Association between neonatal brain volume and school-age executive function in children born moderate-to-late preterm.
Larger brain volumes in the neonatal period are associated with better 2-year cognitive development in children born moderate-to-late preterm (MLP). Whether these associations persist into school age for executive function (EF) is unknown.
Children born MLP underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at term-equivalent age (n = 168) and EF assessment at 9 years (n = 159). Mean or median differences in EF subdomains (attentional control, cognitive flexibility, goal setting, behavioral EF) for a unit increase in brain volumes were estimated using linear regression, overall and for subgroups defined by gestational age at MRI, sex and excluding participants with developmental delay at 2 years.
There were few associations between brain volumes and EF. Small effects were found for larger total tissue (mean difference = 0.16; 95% CI = -0.04, 0.36; p = 0.11), white matter (mean difference = 0.21; 95% CI = 0.05, 0.38; p = 0.01) and subcortical gray matter (mean difference = 0.17; 95% CI = -0.01, 0.34; p = 0.06) volumes and improved goal setting. Subgroup relationships were similar.
Neonatal brain volumes in MLP children are not strongly associated with school-age EF. Imaging techniques with higher sensitivity, and other risk factors for poorer EF should be explored.
This study described the associations between neonatal brain volumes and executive function (EF) outcomes at 9 years in children born moderate-to-late preterm (MLP), a group that has been under researched compared with children born very preterm. There was limited evidence of an association between neonatal brain volumes and school-age EF outcomes in children born MLP, contrasting previous findings in very preterm children. This suggests that neonatal brain volumes alone do not effectively predict school-age EF in children born MLP, highlighting the need for more sensitive neuroimaging techniques and identification of other important predictors of long-term outcomes in this population.
Children born MLP underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at term-equivalent age (n = 168) and EF assessment at 9 years (n = 159). Mean or median differences in EF subdomains (attentional control, cognitive flexibility, goal setting, behavioral EF) for a unit increase in brain volumes were estimated using linear regression, overall and for subgroups defined by gestational age at MRI, sex and excluding participants with developmental delay at 2 years.
There were few associations between brain volumes and EF. Small effects were found for larger total tissue (mean difference = 0.16; 95% CI = -0.04, 0.36; p = 0.11), white matter (mean difference = 0.21; 95% CI = 0.05, 0.38; p = 0.01) and subcortical gray matter (mean difference = 0.17; 95% CI = -0.01, 0.34; p = 0.06) volumes and improved goal setting. Subgroup relationships were similar.
Neonatal brain volumes in MLP children are not strongly associated with school-age EF. Imaging techniques with higher sensitivity, and other risk factors for poorer EF should be explored.
This study described the associations between neonatal brain volumes and executive function (EF) outcomes at 9 years in children born moderate-to-late preterm (MLP), a group that has been under researched compared with children born very preterm. There was limited evidence of an association between neonatal brain volumes and school-age EF outcomes in children born MLP, contrasting previous findings in very preterm children. This suggests that neonatal brain volumes alone do not effectively predict school-age EF in children born MLP, highlighting the need for more sensitive neuroimaging techniques and identification of other important predictors of long-term outcomes in this population.
Authors
Rossetti Rossetti, Pascoe Pascoe, Mainzer Mainzer, Ellis Ellis, Olsen Olsen, Thompson Thompson, Doyle Doyle, Cheong Cheong, Anderson Anderson
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