Brain White Matter Circuits and Developmental Outcomes after Preterm Birth

Children born preterm are at high risk for long-term deficits in developmental outcomes. These deficits have been attributed, at least in part, to cerebral white matter injury, the principal neuropathological lesion in the premature brain. Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) can be used to segment white matter pathways and assess their structural properties. We obtained dMRI scans in children born preterm and at term. We identified differences across the groups and properties of specific white matter pathways that were associated with variations in language and reading outcomes. DMRI scans in the perinatal period may prove useful in evaluating neurodevelopmental impacts of perinatal medical treatments and in predicting long-term outcomes.