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Serenius F, Kaul YF, Källén K, Hafström M, Ådén U, Stjernqvist K, Farooqi A. Neurobehavioral symptoms in children born extremely preterm: A Swedish National Study. Acta Paediatr 2023; 112:2387-2399. [PMID: 37551108 DOI: 10.1111/apa.16942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
AIM To determine the prevalence of neurobehavioral symptoms at 6.5 years in children born extremely preterm (EPT, <27 weeks' gestation). METHODS Population-based cohort study of infants born EPT in Sweden from 2004 to 2007. Of 486 survivors 375 were assessed and compared with 369 matched term-born controls. EPT children free from neurosensory and intellectual disabilities (neurodevelopmental disabilities [NDD]-free, n = 236) were compared separately. Standardised questionnaires were used to assess parental ratings of hyperactivity and attention, emotional, peer-relation, conduct and social problems; and deficits in perception, language and memory. RESULTS EPT children had more reported problems in all assessed neurobehavioral domains than controls, with more than three times greater odds for most outcomes. Except for conduct problems, increased problems were identified also in NDD-free children. The odds of having neurobehavioral problems in ≥3 co-occurring domains were five (whole EPT group) and three (NDD-free group) times higher than in controls. CONCLUSION EPT children with or without NDD have more neurobehavioral problems in multiple domains than term peers. Ongoing assessments of behaviour until school age or beyond should recognise early symptoms of attention, everyday social problems, perceptual, emotional or language difficulties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fredrik Serenius
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Neonatology, Child and Adolescent Medicine, Umeå University Hospital, Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Karin Källén
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Lund, University of Lund, Lund, Sweden
| | - Maria Hafström
- Department of Paediatrics, Institute of Clinical Science, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Angered Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ulrika Ådén
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karin Stjernqvist
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Pediatric Section, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Department of Neonatal Care and Pediatric Surgery, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
| | - Aijaz Farooqi
- Department of Neonatology, Child and Adolescent Medicine, Umeå University Hospital, Umeå, Sweden
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Hadaya L, Dimitrakopoulou K, Vanes LD, Kanel D, Fenn-Moltu S, Gale-Grant O, Counsell SJ, Edwards AD, Saqi M, Batalle D, Nosarti C. Parsing brain-behavior heterogeneity in very preterm born children using integrated similarity networks. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:108. [PMID: 37012252 PMCID: PMC10070645 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02401-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Very preterm birth (VPT; ≤32 weeks' gestation) is associated with altered brain development and cognitive and behavioral difficulties across the lifespan. However, heterogeneity in outcomes among individuals born VPT makes it challenging to identify those most vulnerable to neurodevelopmental sequelae. Here, we aimed to stratify VPT children into distinct behavioral subgroups and explore between-subgroup differences in neonatal brain structure and function. 198 VPT children (98 females) previously enrolled in the Evaluation of Preterm Imaging Study (EudraCT 2009-011602-42) underwent Magnetic Resonance Imaging at term-equivalent age and neuropsychological assessments at 4-7 years. Using an integrative clustering approach, we combined neonatal socio-demographic, clinical factors and childhood socio-emotional and executive function outcomes, to identify distinct subgroups of children based on their similarity profiles in a multidimensional space. We characterized resultant subgroups using domain-specific outcomes (temperament, psychopathology, IQ and cognitively stimulating home environment) and explored between-subgroup differences in neonatal brain volumes (voxel-wise Tensor-Based-Morphometry), functional connectivity (voxel-wise degree centrality) and structural connectivity (Tract-Based-Spatial-Statistics). Results showed two- and three-cluster data-driven solutions. The two-cluster solution comprised a 'resilient' subgroup (lower psychopathology and higher IQ, executive function and socio-emotional scores) and an 'at-risk' subgroup (poorer behavioral and cognitive outcomes). No neuroimaging differences between the resilient and at-risk subgroups were found. The three-cluster solution showed an additional third 'intermediate' subgroup, displaying behavioral and cognitive outcomes intermediate between the resilient and at-risk subgroups. The resilient subgroup had the most cognitively stimulating home environment and the at-risk subgroup showed the highest neonatal clinical risk, while the intermediate subgroup showed the lowest clinical, but the highest socio-demographic risk. Compared to the intermediate subgroup, the resilient subgroup displayed larger neonatal insular and orbitofrontal volumes and stronger orbitofrontal functional connectivity, while the at-risk group showed widespread white matter microstructural alterations. These findings suggest that risk stratification following VPT birth is feasible and could be used translationally to guide personalized interventions aimed at promoting children's resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laila Hadaya
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Konstantina Dimitrakopoulou
- Translational Bioinformatics Platform, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, London, UK
| | - Lucy D Vanes
- Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Dana Kanel
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Sunniva Fenn-Moltu
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Oliver Gale-Grant
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Serena J Counsell
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - A David Edwards
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Mansoor Saqi
- Translational Bioinformatics Platform, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, London, UK
| | - Dafnis Batalle
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Chiara Nosarti
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK.
