title: Alterations of resting state networks and structural connectivity in relation to the prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices in late prematurity.
abstract: Late preterm birth is increasingly recognized as a risk factor for cognitive and social deficits. The prefrontal cortex is particularly vulnerable to injury in late prematurity because of its protracted development and extensive cortical connections. Our study examined children born late preterm without access to advanced postnatal care to assess structural and functional connectivity related to the prefrontal cortex. Thirty-eight preadolescents [19 born late preterm (34-36 /7 weeks gestational age) and 19 at term] were recruited from a developing community in Brazil. Participants underwent neuropsychological testing. Individuals underwent three-dimensional T1-weighted, diffusion-weighted, and resting state functional MRI. Probabilistic tractography and functional connectivity analyses were carried out using unilateral seeds combining the medial prefrontal cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex. Late preterm children showed increased functional connectivity within regions of the default mode, salience, and central-executive networks from both right and left frontal cortex seeds. Decreased functional connectivity was observed within the right parahippocampal region from left frontal seeding. Probabilistic tractography showed a pattern of decreased streamlines in frontal white matter pathways and the corpus callosum, but also increased streamlines in the left orbitofrontal white matter and the right frontal white matter when seeded from the right. Late preterm children and term control children scored similarly on neuropsychological testing. Prefrontal cortical connectivity is altered in late prematurity, with hyperconnectivity observed in key resting state networks in the absence of neuropsychological deficits. Abnormal structural connectivity indicated by probabilistic tractography suggests subtle changes in white matter development, implying disruption of normal maturation during the late gestational period.
authors.affiliation: aDepartment of Pediatric Radiology, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC bDepartment of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania cBrain and Creativity Institute dSignal and Image Processing Institute, University of Southern California eDepartment of Radiology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California fBluestone Center for Clinical Research, New York University, New York, New York USA gTwins Institute for Genetics Research, Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Degnan
authors.forename: Jessica L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Wisnowski
authors.forename: SoYoung
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ceschin
authors.forename: Chitresh
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bhushan
authors.forename: Richard M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Leahy
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Corby
authors.forename: Vincent J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Schmithorst
authors.forename: Ashok
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Panigrahy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001931:Brain Mapping; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology*; D012146:Rest