title: Structural connectivity relates to perinatal factors and functional impairment at 7years in children born very preterm.
abstract: To use structural connectivity to (1) compare brain networks between typically and atypically developing (very preterm) children, (2) explore associations between potential perinatal developmental disturbances and brain networks, and (3) describe associations between brain networks and functional impairments in very preterm children.
  
  
  
  26 full-term and 107 very preterm 7-year-old children (born <30weeks' gestational age and/or <1250g) underwent T1- and diffusion-weighted imaging. Global white matter fibre networks were produced using 80 cortical and subcortical nodes, and edges were created using constrained spherical deconvolution-based tractography. Global graph theory metrics were analysed, and regional networks were identified using network-based statistics. Cognitive and motor function were assessed at 7years of age.
  
  
  
  Compared with full-term children, very preterm children had reduced density, lower global efficiency and higher local efficiency. Those with lower gestational age at birth, infection or higher neonatal brain abnormality score had reduced connectivity. Reduced connectivity within a widespread network was predictive of impaired IQ, while reduced connectivity within the right parietal and temporal lobes was associated with motor impairment in very preterm children.
  
  
  
  This study utilised an innovative structural connectivity pipeline to reveal that children born very preterm have less connected and less complex brain networks compared with typically developing term-born children. Adverse perinatal factors led to disturbances in white matter connectivity, which in turn are associated with impaired functional outcomes, highlighting novel structure-function relationships.
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia. Electronic address: deanne.thompson@mcri.edu.au.
authors.forename: Deanne K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Medicine, Monash Medical Centre, Monash University, 246 Clayton Rd, Melbourne, VIC 3168, Australia.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Medicine, Monash Medical Centre, Monash University, 246 Clayton Rd, Melbourne, VIC 3168, Australia.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Beare
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.
authors.forename: Christopher L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Adamson
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ellis
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.
authors.forename: Zohra M
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Ahmadzai
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.
authors.forename: Claire E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.
authors.forename: Katherine J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, 161 Barry St, Carlton, VIC 3053, Australia; Melbourne School of Engineering, Building 173, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zalesky
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Neurosurgery, Royal Children's Hospital, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.
authors.forename: Joseph Y M
authors.initials: JYM
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Neonatal Medicine, The Royal Children's Hospital, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.
authors.forename: Rodney W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Women's Newborn Research Centre, Royal Women's Hospital, 20 Flemington Rd, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, 20 Flemington Rd, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.
authors.forename: Jeanie L Y
authors.initials: JLY
authors.lastname: Cheong
authors.affiliation: Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis St, Boston, MA 02115, United States.
authors.forename: Terrie E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Inder
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Women's Newborn Research Centre, Royal Women's Hospital, 20 Flemington Rd, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, 20 Flemington Rd, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.
authors.forename: Lex W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Doyle
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.
authors.forename: Marc L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Seal
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D062071:Infant, Extremely Premature; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D047929:Term Birth
keywords: Brain; Diffusion weighted imaging; Magnetic resonance imaging; Preterm