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
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Gire C, Garbi A, Zahed M, Beltran Anzola A, Tosello B, Datin-Dorrière V. Neurobehavioral Phenotype and Dysexecutive Syndrome of Preterm Children: Comorbidity or Trigger? An Update. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 9:239. [PMID: 35204960 PMCID: PMC8870742 DOI: 10.3390/children9020239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Premature birth is a worldwide public health priority. One in ten children is born before 37 weeks of gestational age and, in developed countries, survival rates without major neonatal morbidity are increasing. Although severe sequelae associated with these births have decreased, their neurobehavioral difficulties, often associated in multiple fields, remain stable but still widespread. These neurobehavioral difficulties hamper the normal development of academic achievements and societal integration and intensify the children's needs for rehabilitation during their preschool and academic years. Severe sequelae increase when gestational age decreases. This is even truer if the socio-cultural background is impeded by low income, education and language skills as compared with defined averages. However, moderate and/or minor neurocognitive and/or behavioral difficulties are almost identical for a moderate or a late preterm birth. Obtaining a better clinical description of neurobehavioral characteristics of those pretermly born, once they reach preschool age, is essential to detect behavioral issues as well as early specific cognitive difficulties (working memory, planning, inhibition, language expression and reception, attention and fine motor skills, etc.). Such information would provide a better understanding of the executive functions' role in brain connectivity, neurodevelopment and neuroanatomical correlation with premature encephalopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Gire
- Department of Neonatology, North Hospital, University Hospital of Marseille, Chemin des Bourrelys, CEDEX 20, 13915 Marseille, France; (C.G.); (A.G.); (M.Z.); (A.B.A.)
- CEReSS—Health Service Research and Quality of Life Center, Faculty of Medicine, Aix-Marseille University, 27 Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Aurélie Garbi
- Department of Neonatology, North Hospital, University Hospital of Marseille, Chemin des Bourrelys, CEDEX 20, 13915 Marseille, France; (C.G.); (A.G.); (M.Z.); (A.B.A.)
| | - Meriem Zahed
- Department of Neonatology, North Hospital, University Hospital of Marseille, Chemin des Bourrelys, CEDEX 20, 13915 Marseille, France; (C.G.); (A.G.); (M.Z.); (A.B.A.)
| | - Any Beltran Anzola
- Department of Neonatology, North Hospital, University Hospital of Marseille, Chemin des Bourrelys, CEDEX 20, 13915 Marseille, France; (C.G.); (A.G.); (M.Z.); (A.B.A.)
- CEReSS—Health Service Research and Quality of Life Center, Faculty of Medicine, Aix-Marseille University, 27 Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Barthélémy Tosello
- Department of Neonatology, North Hospital, University Hospital of Marseille, Chemin des Bourrelys, CEDEX 20, 13915 Marseille, France; (C.G.); (A.G.); (M.Z.); (A.B.A.)
