Abstract
Very preterm birth (VPT; <32 weeks of gestation) has been associated with impairments in memory abilities and functional neuroanatomical brain alterations in medial temporal and fronto-parietal areas. Here we investigated the relationship between structural connectivity in memory-related tracts and various aspects of memory in VPT adults (mean age 19) who sustained differing degrees of perinatal brain injury (PBI), as assessed by neonatal cerebral ultrasound. We showed that the neurodevelopmental consequences of VPT birth persist into young adulthood and are associated with neonatal cranial ultrasound classification. At a cognitive level, VPT young adults showed impairments specific to effective organization of verbal information and visuospatial memory, whereas at an anatomical level they displayed reduced volume of memory-related tracts, the cingulum and the fornix, with greater alterations in those individuals who experienced high-grade PBI. When investigating the association between these tracts and memory scores, perseveration errors were associated with the volume of the fornix and dorsal cingulum (connecting medial frontal and parietal lobes). Visuospatial memory scores were associated with the volume of the ventral cingulum (connecting medial parietal and temporal lobes). These results suggest that structural connectivity alterations could underlie memory difficulties in preterm born individuals.
Highlights
The Very preterm birth (VPT)-N group was slightly older than the control group
The results of our study are in line with previous findings that showed a significant association between very preterm birth and alterations in brain structural connectivity, which have important consequences for neurocognitive development (Karolis et al, 2015; associated with structural alterations to white matter tracts including the fornix (Salvan et al, 2014, Tseng et al, 2017) and dorsal cingulum (Froudist-Walsh et al, 2015, Tseng et al, 2017)
In a similar cohort of VPT young adults to that studied here we previously reported that white matter volume in a large cluster comprising sections of posterior corpus callosum, thalamus and fornix correlated with Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) Delay scores (Nosarti et al, 2014) and that activation in these areas during a learning task was associated with altered fornix microstructure (Salvan et al, 2014)
Summary
Very preterm birth (VPT; < 32 weeks of gestation) has been associated with neurological, social and emotional problems (Johnson and Marlow, 2014; Van Hus, 2014), as well as impairments in several cognitive abilities, including executive function (Burnett et al, 2013, Kroll et al, in press), language processing (Lewis et al, 2000) and various aspects of memory (Nosarti and Froudist‐Walsh, 2016; De Haan, 2010).Memory is an abstract construct, which refers to the retention of learning or experience (Blakemore, 1988) and is a core component of cognitive function. Very preterm birth (VPT; < 32 weeks of gestation) has been associated with neurological, social and emotional problems (Johnson and Marlow, 2014; Van Hus, 2014), as well as impairments in several cognitive abilities, including executive function (Burnett et al, 2013, Kroll et al, in press), language processing (Lewis et al, 2000) and various aspects of memory (Nosarti and Froudist‐Walsh, 2016; De Haan, 2010). Memory deficits have been reported following very preterm birth, as early as at term equivalent (Therien et al, 2004), with childhood studies focusing on working memory and episodic memory (see Nosarti and Froudist‐Walsh, 2016; Anderson, 2014 for recent reviews). Some studies have reported deficits in visual reproduction tests (Aanes et al, 2015; Nosarti et al, 2014), which require a rapid processing of information and its effective organization for subsequent recall
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
