BACKGROUND The cingulum bundle (CB), specifically the dorsal anterior portion of the CB, plays an important role in psychiatric illnesses; however, its role during early development is unclear. This study investigated whether neonatal white matter microstructure in the CB and its subregions is associated with subsequent preterm behavioral phenotype symptoms (internalizing, inattention, and social deficits) in very preterm (VPT) children. METHODS Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging data were obtained on a 3T scanner in 138 sleeping nonsedated neonates: 55 full-term neonates (gestational age ≥ 36 weeks) and 83 VPT neonates (gestational age < 30 weeks). The CB was tracked using probabilistic tractography and split into anterior and posterior portions. When children were 5 years of age, parents (n = 80) and teachers (n = 63) of VPT children completed questionnaires of preterm behavioral phenotype symptoms. Linear regression models were used to relate measures of neonatal CB microstructure and childhood preterm behavioral phenotype symptoms (n = 56 parent report, n = 45 teacher report). RESULTS Mean diffusivity in the anterior and posterior CB was increased in VPT neonates compared with full-term neonates. Increased fractional anisotropy and decreased mean diffusivity in the right anterior CB, but not in the posterior CB, were related to increased preterm behavioral phenotype symptoms in VPT children as reported by parents and teachers. CONCLUSIONS Aberrations in the anterior portion of the right CB may underlie the early development of the preterm behavioral phenotype. This finding provides the foundation for future mechanistic and therapeutic investigations into the role of the anterior cingulum in the development of psychopathology in VPT infants.

中文翻译：

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极早产新生儿背侧前扣带束的微观结构预测 5 岁时的“早产行为表型”

背景 扣带束 (CB)，特别是 CB 的背侧前部，在精神疾病中发挥着重要作用。然而，它在早期发育过程中的作用尚不清楚。本研究调查了 CB 及其亚区域的新生儿白质微结构是否与极早产 (VPT) 儿童随后的早产行为表型症状（内化、注意力不集中和社交缺陷）相关。方法 通过 3T 扫描仪获取 138 名睡眠中的非镇静新生儿的弥散磁共振成像数据：55 名足月新生儿（胎龄≥ 36 周）和 83 名 VPT 新生儿（胎龄 < 30 周）。使用概率纤维束描记术跟踪 CB 并将其分为前部和后部。当孩子 5 岁时，VPT 孩子的父母（n = 80）和老师（n = 63）完成了早产行为表型症状的问卷调查。使用线性回归模型将新生儿 CB 微观结构的测量与儿童早产行为表型症状联系起来（n = 56 名家长报告，n = 45 名教师报告）。结果 与足月新生儿相比，VPT 新生儿的前部和后部 CB 的平均扩散率有所增加。据家长和老师报告，右前 CB 分数各向异性增加和平均扩散率降低，但后 CB 中没有，与 VPT 儿童早产行为表型症状增加有关。结论 右侧 CB 前部的畸变可能是早产行为表型早期发展的基础。这一发现为未来前扣带回在 VPT 婴儿精神病理学发展中的作用的机制和治疗研究奠定了基础。