Neonatal Brain Connectivity and Early Childhood Psychopathology

Abstract

Preterm birth is a deleterious early life stressor resulting in altered brain functional and structural connectivity as well as increased rates of psychopathology including ADHD, Autism, and Anxiety Disorders. It is unknown which brain alterations present in preterm neonates is specifically responsible for the increased risk for psychiatric illnesses. This longitudinal study addresses this issue by linking variation in preterm neonatal structural and functional connectivity to psychiatric symptoms at ages 2, 5, and 10 year.