- CNRS, EFS, ADES, Aix Marseille Universite, 13915 Marseille, France
| | - Valérie Datin-Dorrière
- Department of Neonatal Medicine, Caen University Hospital, Avenue Cote De Nacre, 14000 Caen, France;
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Mossad SI, Young JM, Wong SM, Dunkley BT, Hunt BAE, Pang EW, Taylor MJ. The Very Preterm Brain at Rest: Longitudinal Social-Cognitive Network Connectivity During Childhood. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 17:377-386. [PMID: 34654932 PMCID: PMC8972272 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2021] [Revised: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Very preterm (VPT: ≤32 weeks of gestational age) birth poses an increased risk for social and cognitive morbidities that persist throughout life. Resting-state functional network connectivity studies provide information about the intrinsic capacity for cognitive processing. We studied the following four social–cognitive resting-state networks: the default mode, salience, frontal-parietal and language networks. We examined functional connectivity using magnetoencephalography with individual head localization using each participant’s MRI at 6 (n = 40) and 8 (n = 40) years of age compared to age- and sex-matched full-term (FT) born children (n = 38 at 6 years and n = 43 at 8 years). VPT children showed increased connectivity compared to FT children in the gamma band (30–80 Hz) at 6 years within the default mode network (DMN), and between the DMN and the salience, frontal-parietal and language networks, pointing to more diffuse, less segregated processing across networks at this age. At 8 years, VPT children had more social and academic difficulties. Increased DMN connectivity at 6 years was associated with social and working memory difficulties at 8 years. Therefore, we suggest that increased DMN connectivity contributes to the observed emerging social and cognitive morbidities in school age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah I Mossad
- Department of Psychology, Hospital for Sick Children, Canada
| | - Julia M Young
- Department of Psychology, Hospital for Sick Children, Canada
| | - Simeon M Wong
- Neurosciences & Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Canada.,Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Benjamin T Dunkley
- Neurosciences & Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Canada.,Department of Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Benjamin A E Hunt
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Elizabeth W Pang
- Neurosciences & Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Canada.,Division of Neurology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Margot J Taylor
- Neurosciences & Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Canada.,Department of Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Schnider B, Disselhoff V, Held U, Latal B, Hagmann CF, Wehrle FM. Executive function deficits mediate the association between very preterm birth and behavioral problems at school-age. Early Hum Dev 2020; 146:105076. [PMID: 32470766 DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2020.105076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Children and adolescents born very preterm are at increased risk to develop executive function deficits and to suffer from social, emotional and attentional problems. This study investigated whether executive function deficits contribute to behavioral problems in children and adolescents born very preterm at school-age. STUDY DESIGN Thirty-eight children and adolescents born very preterm and 41 age-matched term-born peers were assessed at a mean age of 12.9 (±1.8) years with a comprehensive battery of executive function tests, including working memory, planning, cognitive flexibility, and verbal fluency. A composite score was calculated to reflect overall executive function abilities. To assess behavioral problems, parents completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Mediation analysis was applied to quantify the effect of preterm birth on behavioral problems with executive function abilities as a mediating variable. RESULTS Executive function abilities were poorer in the very preterm compared to the term-born group (d = 0.62, p = .005) and the parents of very preterm children reported more behavioral problems on the SDQ Total Difficulties Score (d = 0.54, p = .01). The effect of birth status on behavioral problems was significantly mediated by executive function abilities while adjusting for age at assessment, sex, and socioeconomic status (F(2, 76) = 6.42, p = .002, R2 = 0.14). CONCLUSION Results from this study suggest that the increase in behavioral symptoms in very preterm children at school-age compared to term-born peers may partly be explained by their executive function deficits. These findings highlight the importance of continuously monitoring the development of children born very preterm to provide optimal care as they grow up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Schnider
- University Children's Hospital Zurich, Department of Neonatology and Pediatric Intensive Care, Zurich, Switzerland; University Children's Hospital Zurich, Children's Research Center, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Vera Disselhoff
- University Children's Hospital Zurich, Department of Neonatology and Pediatric Intensive Care, Zurich, Switzerland; University Children's Hospital Zurich, Children's Research Center, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ulrike Held
- University of Zurich, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Beatrice Latal
- University Children's Hospital Zurich, Children's Research Center, Zurich, Switzerland; Child Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Cornelia F Hagmann
- University Children's Hospital Zurich, Department of Neonatology and Pediatric Intensive Care, Zurich, Switzerland; University Children's Hospital Zurich, Children's Research Center, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Flavia M Wehrle
- University Children's Hospital Zurich, Department of Neonatology and Pediatric Intensive Care, Zurich, Switzerland; University Children's Hospital Zurich, Children's Research Center, Zurich, Switzerland; Child Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Switzerland.
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