Myelination of Preterm Brain Networks at Adolescence

Prematurity and preterm stressors severely affect the development of infants born before 37 weeks gestation, with increasing effects seen at earlier gestations. Although mortality rates have declined due to advances in neonatal care, disability rates, especially middle-income settings, continue grow. With MRI imaging technology, there has been a focus on safely brain better understand its discover regions networks affected by prematurity. Such studies aim support interventions improve neurodevelopment deliver accurate prognoses. Few studies, however, focused fully developed infants, extremely subjects. To assess long-term effect prematurity adult brain, myelin related biomarkers such as water fraction g-ratio are measured for cohort 19-year-old Using multi-modal techniques that combine T2 relaxometry neurite density information, results show specific associated white matter injuries birth, Posterior Limb Internal Capsule Corpus Callosum, still less myelinated adulthood. findings might imply reduced connectivity explain poor cognitive outcome.