Journal article
Neonatal Brain Abnormalities Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children Born Very Preterm
Alexandra M Ure, Karli Treyvaud, Deanne K Thompson, Leona Pascoe, Gehan Roberts, Katherine J Lee, Marc L Seal, Elisabeth Northam, Jeanie L Cheong, Rod W Hunt, Terrie Inder, Lex W Doyle, Peter J Anderson
Autism Research | WILEY-BLACKWELL | Published : 2016
DOI: 10.1002/aur.1558
Abstract
Very preterm (VP) survivors are at increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared with term-born children. This study explored whether neonatal magnetic resonance (MR) brain features differed in VP children with and without ASD at 7 years. One hundred and seventy-two VP children (<30 weeks' gestation or <1250 g birth weight) underwent structural brain MR scans at term equivalent age (TEA; 40 weeks' gestation ±2 weeks) and were assessed for ASD at 7 years of age. The presence and severity of white matter, cortical gray matter, deep nuclear gray matter, and cerebellar abnormalities were assessed, and total and regional brain volumes were measured. ASD was diagnosed using a standardi..
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Awarded by National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Acknowledgements
This study was supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council (Project Grant 237117; Senior Research Fellowship 1081288 to P.J.A); The Royal Women's Hospital Research Foundation; the Brockhoff Foundation; and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute and the Victorian Government's Operational Infrastructure Support Program. We thank families involved in the research and acknowledge the contributions of the Victorian Infant Brain Studies team.