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Deferm W, Tang T, Moerkerke M, Daniels N, Steyaert J, Alaerts K, Ortibus E, Naulaers G, Boets B. Subtle microstructural alterations in white matter tracts involved in socio-emotional processing after very preterm birth. Neuroimage Clin 2024; 41:103580. [PMID: 38401459 PMCID: PMC10944182 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
Children born very preterm (VPT, < 32 weeks of gestation) have an increased risk of developing socio-emotional difficulties. Possible neural substrates for these socio-emotional difficulties are alterations in the structural connectivity of the social brain due to premature birth. The objective of the current study was to study microstructural white matter integrity in VPT versus full-term (FT) born school-aged children along twelve white matter tracts involved in socio-emotional processing. Diffusion MRI scans were obtained from a sample of 35 VPT and 38 FT 8-to-12-year-old children. Tractography was performed using TractSeg, a state-of-the-art neural network-based approach, which offers investigation of detailed tract profiles of fractional anisotropy (FA). Group differences in FA along the tracts were investigated using both a traditional and complementary functional data analysis approach. Exploratory correlations were performed between the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS-2), a parent-report questionnaire assessing difficulties in social functioning, and FA along the tract. Both analyses showed significant reductions in FA for the VPT group along the middle portion of the right SLF I and an anterior portion of the left SLF II. These group differences possibly indicate altered white matter maturation due to premature birth and may contribute to altered functional connectivity in the Theory of Mind network which has been documented in earlier work with VPT samples. Apart from reduced social motivation in the VPT group, there were no significant group differences in reported social functioning, as assessed by SRS-2. We found that in the VPT group higher FA values in segments of the left SLF I and right SLF II were associated with better social functioning. Surprisingly, the opposite was found for segments in the right IFO, where higher FA values were associated with worse reported social functioning. Since no significant correlations were found for the FT group, this relationship may be specific for VPT children. The current study overcomes methodological limitations of previous studies by more accurately segmenting white matter tracts using constrained spherical deconvolution based tractography, by applying complementary tractometry analysis approaches to estimate changes in FA more accurately, and by investigating the FA profile along the three components of the SLF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ward Deferm
- Center for Developmental Psychiatry, KU Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Tiffany Tang
- Center for Developmental Psychiatry, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Nicky Daniels
- Neuromotor Rehabilitation Research Group, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jean Steyaert
- Center for Developmental Psychiatry, KU Leuven, Belgium; Child Psychiatry, UZ Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kaat Alaerts
- Neuromotor Rehabilitation Research Group, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Gunnar Naulaers
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit - Neonatology, UZ Leuven, Belgium; UZ Leuven & Center for Developmental Disorders, Belgium
| | - Bart Boets
- Center for Developmental Psychiatry, KU Leuven, Belgium
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2
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Dell'Aversana V, Tofani M, Valente D. Emotional Regulation Interventions on Developmental Course for Preterm Children: A Systematic Review of Randomized Control Trials. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 10:children10030603. [PMID: 36980161 PMCID: PMC10047217 DOI: 10.3390/children10030603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Children born preterm (<37 weeks of gestation) are at increased risk of socio-emotional difficulties. This study aims to determine the effects of rehabilitation intervention on the emotional regulation of children born preterm through a systematic review. We conducted a systematic review according to PRISMA guidelines. The literature screening was carried out on PUBMED, SCOPUS and WEB OF SCIENCE in August 2022. An author identified eligible studies based on predefined inclusion criteria and extracted the data. RCT quality was assessed using the JADAD and PEDro scales. We selected five RCTs for qualitative synthesis, having the common objective of evaluating the changes in emotional regulation after a rehabilitation intervention. Evidence of benefits was found after parent training intervention (PCIT; p < 0.05). Moreover, there was an improvement in day-to-day executive life and fewer behavioral problems after mindfulness intervention. Clinical, but not statistical, efficacy was found for the group-based physiotherapy intervention. In conclusion, parent training and mindfulness interventions can be helpful rehabilitation techniques, but the relatively small sample limited statistical power, so the discovery needs to be interpreted cautiously. Further research on these aspects is recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenza Dell'Aversana
- MSc in Rehabilitaiton Sciences for Healthcare Professions, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Tofani
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Donatella Valente
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
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3
