Article Figures & Data
Figures
- Fig 1.
Results of the connection-wise group comparison of connectivity matrices using an FDR-corrected t test with 1000 permutations (P = .05). The connections highlighted in blue (46 edges, involving 44 nodes) were statistically significantly weaker in the attention deficit group. The connection highlighted in red, between the left precuneus and left middle temporal gyrus, was the most statistically significantly hypoconnected interlobular connection.
- Fig 2.
Left: example of study participant's whole-brain tractography. Right: tractography streamlines going through the left precuneus (purple) and left middle temporal gyrus (blue). The anterior cingulate cortex is shown in red; the thalamus, in green.
- Fig 3.
Linear regression: left precuneus–left middle temporal gyrus connectivity as a dependent variable and birth weight as independent variable.
- Fig 4.
A model that describes the relationship between neonatal characteristics of prematurely born children, structural brain connectivity at adolescence, and attention at adolescence. The model is supported by the findings of this study.
Tables
Abnormal Attention P Valueb No (n = 12) Yes (n = 12) Male 6 6 1.0 Gestational age at birth (mean) (wk) 29.4 ± 1.83 27.8 ± 2.9 .093 BW (median) (IQR) (g) 1167 (900–1365) 875 (708–898) .043 BW z score, (median) (IQR) −0.35 (−1.05–0.48) −0.22 (−0.73–0.34) .82 Cesarean delivery 6 4 .41 Intubated at birth 5 11 .027 Apgar 5 (median) (IQR) 8 (6.5–8) 5.5 (3.5–8) .84 Apgar 10 (median) (IQR) 7 (4–7) 6.5 (5–8) .56 Hypotension 5 10 .089 Patent ductus arteriosus 2 7 .089 Necrotizing enterocolitis 0 5 .037 Chronic lung disease 1 6 .069 Neonatal surgery 2 8 .036 Infection 2 10 .022 Abnormal Attention P Value No (n = 12) Yes (n = 12) Scan 1 12 12 WMIa .05 Absent 6 8 Mild 1 3 Moderate 5 0 Severe 0 1 IVH .32 Absent 8 11 Grade I 4 1 Grade II 0 0 Grade III 0 0 Grade IV 0 0 VM 1.0 Absent 11 12 Mild 1 0 Moderate/severe 0 0 Scan 2 10 8 WMI .57 Absent 7 6 Mild 1 2 Moderate 2 0 Severe 0 0 IVH .35 Absent 6 6 Grade I 4 1 Grade II 0 1 Grade III 0 0 Grade IV 0 0 VM .64 Absent 9 8 Mild 0 0 Moderate/severe 1 0 Note:—IVH indicates intraventricular hemorrhage; VM, ventriculomegaly.
↵a Note for WMI, scan 1, when dichotomized as absent/mild vs moderate/severe, P = .16.
