Neonatal basal ganglia and thalamic volumes: Very preterm birth and 7-year neurodevelopmental outcomes

BACKGROUND: This study aims to (1) compare volumes of individual basal ganglia nuclei (caudate nucleus, pallidum, putamen) and the thalamus between very preterm (VP) and term-born infants at term-equivalent age; (2) explore neonatal basal ganglia and thalamic volume relationships with 7-year neurodevelopmental outcomes, and whether these relationships differed between VP and term-born children. METHODS: 210 VP (<30 weeks’ gestational age) and 39 term-born (≥37 weeks’ gestational age) infants underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging at term-equivalent age, and deep grey matter volumes of interest were automatically generated. 186 VP and 37 term-born children were assessed for a range of neurodevelopmental measures at age 7 years. RESULTS: All deep grey matter structures examined were smaller in VP infants compared with controls at term-equivalent age; ranging from (percentage mean difference (95% confidence intervals) −6.2%(−10.2%,−2.2%) for the putamen, to −9.5%(−13.9%,−5.1%) for the caudate nucleus. Neonatal basal ganglia and thalamic volumes were positively related to motor, IQ and academic outcomes at age 7 years, with mostly similar relationships in the VP and control groups. CONCLUSION: VP birth results in smaller basal ganglia and thalamic volumes at term-equivalent age, and these smaller volumes are related to a range of 7-year neurodevelopmental deficits in VP children.