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Grannis C, Hung A, French RC, Mattson WI, Fu X, Hoskinson KR, Gerry Taylor H, Nelson EE. Multimodal classification of extremely preterm and term adolescents using the fusiform gyrus: A machine learning approach. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 35:103078. [PMID: 35687994 PMCID: PMC9189188 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Extremely preterm birth has been associated with atypical visual and neural processing of faces, as well as differences in gray matter structure in visual processing areas relative to full-term peers. In particular, the right fusiform gyrus, a core visual area involved in face processing, has been shown to have structural and functional differences between preterm and full-term individuals from childhood through early adulthood. The current study used multiple neuroimaging modalities to build a machine learning model based on the right fusiform gyrus to classify extremely preterm birth status. METHOD Extremely preterm adolescents (n = 20) and full-term peers (n = 24) underwent structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging. Group differences in gray matter density, measured via voxel-based morphometry (VBM), and blood-oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) response to face stimuli were explored within the right fusiform. Using group difference clusters as seed regions, analyses investigating outgoing white matter streamlines, regional homogeneity, and functional connectivity during a face processing task and at rest were conducted. A data driven approach was utilized to determine the most discriminative combination of these features within a linear support vector machine classifier. RESULTS Group differences in two partially overlapping clusters emerged: one from the VBM analysis showing less density in the extremely preterm cohort and one from BOLD response to faces showing greater activation in the extremely preterm relative to full-term youth. A classifier fit to the data from the cluster identified in the BOLD analysis achieved an accuracy score of 88.64% when BOLD, gray matter density, regional homogeneity, and functional connectivity during the task and at rest were included. A classifier fit to the data from the cluster identified in the VBM analysis achieved an accuracy score of 95.45% when only BOLD, gray matter density, and regional homogeneity were included. CONCLUSION Consistent with previous findings, we observed neural differences in extremely preterm youth in an area that plays an important role in face processing. Multimodal analyses revealed differences in structure, function, and connectivity that, when taken together, accurately distinguish extremely preterm from full-term born youth. Our findings suggest a compensatory role of the fusiform where less dense gray matter is countered by increased local BOLD signal. Importantly, sub-threshold differences in many modalities within the same region were informative when distinguishing between extremely preterm and full-term youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connor Grannis
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States.
| | - Andy Hung
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Roberto C French
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Whitney I Mattson
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Xiaoxue Fu
- College of Education, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Kristen R Hoskinson
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Ohio State University Wexner College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - H Gerry Taylor
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Ohio State University Wexner College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Eric E Nelson
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Ohio State University Wexner College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, United States
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4
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Della Longa L, Nosarti C, Farroni T. Emotion Recognition in Preterm and Full-Term School-Age Children. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:6507. [PMID: 35682092 PMCID: PMC9180201 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19116507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Children born preterm (<37 weeks’ gestation) show a specific vulnerability for socio-emotional difficulties, which may lead to an increased likelihood of developing behavioral and psychiatric problems in adolescence and adulthood. The accurate decoding of emotional signals from faces represents a fundamental prerequisite for early social interactions, allowing children to derive information about others’ feelings and intentions. The present study aims to explore possible differences between preterm and full-term children in the ability to detect emotional expressions, as well as possible relationships between this ability and socio-emotional skills and problem behaviors during everyday activities. We assessed 55 school-age children (n = 34 preterm and n = 21 full-term) with a cognitive battery that ensured comparable cognitive abilities between the two groups. Moreover, children were asked to identify emotional expressions from pictures of peers’ faces (Emotion Recognition Task). Finally, children’s emotional, social and behavioral outcomes were assessed with parent-reported questionnaires. The results revealed that preterm children were less accurate than full-term children in detecting positive emotional expressions and they showed poorer social and behavioral outcomes. Notably, correlational analyses showed a relationship between the ability to recognize emotional expressions and socio-emotional functioning. The present study highlights that early difficulties in decoding emotional signals from faces may be critically linked to emotional and behavioral regulation problems, with important implications for the development of social skills and effective interpersonal interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letizia Della Longa
- Developmental Psychology and Socialization Department, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy;
| | - Chiara Nosarti
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, King’s College London, London SE5 8AF, UK;
| | - Teresa Farroni
- Developmental Psychology and Socialization Department, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy;
