TY - JOUR
T1 - Myelination of preterm brain networks at adolescence
AU - Laureano, Beatriz
AU - Irzan, Hassna
AU - O'Reilly, Helen
AU - Ourselin, Sebastian
AU - Marlow, Neil
AU - Melbourne, Andrew
N1 - Funding Information:
This work is supported by the EPSRC -funded UCL Centre for Doctoral Training in Medical Imaging (EP/L016478/1), the Department of Health NIHR-funded Biomedical Research Centre at University College London Hospitals and Medical Research Council (MR/N024869/1), the Wellcome Trust (210182/Z/18/Z, 101957/Z/13/Z, 203148/Z/16/Z) and the EPSRC (NS/A000027/1)S.
Funding Information:
This work is supported by the EPSRC-funded UCL Centre for Doctoral Training in Medical Imaging (EP/L016478/1), the Department of Health NIHR-funded Biomedical Research Centre at University College London Hospitals and Medical Research Council (MR/N024869/1), the Wellcome Trust (210182/Z/18/Z, 101957/Z/13/Z, 203148/Z/16/Z) and the EPSRC (NS/A000027/1)S.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors
PY - 2024/1
Y1 - 2024/1
N2 - Prematurity and preterm stressors severely affect the development of infants born before 37 weeks of gestation, with increasing effects seen at earlier gestations. Although preterm mortality rates have declined due to the advances in neonatal care, disability rates, especially in middle-income settings, continue to grow. With the advances in MR imaging technology, there has been a focus on safely imaging the preterm brain to better understand its development and discover the brain regions and networks affected by prematurity. Such studies aim to support interventions and improve the neurodevelopment of preterm infants and deliver accurate prognoses. Few studies, however, have focused on the fully developed brain of preterm born infants, especially in extremely preterm subjects. To assess the long-term effect of prematurity on the adult brain, myelin related biomarkers such as myelin water fraction and g-ratio are measured for a cohort of 19-year-old extremely preterm born subjects. Using multi-modal imaging techniques that combine T2 relaxometry and neurite density information, the results show that specific brain regions associated with white matter injuries due to preterm birth, such as the posterior limb of the internal capsule and corpus callosum, are still less myelinated in adulthood. Furthermore, a weak positive relationship between myelin water fraction values and Full-Scale Intelligence Quotient (FSIQ) scores was found in multiple brain regions previously defined as less myelinated in the Extremely Preterm (EPT) cohort. These findings might suggest altered connectivity in the adult preterm brain and explain differences in cognitive outcomes.
AB - Prematurity and preterm stressors severely affect the development of infants born before 37 weeks of gestation, with increasing effects seen at earlier gestations. Although preterm mortality rates have declined due to the advances in neonatal care, disability rates, especially in middle-income settings, continue to grow. With the advances in MR imaging technology, there has been a focus on safely imaging the preterm brain to better understand its development and discover the brain regions and networks affected by prematurity. Such studies aim to support interventions and improve the neurodevelopment of preterm infants and deliver accurate prognoses. Few studies, however, have focused on the fully developed brain of preterm born infants, especially in extremely preterm subjects. To assess the long-term effect of prematurity on the adult brain, myelin related biomarkers such as myelin water fraction and g-ratio are measured for a cohort of 19-year-old extremely preterm born subjects. Using multi-modal imaging techniques that combine T2 relaxometry and neurite density information, the results show that specific brain regions associated with white matter injuries due to preterm birth, such as the posterior limb of the internal capsule and corpus callosum, are still less myelinated in adulthood. Furthermore, a weak positive relationship between myelin water fraction values and Full-Scale Intelligence Quotient (FSIQ) scores was found in multiple brain regions previously defined as less myelinated in the Extremely Preterm (EPT) cohort. These findings might suggest altered connectivity in the adult preterm brain and explain differences in cognitive outcomes.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85178007646&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.mri.2023.11.001
DO - 10.1016/j.mri.2023.11.001
M3 - Article
C2 - 37984490
SN - 0730-725X
VL - 105
SP - 114
EP - 124
JO - Magnetic resonance imaging
JF - Magnetic resonance imaging
ER -
