Fiber-Specific Measures of White Matter Microstructure and Macrostructure Are Associated With Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms in Children Born Very Preterm and Full-term.

Background: Tensor-based investigations suggest that delayed or disrupted white matter development may relate to adverse behavioral outcomes in individuals born very preterm (VP); however, metrics derived from such models lack specificity. Here, we applied a fixel-based analysis framework to examine white matter microstructural and macrostructural correlates of concurrent internalizing and externalizing problems in VP and full-term (FT) children at 7 and 13 years.

Methods: Diffusion imaging data were collected in a longitudinal cohort of VP and FT individuals (130 VP and 29 FT at 7 years, 125 VP and 44 FT at 13 years).

Excitatory and inhibitory neuron imbalance in the intrauterine growth restricted fetal guinea pig brain: Relevance to the developmental origins of schizophrenia and autism.

Neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia and autism are thought to involve an imbalance of excitatory and inhibitory signaling in the brain. Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a risk factor for these disorders, with IUGR onset occurring during critical periods of neurodevelopment. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of IUGR on excitatory and inhibitory neurons of the fetal neocortex and hippocampus.

Development of regional brain gray matter volume across the first 13 years of life is associated with childhood math computation ability for children born very preterm and full term.

Very preterm birth (VP; <32 weeks' gestation) is associated with altered brain gray matter development and lower math ability. In typically developing children, the neural correlates of math ability may change dynamically with age, though evidence in VP children is limited. In a prospective longitudinal cohort of children born VP and full term (FT), we aimed to investigate associations between 1) concurrent regional brain volumes and math ability at 7 (n = 148 VP; n = 34 FT) and 13-years (n = 130 VP; n = 46 FT), and 2) regional volumetric growth across childhood (term-equivalent age (TEA) to 7-years; 7 to 13-years) and math ability from 7 to 13-years, and improvement in ability from 7 to 13 years.

Brain White Matter Development Over the First 13 Years in Very Preterm and Typically Developing Children Based on the -w/ -w Ratio.

Background And Objectives: To investigate brain regional white matter development in full-term (FT) and very preterm (VP) children at term equivalent and 7 and 13 years of age based on the ratio of - and -weighted MRI ( -w/ -w), including (1) whether longitudinal changes differ between birth groups or sexes, (2) associations with perinatal risk factors in VP children, and (3) relationships with neurodevelopmental outcomes at 13 years.

Methods: Prospective longitudinal cohort study of VP (born <30 weeks' gestation or <1,250 g) and FT infants born between 2001 and 2004 and followed up at term equivalent and 7 and 13 years of age, including MRI studies and neurodevelopmental assessments. -w/ -w images were parcellated into 48 white matter regions of interest.

The Structural Connectome and Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms at 7 and 13 Years in Individuals Born Very Preterm and Full Term.

Background: Children born very preterm (VP) are at higher risk of emotional and behavioral problems compared with full-term (FT) children. We investigated the neurobiological basis of internalizing and externalizing symptoms in individuals born VP and FT by applying a graph theory approach.

Methods: Structural and diffusion magnetic resonance imaging data were combined to generate structural connectomes and calculate measures of network integration and segregation at 7 (VP: 72; FT: 17) and 13 (VP: 125; FT: 44) years.

A systematic review of brain MRI findings in monogenic disorders strongly associated with autism spectrum disorder.

Background: Research on monogenic forms of autism spectrum disorder (autism) can inform our understanding of genetic contributions to the autism phenotype; yet, there is much to be learned about the pathways from gene to brain structure to behavior. This systematic review summarizes and evaluates research on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in monogenic conditions that have strong association with autism. This will improve understanding of the impact of genetic variability on brain structure and related behavioral traits in autism.

Growth of prefrontal and limbic brain regions and anxiety disorders in children born very preterm.

Background: Children born very preterm (VP) display altered growth in corticolimbic structures compared with full-term peers. Given the association between the cortiocolimbic system and anxiety, this study aimed to compare developmental trajectories of corticolimbic regions in VP children with and without anxiety diagnosis at 13 years.

Methods: MRI data from 124 VP children were used to calculate whole brain and corticolimbic region volumes at term-equivalent age (TEA), 7 and 13 years.

Hippocampal neurogenesis and memory in adolescence following intrauterine growth restriction.

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is associated with hippocampal alterations that can increase the risk of short-term memory impairments later in life. Despite the role of hippocampal neurogenesis in learning and memory, research into the long-lasting impact of IUGR on these processes is limited. We aimed to determine the effects of IUGR on neuronal proliferation, differentiation and morphology, and on memory function at adolescent equivalent age.

Genetic and microstructural differences in the cortical plate of gyri and sulci during gyrification in fetal sheep.

Gyrification of the cerebral cortex is a developmentally important process, but the mechanisms that drive cortical folding are not fully known. Theories propose that changes within the cortical plate (CP) cause gyrification, yet differences between the CP below gyri and sulci have not been investigated. Here we report genetic and microstructural differences in the CP below gyri and sulci assessed before (at 70 days of gestational age [GA] 70), during (GA 90), and after (GA 110) gyrification in fetal sheep.

Intrauterine growth restriction and development of the hippocampus: implications for learning and memory in children and adolescents.

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is often the result of compromised placental function and suboptimal uteroplacental blood flow. Children born with IUGR have impaired cognitive functioning and specific memory deficits, indicating long-lasting impairments in hippocampal functioning; indeed, hippocampal volume is reduced in infants with IUGR. Animal studies have provided valuable insight into the nature of deficits in hippocampal-dependent functions observed in children born with IUGR; outcomes of experimental IUGR reveal reduced neuron numbers and morphological alterations in the cornu ammonis fields 1 and 3 and dentate gyrus subregions of the hippocampus.