Using fMRI to Investigate Memory in Young Children Born Small for Gestational Age

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) can lead to infants being born small for gestational age (SGA). SGA is associated with differences in brain anatomy and impaired cognition. We investigated learning and memory in children born SGA using neuropsychological testing and functional Magnetic Resonan...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2015-07, Vol.10 (7), p.e0129721-e0129721
Main Authors: de Bie, Henrica M A, de Ruiter, Michiel B, Ouwendijk, Mieke, Oostrom, Kim J, Wilke, Marko, Boersma, Maria, Veltman, Dick J, Delemarre-van de Waal, Henriette A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activation
Age
Animal cognition
Birth Weight
Brain
Brain - physiology
Brain - physiopathology
Brain Mapping
Brain research
Child
Child, Preschool
Children
Cognition
Cognitive ability
Female
Functional magnetic resonance imaging
Gestational Age
Humans
Infant, Small for Gestational Age - growth & development
Infants
Intelligence
Investigations
Learning
Longitudinal Studies
Magnetic resonance
Magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods
Male
Measuring techniques
Medical imaging
Memory
Multiple births
Neuroimaging
Neurology
Neuropsychological Tests
Neurosciences
NMR
Nuclear magnetic resonance
Parahippocampal gyrus
Pediatrics
Psychology
Small-for-gestational age
Studies
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Summary:Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) can lead to infants being born small for gestational age (SGA). SGA is associated with differences in brain anatomy and impaired cognition. We investigated learning and memory in children born SGA using neuropsychological testing and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). 18 children born appropriate for gestational age (AGA) and 34 SGA born children (18 with and 16 without postnatal catch-up growth) participated in this study. All children were between 4 and 7 years old. Cognitive functioning was assessed by IQ and memory testing (Digit/Word Span and Location Learning). A newly developed fMRI picture encoding task was completed by all children in order to assess brain regions involved in memory processes. Neuropsychological testing demonstrated that SGA children had IQ's within the normal range but lower than in AGA and poorer performances across measures of memory. Using fMRI, we observed memory related activity in posterior parahippocampal gyrus as well as the hippocampus proper. Additionally, activation was seen bilaterally in the prefrontal gyrus. Children born SGA showed less activation in the left parahippocampal region compared to AGA. This is the first fMRI study demonstrating different brain activation patterns in 4-7 year old children born SGA, suggesting that intrauterine growth restriction continues to affect neural functioning in children later-on.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0129721