White Matter Plasticity in Reading-Related Pathways Differs in Children Born Preterm and at Term: A Longitudinal Analysis.

Children born preterm (PT) are at risk for white matter injuries based on complications of prematurity. They learn to read but on average perform below peers born full term (FT). Studies have yet to establish whether properties of white matter pathways at the onset of learning to read are associated with individual variation later in reading development in PT children.

White matter microstructure and cognitive outcomes in relation to neonatal inflammation in 6-year-old children born preterm.

Background: Cognitive outcomes in preterm (PT) children have been associated with microstructural properties of white matter. PT children who experienced neonatal inflammatory conditions have poorer cognitive outcomes than those who did not. The goal of this study was to contrast white matter microstructure and cognitive outcomes after preterm birth in relation to the presence or absence of severe inflammatory conditions in the neonatal period.

More than myelin: Probing white matter differences in prematurity with quantitative T1 and diffusion MRI.

Objective: We combined diffusion MRI (dMRI) with quantitative T1 (qT1) relaxometry in a sample of school-aged children born preterm and full term to determine whether reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) within the corpus callosum of the preterm group could be explained by a reduction in myelin content, as indexed by R1 (1/T1) from qT1 scans.

Methods: 8-year-old children born preterm (n = 29; GA 22-32 weeks) and full term (n = 24) underwent dMRI and qT1 scans. Four subdivisions of the corpus callosum were segmented in individual native space according to cortical projection zones (occipital, temporal, motor and anterior-frontal).

Predicting text reading skills at age 8 years in children born preterm and at term.

Background: Children born preterm are at risk for developing reading difficulties and for decrements in other cognitive skills compared to children born at term.

Aims: To assess how domains of function, often negatively impacted by preterm birth, predict reading development in children born preterm and at term.

Study Design: Longitudinal descriptive cohort study.

Microstructural properties of white matter pathways in relation to subsequent reading abilities in children: a longitudinal analysis.

Microstructural properties of white matter pathways are associated with concurrent reading abilities in children. In this longitudinal study, we asked whether properties of white matter pathways at the onset of learning to read would be associated with reading abilities at older ages. Children (N = 37) with a wide range of reading abilities completed standardized measures of language and phonological awareness and diffusion MRI at age 6 years.

White matter properties associated with pre-reading skills in 6-year-old children born preterm and at term.

Aim: To assess associations between white matter properties and pre-reading skills (phonological awareness and receptive and expressive language) in children born preterm and at term at the onset of reading acquisition.

Method: Six-year-old children born preterm (n=36; gestational age 22-32wks) and at term (n=43) underwent diffusion magnetic resonance imaging and behavioural assessments. Tracts were selected a priori based on findings from a study of 6-year-old children born at term: the left-hemisphere arcuate fasciculus and superior longitudinal fasciculus, and right-hemisphere uncinate fasciculus.

White matter microstructure of 6-year old children born preterm and full term.

Aim: We previously observed a complex pattern of differences in white matter (WM) microstructure between preterm-born (PT) and full-term-born (FT) children and adolescents age 9-17 years. The aim of this study was to determine if the same differences exist as early as age 6 years.

Method: We obtained diffusion MRI (dMRI) scans in children born PT at age 6 years ( = 20; 11 males) and FT ( = 38; 14 males), using two scanning protocols: 30 diffusion directions (b = 1000 s/mm) and 96 diffusion directions (b = 2500 s/mm).