- Table 3:
Structural connectivity analysis results (FDR-corrected)—connections with weaker connectivity in the inattention group that survived the FDR correctiona
Connection (AAL Abbreviation) Test Statistic 1 Frontal_Sup_Orb_L to Frontal_Inf_Tri_L 3.39 2 Frontal_Mid_L to Frontal_Inf_Tri_L 4.12 3 Frontal_Inf_Oper_L to Frontal_Inf_Tri_L 4.16 4 Frontal_Mid_R to Frontal_Inf_Tri_R 3.61 5 Frontal_Mid_L to Frontal_Inf_Orb_L 3.75 6 Frontal_Mid_Orb_L to Cingulum_Mid_L 2.82 7 Olfactory_R to Cingulum_Post_L 4.56 8 Frontal_Sup_Orb_L to Cingulum_Post_R 3.72 9 Olfactory_R to Cingulum_Post_R 4.01 10 Rolandic_Oper_L to Amygdala_L 2.74 11 Cingulum_Mid_L to Parietal_Sup_L 4.12 12 Cingulum_Mid_R to Parietal_Sup_L 3.87 13 Cingulum_Mid_R to Parietal_Sup_R 3.52 14 Precentral_L to Parietal_Inf_L 4.31 15 Cingulum_Mid_L to Parietal_Inf_L 4.10 16 Cingulum_Mid_R to Parietal_Inf_L 4.72 17 Cingulum_Post_L to Parietal_Inf_L 4.11 18 Cingulum_Post_R to Parietal_Inf_L 4.48 19 Postcentral_L to Parietal_Inf_L 4.44 20 Parietal_Sup_L to Parietal_Inf_L 5.40 21 Parietal_Sup_R to Parietal_Inf_L 3.45 22 Supp_Motor_Area_R to SupraMarginal_L 2.34 23 Parietal_Inf_L to SupraMarginal_L 3.48 24 Frontal_Sup_Medial_R to Angular_L 2.6 25 Fusiform_L to Putamen_L 3.49 26 Parietal_Sup_L to Temporal_Sup_L 2.37 27 Precentral_L to Temporal_Pole_Sup_L 3.73 28 Precentral_R to Temporal_Pole_Sup_L 2.30 29 Cingulum_Mid_L to Temporal_Pole_Sup_L 2.41 30 Caudate_R to Temporal_Pole_Sup_R 3.33 31 Hippocampus_L to Temporal_Mid_L 3.56 32 Hippocampus_R to Temporal_Mid_L 3.75 33 ParaHippocampal_L to Temporal_Mid_L 3.16 34 Amygdala_L to Temporal_Mid_L 3.38 35 Calcarine_R to Temporal_Mid_L 3.81 36 Lingual_L to Temporal_Mid_L 3.65 37 Lingual_R to Temporal_Mid_L 3.21 38 Fusiform_L to Temporal_Mid_L 3.45 39 Precuneus_L to Temporal_Mid_L 4.18 40 Temporal_Sup_L to Temporal_Mid_L 4.35 41 Pallidum_R to Temporal_Mid_R 3.44 42 Frontal_Inf_Tri_L to Temporal_Pole_Mid_L 2.33 43 Rolandic_Oper_L to Temporal_Pole_Mid_L 2.08 44 Hippocampus_L to Temporal_Pole_Mid_L 3.46 45 Temporal_Mid_L to Temporal_Pole_Mid_L 3.59 46 Temporal_Sup_R to Temporal_Pole_Mid_R 3.25 ↵a AAL abbreviations can be found in Table 4.
AAL Abbreviation Standardized Name of the Brain Region Amygdala Amygdala Angular Angular gyrus Calcarine Calcarine fissure and surrounding cortex Caudate Caudate nucleus Cingulum_Mid Median cingulate and paracingulate gyri (>20% overlap with anterior cingulate) Cingulum_Post Posterior cingulate gyrus Frontal_Inf_Oper Inferior frontal gyrus, opercular part Frontal_Inf_Orb Inferior frontal gyrus, orbital part Frontal_Inf_Tri Inferior frontal gyrus, triangular part Frontal_Mid Middle frontal gyrus Frontal_Mid_Orb Middle frontal gyrus, orbital part Frontal_Sup_Medial Superior frontal gyrus, medial Frontal_Sup_Orb Superior frontal gyrus, orbital part Fusiform Fusiform gyrus Hippocampus Hippocampus Lingual Lingual gyrus Olfactory Olfactory cortex Pallidum Lenticular nucleus, pallidum ParaHippocampal Parahippocampal gyrus Parietal_Inf Inferior parietal, excluding supramarginal and angular gyri Parietal_Sup Superior parietal gyrus Postcentral Postcentral gyrus Precentral Precentral gyrus Precuneus Precuneus Putamen Lenticular nucleus, putamen Rolandic_Oper Rolandic operculum Supp_Motor_Area Supplementary motor area SupraMarginal Supramarginal gyrus Temporal_Mid Middle temporal gyrus Temporal_Pole_Mid Temporal pole, middle temporal gyrus Temporal_Pole_Sup Temporal pole, superior temporal gyrus Temporal_Sup Superior temporal gyrus