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Sato J, Vandewouw MM, Safar K, Ng DVY, Bando N, O’Connor DL, Unger SL, Pang E, Taylor MJ. Social-Cognitive Network Connectivity in Preterm Children and Relations With Early Nutrition and Developmental Outcomes. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:812111. [PMID: 35465192 PMCID: PMC9022474 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.812111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Infants born very low birth weight (VLBW, < 1,500 g) are at a heightened risk for structural brain abnormalities and social-cognitive deficits, which can impair behavioural functioning. Resting-state fMRI, reflecting a baseline level of brain activity and underlying social-cognitive processes, has also been reported to be altered in children born VLBW. Yet very little is known about the functional networks underlying social cognition using magnetoencephalography (MEG) and how it relates to neonatal factors and developmental outcomes. Thus, we investigated functional connectivity at rest in VLBW children and the associations with early nutrition and IQ and behavioural problems. We collected resting-state MEG recordings and measures of IQ and social-cognitive behaviour, as well as macronutrient/energy intakes during initial hospitalisation in 5-year-old children born VLBW (n = 37) compared to full-term (FT; n = 27) controls. We examined resting-state network differences controlling for sex and age at scan. Functional connectivity was estimated using the weighted phase lag index. Associations between functional connectivity with outcome measures and postnatal nutrition were also assessed using regression analyses. We found increased resting-state functional connectivity in VLBW compared to FT children in the gamma frequency band (65–80 Hz). This hyper-connected network was primarily anchored in frontal regions known to underlie social-cognitive functions such as emotional processing. In VLBW children, increased functional connectivity was related to higher IQ scores, while reduced connectivity was related to increased behavioural problems at 5 years of age. These within-group associations were found in the slower frequency bands of theta (4–7 Hz) and alpha (8–12 Hz), frequently linked to higher-order cognitive functions. We also found significant associations between macronutrient (protein and lipid) and energy intakes during the first postnatal month with functional connectivity at preschool-age, highlighting the long-term impacts of postnatal nutrition on preterm brain development. Our findings demonstrate that at preschool-age, VLBW children show altered resting-state connectivity despite IQ and behaviour being in the average range, possibly reflecting functional reorganisation of networks to support social-cognitive and behavioural functioning. Further, our results highlight an important role of early postnatal nutrition in the development of resting-state networks, which in turn may improve neurodevelopmental outcomes in this vulnerable population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Sato
- Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- *Correspondence: Julie Sato,
| | - Marlee M. Vandewouw
- Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Autism Research Centre, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Bloorview Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Kristina Safar
- Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Dawn V. Y. Ng
- Division of Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Nicole Bando
- Division of Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Deborah L. O’Connor
- Division of Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Paediatrics, Sinai Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sharon L. Unger
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Paediatrics, Sinai Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Neonatology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Pang
- Division of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Neurology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Margot J. Taylor
- Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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6
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Kanel D, Vanes LD, Ball G, Hadaya L, Falconer S, Counsell SJ, Edwards AD, Nosarti C. OUP accepted manuscript. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac009. [PMID: 35178519 PMCID: PMC8846580 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Very preterm children are more likely to exhibit difficulties in socio-emotional processing than their term-born peers. Emerging socio-emotional problems may be partly due to alterations in limbic system development associated with infants’ early transition to extrauterine life. The amygdala is a key structure in this system and plays a critical role in various aspects of socio-emotional development, including emotion regulation. The current study tested the hypothesis that amygdala resting-state functional connectivity at term-equivalent age would be associated with socio-emotional outcomes in childhood. Participants were 129 very preterm infants (<33 weeks' gestation) who underwent resting-state functional MRI at term and received a neurodevelopmental assessment at 4–7 years (median = 4.64). Using the left and right amygdalae as seed regions, we investigated associations between whole-brain seed-based functional connectivity and three socio-emotional outcome factors which were derived using exploratory factor analysis (Emotion Moderation, Social Function and Empathy), controlling for sex, neonatal sickness, post-menstrual age at scan and social risk. Childhood Emotion Moderation scores were significantly associated with neonatal resting-state functional connectivity of the right amygdala with right parahippocampal gyrus and right middle occipital gyrus, as well as with functional connectivity of the left amygdala with the right thalamus. No significant associations were found between amygdalar resting-state functional connectivity and either Social Function or Empathy scores. The current findings show that amygdalar functional connectivity assessed at term is associated with later socio-emotional outcomes in very preterm children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Kanel
