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The research, which has been led by King's College London and published in the journal PNAS, used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to look at specific connections in the brains of 66 infants. 47 of these children were born before 33 weeks and at a high risk of neurological impairment. The remaining 19 infants were born at term.
The study looked at the brain connections between the thalamus and the cortex, as it is these connections which develop rapidly during the period a preterm infant is cared for on a neonatal unit.
It was discovered that those born within the normal window of birth – 37 to 42 weeks – had a similar structure to adults in these brain regions. However, infants born prematurely were found to have less connectivity between the areas of the thalamus and particular areas of the brain's cortex known to support higher cognitive functions. Interestingly though, there was greater connectivity registered between the thalamus and an area of primary sensory cortex which is involved in processing signals from the face, lips, jaw, tongue and throat.
Those behind the study have suggested the stronger connections involving the face and lips in babies born prematurely could be as a result of their early exposure to breastfeeding and bottle feeding, while the reduced connectivity in other regions of the brain could be linked to the higher incidence of difficulties seen in later childhood.
Dr Hilary Toulmin, first author, from the Centre for the Developing Brain at King's College London, explained: "The next stage of our work will be to understand how these findings relate to the learning, concentration and social difficulties which many of these children experience as they grow older."
Professor David Edwards, senior author, also from the Centre for the Developing Brain at King's College London, added: "The ability of modern science to image the connections in the brain would have been inconceivable just a few years ago, but we are now able to observe brain development in babies as they grow, and this is likely to produce remarkable benefits for medicine."
(JP)
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Link Between Premature Birth And Neurodevelopmental Problems - Study
A new study has claimed that premature birth can alter the connectivity in key areas of the brain.The research, which has been led by King's College London and published in the journal PNAS, used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to look at specific connections in the brains of 66 infants. 47 of these children were born before 33 weeks and at a high risk of neurological impairment. The remaining 19 infants were born at term.
The study looked at the brain connections between the thalamus and the cortex, as it is these connections which develop rapidly during the period a preterm infant is cared for on a neonatal unit.
It was discovered that those born within the normal window of birth – 37 to 42 weeks – had a similar structure to adults in these brain regions. However, infants born prematurely were found to have less connectivity between the areas of the thalamus and particular areas of the brain's cortex known to support higher cognitive functions. Interestingly though, there was greater connectivity registered between the thalamus and an area of primary sensory cortex which is involved in processing signals from the face, lips, jaw, tongue and throat.
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Those behind the study have suggested the stronger connections involving the face and lips in babies born prematurely could be as a result of their early exposure to breastfeeding and bottle feeding, while the reduced connectivity in other regions of the brain could be linked to the higher incidence of difficulties seen in later childhood.
Dr Hilary Toulmin, first author, from the Centre for the Developing Brain at King's College London, explained: "The next stage of our work will be to understand how these findings relate to the learning, concentration and social difficulties which many of these children experience as they grow older."
Professor David Edwards, senior author, also from the Centre for the Developing Brain at King's College London, added: "The ability of modern science to image the connections in the brain would have been inconceivable just a few years ago, but we are now able to observe brain development in babies as they grow, and this is likely to produce remarkable benefits for medicine."
(JP)
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