Two research groups link neurodevelopmental difficulties in preterm infants to slow cortical growth and to intrusive neonatal treatment.
Preterm infants (<30 weeks' gestation) often have neurodevelopmental difficulties in childhood. In two recent studies, researchers examined early cortical growth in premature infants and the possible effect of stress in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) on slowing growth.
Rathbone and colleagues obtained 1T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in 82 preterm infants from birth (gestational age, 24–29 weeks) until term-corrected age and assessed development and cognition at ages 2 and 6 years (51 children had 2 assessments). Growth of the cortical surface area (but not total brain-volume growth) was highly significantly correlated with development and cognition, including attention, memory, and conceptual abilities (but not motor skill…
Reviewing Author
DisclosuresRoyaltiesTextbook of Traumatic Brain Injury, 2nd and 3rd editions
Editorial BoardsUpToDate; Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience
Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesNorth American Brain Injury Association (Board Member); National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (Chair of Data Monitoring Safety Board for study of donepezil on cognition after traumatic brain injury)
DisclosuresRoyaltiesTextbook of Traumatic Brain Injury, 2nd and 3rd editions
Editorial BoardsUpToDate; Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience
Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesNorth American Brain Injury Association (Board Member); National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (Chair of Data Monitoring Safety Board for study of donepezil on cognition after traumatic brain injury)