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Lucy D. Vanes
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Gareth Ball
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK
- Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Laila Hadaya
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Shona Falconer
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Serena J. Counsell
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK
| | | | - Chiara Nosarti
- Correspondence to: Chiara Nosarti Centre for the Developing Brain School of Bioengineering and Imaging Sciences King’s College London and Evelina Children’s Hospital London SE1 7EH, UK E-mail:
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7
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Sato J, Safar K, Vandewouw MM, Bando N, O'Connor DL, Unger SL, Taylor MJ. Altered Functional Connectivity During Face Processing in Children Born Very Low Birth Weight. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 16:1182-1190. [PMID: 34089054 PMCID: PMC8599272 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Structural brain alterations have been reported in key emotional face processing regions following preterm birth; however, few studies have investigated the functional networks underlying these processes in children born with very low birth weight (VLBW). Using magnetoencephalography (MEG), we examined the functional networks related to the implicit processing of happy and angry faces in 5-year-old VLBW (n = 28) and full-term (FT; n = 24) children. We found that VLBW children showed atypical recruitment of emotional face processing networks in theta (4–7 Hz) compared to FT children. VLBW children showed reduced theta connectivity during processing of angry faces only. This hypo-connected theta-band network was anchored in the left orbitofrontal and parietal regions, involved in the higher level processing of faces and emotion regulation. At the behavioural level, despite VLBW children performing within the normal range, FT children had significantly higher affect recognition scores. Our MEG results suggest a selective impairment in processing angry faces, which would negatively impact social functioning in VLBW children. In FT children, greater recruitment of this theta-band network was positively associated with improved affect recognition scores. Thus, our findings suggest an important role of theta oscillations in early face processing, deficits which may contribute to broader socio-emotional impairments in VLBW children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Sato
- Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kristina Safar
- Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marlee M Vandewouw
- Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Autism Research Centre, Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nicole Bando
- Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Deborah L O'Connor
- Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Paediatrics, Sinai Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sharon L Unger
- Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Paediatrics, Sinai Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Division of Neonatology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Margot J Taylor
- Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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8
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Mossad SI, Muscat C, Pang EW, Taylor M. Emerging atypical connectivity networks for processing angry and fearful faces in very preterm born children. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:3794-3806. [PMID: 32533810 PMCID: PMC7416058 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Very preterm born (VPT) children are those born before 32/40 weeks' gestational age and comprise 10% of the 15 million babies born prematurely worldwide each year. Due to advancements in neonatal medicine, the survival rate of VPT birth has increased, but few studies have investigated the nonmedical, social-cognitive morbidities that affect these children. In this study, we examined emotional face processing networks in VPT compared to age and sex matched full-term born (FT) children. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) was used to test VPT and FT born children at 6 years (n = 78) and 8 years (n = 83). Children were assessed using an implicit emotion face-processing task. Happy, fearful, and angry faces were presented for 150 ms, but children were asked to respond by button press to the location of a control pixelated image of the face displayed on the side of the screen opposite to the face. Children rated the valence of the images on a five-point scale. Group differences showed that VPT children rated angry faces more positively than their FT peers. VPT children had reduced connectivity for angry and fearful faces at 8 years in networks including regions such as the bilateral amygdala, superior temporal sulci, and anterior cingulate gyrus. Interventions should target both emotion recognition, as well as higher cognitive processes related to emotional control and thinking about one's own emotions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah I Mossad
- Department of Diagnostic ImagingThe Hospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoOntarioCanada
- Neurosciences & Mental HealthSickKids Research InstituteTorontoOntarioCanada
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Christine Muscat
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Elizabeth W. Pang
- Neurosciences & Mental HealthSickKids Research InstituteTorontoOntarioCanada
- Division of NeurologyHospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Margot Taylor
- Department of Diagnostic ImagingThe Hospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoOntarioCanada
- Neurosciences & Mental HealthSickKids Research InstituteTorontoOntarioCanada
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioCanada
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