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Predictive value of brain MRI at term-equivalent age in extremely preterm children on neurodevelopmental outcome at school-age

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Abstract

This study’s objective was to correlate the abnormalities in brain MRIs performed at corrected-term age for minor or moderate neurocognitive disorders in children school-age born extremely premature (EPT) and without serious sequelae such as autism, cerebral palsy, mental impairment. Data were issued from a cross-sectional multicenter study (GP-Qol study, number NCT01675726). Clinical examination and psychometric assessments were performed when the children were between 7 and 10 years old during a day-long evaluation. Term-equivalent age brain MRIs on EPT were analyzed with a standardized scoring system. There were 114 children included in the study. The mean age at the time of evaluation, was 8.47 years old (± 0.70). 59% of children with at least one cognitive impairment and 53% who had a dysexecutive disorder. Only ten EPT (8.7%) presented moderate to severe white and grey matter abnormalities. These moderate to severe grey matter abnormalities were associated with at least two abnormal executive functions [OR 3.08 (95% CI 1.04–8.79), p = 0.04] and language delay [OR 3.25 (95% CI 1.03–9.80), p = 0.04]. These results remained significant in the multivariate analysis. Moderate to severe ventricular dilatation abnormalities (15%, n = 17) were associated with ideomotor dyspraxia [OR 7.49 (95% CI 1.48–35.95), p = 0.02] and remained significant in multivariate analysis [OR 11.2 (95% CI 1.45–131.4), p = 0.02]. Biparietal corrected diameters were moderate abnormal in 20% of cases (n = 23) and were associated to visuo spatial integration delay [OR 4.13 (95% CI 1.23–13.63), p = 0.02]. Cerebral MRI at term-equivalent age with scoring system analysis can provide information on long-term neuropsychological outcomes at school-age in EPTs children having no severe disability.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful for the participation of all families of preterm infants in the GPQoL study and for the cooperation of the five neonatal units participating in the study. Group Information: The GPQOL Group members. The GPQOL Study Group: MC Lemarchand, Neuropsychologist, N Mestre, Scientific Research Manager (Department of Neonatal Medicine, Rouen University Hospital, Rouen), M Rebattel, Neuropsychologist (Department of Neonatal Medicine, Nimes University Hospital, Nimes), JC Rozé, MD, PhD, C Coudronnières, Neuropsychologist (Departement of neonatal medicine, Nantes University Hospital, Nantes), G Menard, Neuropsychologist, M Pache, Neuropsychologist, C Morando, Scientific Research Manager (Department of Neonatology, North Hospital, APHM University Hospital, Marseille, France), MA Einaudi MD, PhD (UMR 7268 ADÉS, Aix-Marseille University-EFS-CNRS, Faculty of Medicine, Marseille, France).

Funding

This study was supported by the promoter APHM, University Hospital and its partners, The French Health Ministry, Grant PHRC Ref ANSM B120183-30, Ref CPP: 12.018, Ref promoter: 2012-02.

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Author notes

  1. Aurélie Garbi and Gaelle Sorin contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neonatology, North Hospital, Chemin Des Bourrely, APHM University Hospital, 13015, Marseille, France

    Aurélie Garbi, Gaelle Sorin, Véronique Brévaut-Malaty, Barthélémy Tosello & Catherine Gire

  2. Department of Neuroradiology, North Hospital, Chemin Des Bourrely, APHM University Hospital, 13015, Marseille, France

    Stéphanie Coze & Catherine Gire

  3. Self-Perceived Health Assessment Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, EA3279, 13385, Marseille, France

    Noémie Resseguier

  4. Neovasc Team, Perinatal Neurological Handicap and Neuroprotection IRIB, Department of Neonatal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Neuropediatrics Rouen University Hospital and INSERM U1245, Rouen University, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France

    Stéphane Marret

  5. Department of Neonatal Medicine, Nantes University Hospital, Nantes, France

    Jean-Baptiste Muller

  6. CNRS, EFS, ADES, Aix-Marseille Univ., Marseille, France

    Barthélémy Tosello

  7. Department of Neonatology, Assistance Publique Des Hôpitaux de Marseille (APHM), Chemin Des Bourrely, Hôpital Nord, 13015, Marseille, France

    Barthélémy Tosello

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  1. Aurélie Garbi
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for the GPQOL study Group

Contributions

Conception and study design (CG and AG), data collection or acquisition (AG, GS and BT), statistical analysis (NR and CG), interpretation of results (AG, GS, SC, BT and CG), drafting the manuscript work or revising it critically for important intellectual content (GS, AG, SC, NR, BT and CG) approval of final version to be published agreement to be accountable for the integrity and accuracy of all aspects of the work (All authors).

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Barthélémy Tosello.

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This study was approved by the CPP (Committee for the Protection of Persons) (18/12/2012 ref 12.018) and is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01675726.

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Authors declare no conflict of interest.

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The members of the GPQOL study Group are listed in acknowledgements section.

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Garbi, A., Sorin, G., Coze, S. et al. Predictive value of brain MRI at term-equivalent age in extremely preterm children on neurodevelopmental outcome at school-age. Brain Imaging and Behavior 16, 878–887 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-021-00559-9

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