Neonatal white matter tract microstructure and 2-year language outcomes after preterm birth
Year: 2020
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: AIM: To determine whether variability in diffusion MRI (dMRI) white matter tract metrics, obtained in a cohort of preterm infants prior to neonatal hospital discharge, would be associated with language outcomes at age 2 years, after consideration of age at scan and number of major neonatal complications. METHOD: 30 children, gestational age 28.9 (2.4) weeks, underwent dMRI at mean post menstrual age 36.4 (1.4) weeks and language assessment with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-III at mean age 22.2 (1.7) months chronological age. Mean fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were calculated for 5 white matter tracts. Hierarchical linear regression assessed associations between tract FA, moderating variables, and language outcomes. RESULTS: FA of the left inferior longitudinal fasciculus accounted for 17% (p = 0.03) of the variance in composite language and FA of the posterior corpus callosum accounted for 19% (p = 0.02) of the variance in composite language, beyond that accounted for by post-menstrual age at scan and neonatal medical complications. The number of neonatal medical complications moderated the relationship between language and posterior corpus callosum FA but did not moderate the association in the other tract. CONCLUSION: Language at age 2 is associated with white matter metrics in early infancy in preterm children. The different pattern of associations by fiber group may relate to the stage of brain maturation and/or the nature and timing of medical complications related to preterm birth. Future studies should replicate these findings with a larger sample size to assure reliability of the findings.
Source: NeuroImage Clinical
Institutions: Stanford Medicine, Stanford University
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,860
Funders: National Science Foundation, Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, National Institutes of Health, Health Resources and Services Administration, Chiesi Foundation, National Center for Research Resources, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Stanford Maternal and Child Health Research Institute
Awards: G1307703059, G1429379297, G2100564406, Stanford Center for Clinical and Translational Education and Research (SCCTER)UL1, Stanford Center for Clinical & Translational Education and Research (Spectrum), Poor Reading in Preterms: Neural Basis, Prediction, & Response to Intervention, G4970179561, Graduate Research Fellowship Program, Listening to Mom in the NICU: Neural, Clinical and Language Outcomes, G8629012171, G9000169733
OpenAlex ID: W3090266170