Is Prematurity Associated With Adult Cognitive Outcome and Brain Structure?

Previous studies have indicated that preterm birth and low birth weight are associated with structural brain abnormalities and neurocognitive deficits in childhood and adolescence, although very few studies have included follow-up in adulthood. Here we assessed the effect of preterm delivery (524 su...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pediatric neurology 2011, Vol.44 (1), p.12-20
Main Authors: Tanskanen, Päivikki, MD, Valkama, Marita, MD, PhD, Haapea, Marianne, PhD, Barnes, Anna, PhD, Ridler, Khanum, PhD, Miettunen, Jouko, PhD, Murray, Graham K., MD, PhD, Veijola, Juha M., MD, PhD, Jones, Peter B., MD, PhD, Taanila, Anja M., PhD, Isohanni, Matti K., MD, PhD
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Achievement
Adolescent
Adult
Biological and medical sciences
Brain - pathology
Brain - physiopathology
Career Choice
Child
Child, Preschool
Cognition - physiology
Cohort Studies
Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases
Education
Female
Finland - epidemiology
Gestational Age
Humans
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
Infant
Infant, Low Birth Weight
Infant, Newborn
Infant, Premature - psychology
Learning - physiology
Longitudinal Studies
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Medical sciences
Memory, Short-Term - physiology
Neurology
Neuropsychological Tests
Pediatrics
Pregnancy
Psychomotor Performance - physiology
Verbal Learning - physiology
Young Adult
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Summary:Previous studies have indicated that preterm birth and low birth weight are associated with structural brain abnormalities and neurocognitive deficits in childhood and adolescence, although very few studies have included follow-up in adulthood. Here we assessed the effect of preterm delivery (524 subjects; mean 34.6 weeks, S.D. = 1.7) or low birth weight (366 subjects; mean 2159 g, S.D. = 303) on educational and occupational outcomes at age 31 years in the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort, along with 10,132 term, normal birth weight control subjects. Cognitive tests and brain morphology using magnetic resonance imaging were assessed at age 33-35 years in a subset of the cohort (9 subjects; 95 controls). The preterm or low birth weight subjects had slightly lower school ratings and lower educational levels in adulthood, and they performed worse in verbal learning. The low birth weight subjects were less likely to be employed. There were no mean differences in the magnetic resonance imaging tissue segmentation analysis of the brain. In conclusion, although there were no overall changes in brain morphology in the preterm or low birth weight group, there was evidence for slightly poorer educational and occupational careers and cognitive capacity, which may reflect functional disruption not evident in structure.
ISSN:0887-8994
1873-5150
DOI:10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2010.07.002