Trimarco Emiliano, Jafrasteh Bahram, Jiménez-Luque Natalia, Marín Almagro Yolanda, Román Ruiz Macarena, Lubián Gutiérrez Manuel, Ruiz González Estefanía, Segado Arenas Antonio, Lubián-López Simón Pedro, Benavente-Fernández Isabel
Biomedical Research and Innovation Institute of Cádiz (INiBICA) Research Unit, Puerta del Mar University Hospital, Cádiz, Spain.
Division of Neonatology, Department of Paediatrics, Puerta del Mar University Hospital, Cádiz, Spain.
Front Neurol. 2024 Aug 14;15:1427273. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1427273. eCollection 2024.
Several studies demonstrate the relationship between preterm birth and a reduced thalamus volume at term-equivalent age. In contrast, this study aims to investigate the link between the thalamic growth trajectory during the early postnatal period and neurodevelopment at two years of age.
Thalamic volume was extracted from 84 early MRI scans at postmenstrual age of 32.33 (± 2.63) weeks and 93 term-equivalent age MRI scans at postmenstrual age of 42.05 (± 3.33) weeks of 116 very preterm infants (56% male) with gestational age at birth of 29.32 (± 2.28) weeks and a birth weight of 1158.92 (± 348.59) grams. Cognitive, motor, and language outcomes at two years of age were assessed with Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development Third Edition. Bivariate analysis was used to describe the clinical variables according to neurodevelopmental outcomes and multilevel linear regression models were used to examine the impact of these variables on thalamic volume and its relationship with neurodevelopmental outcomes.
The results suggest an association between severe brain injury and thalamic growth trajectory (β coef = -0.611; < 0.001). Moreover, thalamic growth trajectory during early postnatal life was associated with the three subscale scores of the neurodevelopmental assessment (cognitive: β coef = 6.297; = 0.004; motor: β coef = 7.283; = 0.001; language: β coeficient = 9.053; = 0.002).
These findings highlight (i) the impact of severe brain injury on thalamic growth trajectory during early extrauterine life after preterm birth and (ii) the relationship of thalamic growth trajectory with cognitive, motor, and language outcomes.
多项研究表明早产与足月等效年龄时丘脑体积减小之间存在关联。相比之下，本研究旨在探讨出生后早期丘脑生长轨迹与两岁时神经发育之间的联系。
从116名极早产儿（56%为男性）的84次早期MRI扫描中提取丘脑体积，这些婴儿出生时的孕周为29.32（±2.28）周，出生体重为1158.92（±348.59）克，扫描时的月经龄分别为32.33（±2.63）周和足月等效年龄时的93次MRI扫描，月经龄为42.05（±3.33）周。使用贝利婴幼儿发展量表第三版评估两岁时的认知、运动和语言发育结果。采用双变量分析根据神经发育结果描述临床变量，并使用多级线性回归模型检验这些变量对丘脑体积的影响及其与神经发育结果的关系。
结果表明严重脑损伤与丘脑生长轨迹之间存在关联（β系数=-0.611；P<0.001）。此外，出生后早期的丘脑生长轨迹与神经发育评估的三个分量表得分相关（认知：β系数=6.297；P=0.004；运动：β系数=7.283；P=0.001；语言：β系数=9.053；P=0.002）。
这些发现突出了（i）早产出生后宫外早期严重脑损伤对丘脑生长轨迹的影响，以及（ii）丘脑生长轨迹与认知、运动和语言发育结果的关系。
