Peer-reviewed article
Postnatal corpus callosum microstructural deviations are linked to neurobehavioral outcomes in preterm infants.
Wei Wang, Liyuan Yang, Ke Wu, Shanqi Li, Shaoling Peng et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined brain structure differences in preterm infants by comparing them to term-born infants at term-equivalent age. Researchers found that preterm infants had subtle changes in the corpus callosum, a major brain structure involved in motor and cognitive development. These brain changes were linked to differences in motor and cognitive abilities measured when children were toddlers, suggesting that early brain imaging may help identify preterm infants at risk for developmental delays.
Key points
- Preterm infants showed selective microstructural abnormalities in specific regions of the corpus callosum (genu, anterior body, and splenium) at term-equivalent age
- Overall size of the corpus callosum remained within normal ranges despite microstructural changes
- A specific pattern of brain characteristics was associated with higher gross motor and cognitive scores but lower fine motor scores in preterm children during toddler period
- This brain-behavior relationship was unique to preterm infants and not present in term-born controls
- Detailed brain microstructure analysis was more sensitive than conventional imaging measures for detecting subtle changes related to later developmental outcomes
Limitations
This study describes associations between brain structure and later behavior but does not establish causation or explain the mechanisms underlying these relationships. The long-term functional significance of these microstructural differences beyond the toddler period remains unknown.
Abstract
The neonatal period surrounding term represents a critical window for corpus callosum (CC) maturation, when axonal growth, pre-myelination, and fiber organization rapidly advance to support emerging motor and cognitive functions, yet preterm birth disrupts this process with unclear mechanisms and long-term consequences. To address this gap, we employed a normative modeling framework, based on a large term-born cohort, to characterize segment-specific CC developmental trajectories and then quantify individual deviations in preterm infants at term-equivalent age (TEA). Preterm infants exhibited selective CC microstructural abnormalities-most pronounced in the genu, anterior body, and splenium-while midsagittal area remained within normative limits. Using partial least squares correlation, we examined associations with neurobehavioral outcomes during toddler period and identified a multivariate brain-behavior coupling unique to the preterm cohort. Specifically, higher gross motor and cognitive scores but lower fine motor score were linked to a coordinated CC profile of increased anisotropy, higher splenial neurite density, reduced diffusivity, and lower genu orientation dispersion. This relationship was absent in term-born controls. These findings suggest that microstructure-informed deviation mapping at TEA may be sensitive to subtle CC alterations that are not apparent on macrostructural measures and are associated with later functional outcomes. This sensitivity to subtle and outcome-related variation highlights the value of this approach as a complement to conventional imaging, and lays the groundwork for future efforts to characterize early white matter development and identify preterm infants at elevated neurodevelopmental risk.