Segmental brain volumes and cognitive and perceptual correlates in 15-year-old adolescents with low birth weight

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether preterm very low birth weight (VLBW) or term born small for gestational age (SGA) adolescents have reduced regional brain volumes. We also asked which perinatal factors are related to reduced brain volume in VLBW adolescents, which regional brain volumes are associated with cognitive and perceptual functioning, and if these differ between the groups.
STUDY DESIGN: Fifty adolescent preterm VLBW ( RESULTS: The VLBW group had reduced volumes for thalamus and cerebellar white matter (P CONCLUSIONS: We speculate that white matter injury may explain the impaired cognitive and perceptual functioning in the prematurely born, whereas hippocampal injury may be related to cognitive dysfunction in term SGA adolescents.