Mathewson Karen J, Beaton Elliott A, Hobbs Diana, Hall Geoffrey B C, Schulkin Jay, Van Lieshout Ryan J, Saigal Saroj, Schmidt Louis A
Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Department of Psychology, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Clin Neurophysiol. 2023 Oct;154:85-99. doi: 10.1016/j.clinph.2023.06.006. Epub 2023 Jun 28.
To examine potential long-term effects of extremely low birth weight (ELBW; ≤ 1000 g) on adult brain structure, brain function, and cognitive-behavioral performance.
A subset of survivors from the prospectively-followed McMaster ELBW Cohort (n = 23, M = 816 g) and their peers born at normal birth weight (NBW; ≥ 2500 g; n = 14, M = 3361 g) provided T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans, resting electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings, and behavioral responses to a face-processing task in their early thirties.
Visual discrimination accuracy for human faces, resting EEG alpha power, and long-distance alpha coherence were lower in ELBW survivors than NBW adults, and volumes of white matter hypointensities (WMH) were higher. Across groups, face-processing performance was correlated positively with posterior EEG spectral power and long-distance alpha and theta coherence, and negatively with WMH. The associations between face-processing scores and parietal alpha power and theta coherence were reduced after adjustment for WMH.
Electrocortical activity, brain functional connectivity, and higher-order processing ability may be negatively affected by WMH burden, which is greater in adults born extremely preterm.
Decrements in electrocortical activity and behavioral performance in adult ELBW survivors may be partly explained by increased WMH volumes in this vulnerable population.
研究极低出生体重（ELBW；≤1000克）对成人脑结构、脑功能及认知行为表现的潜在长期影响。
前瞻性随访的麦克马斯特极低出生体重队列的一部分幸存者（n = 23，平均体重 = 816克）及其出生体重正常（NBW；≥2500克；n = 14，平均体重 = 3361克）的同龄人在三十出头时接受了T1加权磁共振成像（MRI）脑部扫描、静息脑电图（EEG）记录以及对面部处理任务的行为反应测试。
极低出生体重幸存者在人脸识别的视觉辨别准确性、静息脑电图α波功率和远距离α波相干性方面低于正常出生体重的成年人，且白质低信号（WMH）体积更大。在所有组中，面部处理表现与脑电图后部频谱功率、远距离α波和θ波相干性呈正相关，与白质低信号呈负相关。在对白质低信号进行校正后，面部处理分数与顶叶α波功率和θ波相干性之间的关联减弱。
脑电活动、脑功能连接性和高级处理能力可能受到白质低信号负担的负面影响，而这种负担在极早产儿出生的成年人中更大。
成人极低出生体重幸存者脑电活动和行为表现的下降可能部分归因于这一脆弱人群中白质低信号体积的增加。
