Mental development is associated with cortical connectivity of the ventral and nonspecific thalamus of preterm newborns
Abstract Introduction The thalamus is a key hub for regulating cortical connectivity. Dysmaturation of thalamocortical networks that accompany white matter injury has been hypothesized as neuroanatomical correlate of late life neurocognitive impairment following preterm birth. Our objective was to f...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2020-10-01
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| Series: | Brain and Behavior |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.1786 |
| _version_ | 1818879101110321152 |
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| author | Andras Jakab Giancarlo Natalucci Brigitte Koller Ruth Tuura Christoph Rüegger Cornelia Hagmann |
| author_facet | Andras Jakab Giancarlo Natalucci Brigitte Koller Ruth Tuura Christoph Rüegger Cornelia Hagmann |
| author_sort | Andras Jakab |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Introduction The thalamus is a key hub for regulating cortical connectivity. Dysmaturation of thalamocortical networks that accompany white matter injury has been hypothesized as neuroanatomical correlate of late life neurocognitive impairment following preterm birth. Our objective was to find a link between thalamocortical connectivity measures at term equivalent age and two‐year neurodevelopmental outcome in preterm infants. Methods Diffusion tensor MRI data of 58 preterm infants (postmenstrual age at birth, mean (SD), 29.71 (1.47) weeks) were used in the study. We utilized probabilistic diffusion tractography to trace connections between the cortex and thalami. Possible associations between connectivity strength, the length of the probabilistic fiber pathways, and developmental scores (Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Second Edition) were analyzed using multivariate linear regression models. Results We found strong correlation between mental developmental index and two complementary measures of thalamocortical networks: Connectivity strength projected to a cortical skeleton and pathway length emerging from thalamic voxels (partial correlation, R = .552 and R = .535, respectively, threshold‐free cluster enhancement, corrected p‐value < .05), while psychomotor development was not associated with thalamocortical connectivity. Post hoc stepwise linear regression analysis revealed that parental socioeconomic scale, postmenstrual age, and the duration of mechanical ventilation at the intensive care unit contribute to the variability of outcome. Conclusions Our findings independently validated previous observations in preterm infants, providing additional evidence injury or dysmaturation of tracts emerging from ventral‐specific and various nonspecific thalamus projecting to late‐maturing cortical regions are predictive of mental, but not psychomotor developmental outcomes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T14:24:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5fa297acbab24c968ce191c61f212590 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2162-3279 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T14:24:43Z |
| publishDate | 2020-10-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brain and Behavior |
| spelling | doaj.art-5fa297acbab24c968ce191c61f2125902022-12-21T20:17:39ZengWileyBrain and Behavior2162-32792020-10-011010n/an/a10.1002/brb3.1786Mental development is associated with cortical connectivity of the ventral and nonspecific thalamus of preterm newbornsAndras Jakab0Giancarlo Natalucci1Brigitte Koller2Ruth Tuura3Christoph Rüegger4Cornelia Hagmann5Center for MR Research University Children’s Hospital Zurich Zurich SwitzerlandDepartment of Neonatology University Hospital of Zurich University of Zurich Zurich SwitzerlandDepartment of Neonatology University Hospital of Zurich University of Zurich Zurich SwitzerlandCenter for MR Research University Children’s Hospital Zurich Zurich SwitzerlandDepartment of Neonatology University Hospital of Zurich University of Zurich Zurich SwitzerlandDepartment of Neonatology and Pediatric Intensive Care University Children’s Hospital Zurich Zurich SwitzerlandAbstract Introduction The thalamus is a key hub for regulating cortical connectivity. Dysmaturation of thalamocortical networks that accompany white matter injury has been hypothesized as neuroanatomical correlate of late life neurocognitive impairment following preterm birth. Our objective was to find a link between thalamocortical connectivity measures at term equivalent age and two‐year neurodevelopmental outcome in preterm infants. Methods Diffusion tensor MRI data of 58 preterm infants (postmenstrual age at birth, mean (SD), 29.71 (1.47) weeks) were used in the study. We utilized probabilistic diffusion tractography to trace connections between the cortex and thalami. Possible associations between connectivity strength, the length of the probabilistic fiber pathways, and developmental scores (Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Second Edition) were analyzed using multivariate linear regression models. Results We found strong correlation between mental developmental index and two complementary measures of thalamocortical networks: Connectivity strength projected to a cortical skeleton and pathway length emerging from thalamic voxels (partial correlation, R = .552 and R = .535, respectively, threshold‐free cluster enhancement, corrected p‐value < .05), while psychomotor development was not associated with thalamocortical connectivity. Post hoc stepwise linear regression analysis revealed that parental socioeconomic scale, postmenstrual age, and the duration of mechanical ventilation at the intensive care unit contribute to the variability of outcome. Conclusions Our findings independently validated previous observations in preterm infants, providing additional evidence injury or dysmaturation of tracts emerging from ventral‐specific and various nonspecific thalamus projecting to late‐maturing cortical regions are predictive of mental, but not psychomotor developmental outcomes.https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.1786mental developmentneurodevelopmentnewbornnonspecific thalamuspretermthalamocortical tracts |
| spellingShingle | Andras Jakab Giancarlo Natalucci Brigitte Koller Ruth Tuura Christoph Rüegger Cornelia Hagmann Mental development is associated with cortical connectivity of the ventral and nonspecific thalamus of preterm newborns Brain and Behavior mental development neurodevelopment newborn nonspecific thalamus preterm thalamocortical tracts |
| title | Mental development is associated with cortical connectivity of the ventral and nonspecific thalamus of preterm newborns |
| title_full | Mental development is associated with cortical connectivity of the ventral and nonspecific thalamus of preterm newborns |
| title_fullStr | Mental development is associated with cortical connectivity of the ventral and nonspecific thalamus of preterm newborns |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mental development is associated with cortical connectivity of the ventral and nonspecific thalamus of preterm newborns |
| title_short | Mental development is associated with cortical connectivity of the ventral and nonspecific thalamus of preterm newborns |
| title_sort | mental development is associated with cortical connectivity of the ventral and nonspecific thalamus of preterm newborns |
| topic | mental development neurodevelopment newborn nonspecific thalamus preterm thalamocortical tracts |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.1786 |
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