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Differential Information Flow in Adults Born Very Preterm in Comparison to Term-born

Poster No:

270 

Submission Type:

Abstract Submission 

Authors:

Neeraj Upadhyay1, Marcel Daamen1, Angelika Maurer1, Aurore Menegaux2, Benita Schmitz-Koep2, Dennis Hedderich2, Christian Sorg3, Dieter Wolke4, Peter Bartmann5, Henning Boecker1

Institutions:

1Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, NRW, 2TUM-Neuroimaging Center of Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Bavaria, 3Department of Psychiatry, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Bavaria, 4Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Warwick, CV4 7AL, 5Department of Neonatology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, NRW

First Author:

Neeraj Upadhyay  
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Bonn
Bonn, NRW

Co-Author(s):

Marcel Daamen  
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Bonn
Bonn, NRW
Angelika Maurer  
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Bonn
Bonn, NRW
Aurore Menegaux  
TUM-Neuroimaging Center of Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München
Munich, Bavaria
Benita Schmitz-Koep  
TUM-Neuroimaging Center of Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München
Munich, Bavaria
Dennis Hedderich  
TUM-Neuroimaging Center of Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München
Munich, Bavaria
Christian Sorg  
Department of Psychiatry, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München
Munich, Bavaria
Dieter Wolke  
Department of Psychology, University of Warwick
Warwick, CV4 7AL
Peter Bartmann  
Department of Neonatology, University Hospital Bonn
Bonn, NRW
Henning Boecker  
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Bonn
Bonn, NRW

Introduction:

Adults born very preterm (VP) show structural and functional brain changes compared to adults born full term (FT) (Vanes et al., 2022; Kelly et al., 2023). Previous studies have shown that these changes may reflect abnormal brain activity that leads to deficits in attention and executive functions in VP children and adults (Daamen et al., 2015; Finke et al., 2015). A recent study that incorporated complex modeling reported suboptimal transmission of information related to premature birth in children (Padilla et al., 2020). Determining whether these early cognitive and neurodevelopmental difficulties affect information processing pathways later in life is essential elucidating their relevance for aberrant executive functioning in adulthood (Nosarti et al., 2007).

Methods:

We retrospectively analyzed MR data from 67 VP (age (M±SD)= 26.6±0.57; sex(M:F)= 42:25) and 91 FT (age (M±SD)= 26.8±0.69; sex(M:F)= 54:37) adults, from the 26-year assessments of the Bavarian Longitudinal Study (BLS) (Madzwamuse et al., 2015). Attention and executive functioning were assessed behaviorally using the Visual Search and Attention Test (VSAT; (Trenerry et al., 1990)) and Attention Network Test (ANT; (Fan et al., 2002)). MRI data were acquired at two sites, using 3T Philips Achieva TX systems (Philips, Best, the Netherlands) and Philips Ingenia equipped with 8-channel SENSE head coils. MRI sequences were harmonized across sites and included T1-weigthed, diffusion weighted images (DWI) and resting state functional MRI (rs-fMRI). Preprocessing of rs-fMRI included motion correction, registration, high-pass filtering and single subject independent component analysis (ICA) in FSL-FEAT (https://fsl.fmrib.ox.ac.uk/fsl/docs/#/task_fmri/feat/index ). Further, denoising was performed using ICA-FIX. Parallelly, DTI data were preprocessed to correct for distortions, motion and eddy currents as well as to obtain an anatomically constrained tractogram. Subsequently, functional and structural connectivity matrices were obtained using the AAL atlas (90 ROI's). Finally, we used open access code to calculate model-based information propagation using communicability (https://github.com/mb-BCA/NetDynFlow). Two-sample t-tests were used to compare the communicability measures (listener and broadcaster) at each ROI between VP and FT adults. The results were corrected for multiple comparisons and reported at p<0.01(FDR). We also assessed Pearson correlations between the global communicability measures and VSAT and ANT scores.

Results:

Compared to FT, VP adults showed significantly lower performance for the VSAT (t(152)= -3.25, p= 0.001, Cohen's d= -0.53) and stronger congruency effects in the ANT task (t(153)= 3.14, p= 0.002, Cohen's d= 0.51), indicating weaker executive attention functions. We observed significantly decreased communicability in fronto-temporo-parieto-occipital regions as listener and broadcaster in VP compared to FT adults (Figure 1A and Table 1). In contrast, we also observed increased broadcasting in angular gyrus in VP adults. Furthermore, congruency scores in VP adults negatively correlated with global dynamic communicability as listener (r= -0.310, p= 0.014) and broadcaster (r= -0.310, p= 0.014) (Figure 1B). Neither VSAT nor ANT alerting and orienting showed association with global communicability measures.
Supporting Image: Figure1.png
   ·Figure 1
Supporting Image: Table1.png
   ·Table 1
 

Conclusions:

We observed decreased information propagation in cortical and sub-cortical regions, suggesting that suboptimal processing observed in VP children (Padilla et al., 2020) persists into adulthood. In contrast, increased information processing in right angular gyrus might be related to compensatory mechanisms. Furthermore, we observed lower global communicability as listener and broadcaster to be associated with slower interference resolution in the ANT task in VP adults only. Hence, data suggest aberrant executive functioning to be linked with lower information propagation in VP adults.

Disorders of the Nervous System:

Neurodevelopmental/ Early Life (eg. ADHD, autism) 1

Higher Cognitive Functions:

Executive Function, Cognitive Control and Decision Making 2

Modeling and Analysis Methods:

Connectivity (eg. functional, effective, structural)

Perception, Attention and Motor Behavior:

Attention: Visual

Keywords:

ADULTS
Aging
Cognition
Computational Neuroscience
Development
FUNCTIONAL MRI
Modeling
STRUCTURAL MRI

1|2Indicates the priority used for review

Abstract Information

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Were any human subjects research approved by the relevant Institutional Review Board or ethics panel? NOTE: Any human subjects studies without IRB approval will be automatically rejected.

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Please indicate which methods were used in your research:

Functional MRI
Structural MRI
Diffusion MRI
Behavior
Neuropsychological testing

For human MRI, what field strength scanner do you use?

3.0T

Which processing packages did you use for your study?

FSL
Other, Please list  -   Matlab and python based scripts

Provide references using APA citation style.

Daamen et al., (2015). Neural correlates of executive attention in adults born very preterm. NeuroImage. Clinical, 9, 581–591. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nicl.2015.09.002
Fan et al., (2002). Testing the Efficiency and Independence of Attentional Networks. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 14(3), 340–347. https://doi.org/10.1162/089892902317361886
Finke et al., (2015). Visual attention in preterm born adults: Specifically impaired attentional sub-mechanisms that link with altered intrinsic brain networks in a compensation-like mode. NeuroImage, 107, 95–106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.11.062
Kelly et al., (2023). Long-lasting effects of very preterm birth on brain structure in adulthood: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 147, 105082. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105082
Madzwamuse et al., (2015). Neuro-cognitive performance of very preterm or very low birth weight adults at 26 years. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 56(8), 857–864. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12358
Nosarti et al., (2007). Impaired executive functioning in young adults born very preterm. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society: JINS, 13(4), 571–581. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1355617707070725
Padilla et al., (2020). Breakdown of Whole-brain Dynamics in Preterm-born Children. Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y.: 1991), 30(3), 1159–1170. https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhz156
Vanes et al., (2022). Adult outcome of preterm birth: Implications for neurodevelopmental theories of psychosis. Schizophrenia Research, 247, 41–54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2021.04.007
Trenerry et al., (1990). Visual search and attention test: Professional manual. PAR Psychological assessment resources, Incorporated.

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