Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.
Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.
Neuroimage Clin. 2020;27:102275. doi: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102275. Epub 2020 May 19.
Children born very preterm, even in the absence of overt brain injury or major impairment, are at increased risk of cognitive difficulties. This risk is associated with developmental disruptions of the thalamocortical system during critical periods while in the neonatal intensive care unit. The thalamus is an important structure that not only relays sensory information but acts as a hub for integration of cortical activity which regulates cortical power across a range of frequencies. In this study, we investigate the association between atypical power at rest in children born very preterm at school age using magnetoencephalography (MEG), neurocognitive function and structural alterations related to the thalamus using MRI. Our results indicate that children born extremely preterm have higher power at slow frequencies (delta and theta) and lower power at faster frequencies (alpha and beta), compared to controls born full-term. A similar pattern of spectral power was found to be associated with poorer neurocognitive outcomes, as well as with normalized T1 intensity and the volume of the thalamus. Overall, this study provides evidence regarding relations between structural alterations related to very preterm birth, atypical oscillatory power at rest and neurocognitive difficulties at school-age children born very preterm.
早产儿，即使没有明显的脑损伤或重大损伤，也有认知困难的风险增加。这种风险与新生儿重症监护病房期间关键期的丘脑皮质系统发育中断有关。丘脑不仅是传递感觉信息的重要结构，还是皮质活动整合的枢纽，调节皮质在一系列频率下的功率。在这项研究中，我们使用脑磁图（MEG）研究了儿童在非常早产时在学校年龄时的静息时异常功率与神经认知功能和与丘脑有关的结构改变之间的关系。我们的结果表明，与足月出生的对照组相比，极早产儿在较慢的频率（δ和θ）下的功率更高，而在较快的频率（α和β）下的功率更低。发现类似的频谱功率模式与较差的神经认知结果以及正常化 T1 强度和丘脑体积有关。总的来说，这项研究提供了有关与非常早产相关的结构改变、静息时异常振荡功率以及极早产儿在学校年龄时的神经认知困难之间关系的证据。
