maturation and permanent alterations caused by the perinatal processes associated with preterm birth.

Keywords: Cortical thickness; Gray matter; Preschool; Preterm birth; Sulcal depth; Surface area.

Abstract

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