Abstract #0893

Characterising white matter tracts of the limbic system and neurodevelopmental outcomes in children born very preterm

Claire E Kelly¹, Peter J Anderson^1,2, Jenny Pham¹, Thanh Nguyen¹, Malcolm Cooper¹, Andrea L Murray¹, Wai Yen Loh^1,3,4, Joseph YM Yang^5,6,7, Jeanie LY Cheong^1,8,9, Lex W Doyle^1,2,8,9, and Deanne K Thompson^1,2,3

¹Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia, ²Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia, ³Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia, ⁴The Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia, ⁵Department of Neurosurgery, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia, ⁶Neuroscience Research, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia, ⁷Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia, ⁸Neonatal services, Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia, ⁹Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

Children born very preterm are at risk of having problems with memory, learning, behavioural and emotional functioning, which are key functions of the brain’s limbic system. In 144 very preterm compared with 33 full-term 7-year-olds, altered microstructure, including axon density and orientation dispersion, and lower volume of limbic tracts were found, particularly for the fornix, cingulum and medial forebrain bundle. Associations were found between limbic tract microstructure and volume, particularly of the cingulum, uncinate fasciculus and anterior thalamic radiation, and memory, learning, behavioural and emotional functioning. This study improves knowledge of the contributing factors to poor neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm children.

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