Brain volumes in adult survivors of very low birth weight: a sibling-controlled study.
OBJECTIVE
To establish whether adults who were born very low birth weight (VLBW) show altered volumes of certain brain structures.


METHODS
Unmatched case-control study was conducted of 33 individuals from a cohort of VLBW (<1500 g) infants who were born between 1966 and 1977 and 18 of their normal birth weight siblings. Whole brain, gray matter, ventricular, corpus callosum, and hippocampal volumes were measured on structural magnetic resonance imaging scans.


RESULTS
VLBW individuals had a 46% increase in total ventricular volume and a 17% reduction in posterior corpus callosum volume. No differences in whole brain, gray matter, or hippocampal volumes were observed.


CONCLUSIONS
Specific differences exist in the volumes of certain brain structures in adults who were born VLBW compared with their normal birth weight siblings.
Section of General Psychiatry, Division of Psychological Medicine, Box 63, Institute of Psychiatry, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom. p.fearon@iop.kcl.ac.uk
Paul
P
Fearon
Paul
P
O'Connell
Sophia
S
Frangou
Peter
P
Aquino
Chiara
C
Nosarti
Matthew
M
Allin
Mark
M
Taylor
Ann
A
Stewart
Larry
L
Rifkin
Robin
R
Murray
D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009929:Organ Size; D035781:Siblings