Effect of Extremely Preterm Birth on Adolescent Brain Network Organization.

Abstract

Introduction: Extremely preterm (EPT) birth, defined as birth at a gestational age (GA) < 28 weeks, can have a lasting impact on cognition throughout the lifespan. Previous investigations reveal differences in brain structure and connectivity between infants born preterm and full-term, but how does preterm birth impact the adolescent connectome? Methods: Here, we investigate how EPT birth can alter broadscale network organization later in life by comparing resting state fMRI connectome-based parcellations of the entire cortex in adolescents born EPT (N=22) to age-matched adolescents born full-term (FT, GA ≥ 37 weeks, N=28). We compare these parcellations to adult parcellations from previous studies and explore the relationship between an individual's network organization and behavior. Results: Primary (occipital and sensorimotor) and frontoparietal networks were observed in both groups. However, there existed notable differences in the limbic and insular networks. Surprisingly, the connectivity profile of the limbic network of EPT adolescents was more adultlike than the same network in FT adolescents. Finally, we found a relationship between an adolescent's overall cognition score and their limbic network maturity. Discussion: Overall, preterm birth may contribute to atypical development of broadscale network organization in adolescence and may partially explain the observed cognitive deficits.