Accumulating evidence suggests that the role of cerebellum includes regulation of behaviors; Cerebellar impairment may lead to behavioral problems. Behavioral problems differ by sex: internalizing problems are more common in girls, externalizing problems in boys. Behavioral problems are also elevated in children born preterm (PT) compared to children born full-term (FT). The current study examined internalizing and externalizing problems in 8-year-old children in relation to sex, birth-group, FA of the cerebellar peduncles, and interactions among these predictor variables. Participants (N=78) were 44 boys (28 PT) and 34 girls (15 PT). We assessed behavioral problems via standardized parent-reports and FA of the cerebellar peduncles using deterministic tractography. Internalizing problems were higher in children born PT compared to children born FT (p=.032); the interaction of sex and birth-group was significant (p=.044). When considering the contribution of the mean-tract FA of cerebellar peduncles to behavioral problems, there was a significant interaction of sex and mean-tract FA of the ICP with internalizing problems; the slope was negative in girls (p=.020) but not boys. In boys, internalizing problems were only associated with mean-tract FA ICP in those born preterm (p=.010). We found no other significant associations contributing to internalizing or externalizing problems. Thus, we found sexual dimorphism and birth-group differences in the association of white matter metrics of the ICP and internalizing problems in school-aged children. The findings inform theories of the origins of internalizing behavioral problems in middle childhood and may suggest approaches to treatment at school age.

中文翻译：

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足月和早产男孩和女孩小脑脚的行为问题和白质特性的关联

越来越多的证据表明，小脑的作用包括调节行为；小脑损伤可能导致行为问题。行为问题因性别而异：内化问题多见于女孩，外化问题多见于男孩。与足月出生 (FT) 的儿童相比，早产 (PT) 儿童的行为问题也有所增加。目前的研究检查了 8 岁儿童的内化和外化问题，这些问题与性别、出生组、小脑脚的 FA 以及这些预测变量之间的相互作用有关。参与者 ( N=78) 是 44 名男孩 (28 PT) 和 34 名女孩 (15 PT)。我们通过标准化的父母报告和使用确定性纤维束成像的小脑脚 FA 来评估行为问题。与 FT 出生的儿童相比，PT 出生的儿童的内化问题更高（p =.032）；性别和出生组之间的相互作用是显着的 ( p =.044)。当考虑小脑脚的平均道 FA 对行为问题的贡献时，性别和 ICP 的平均道 FA 与内化问题之间存在显着的相互作用；女孩的斜率是负的 ( p =.020)，但不是男孩。在男孩中，内化问题仅与早产儿的平均道 FA ICP 相关（p=.010）。我们没有发现其他有助于内化或外化问题的重要关联。因此，我们发现 ICP 的白质指标与学龄儿童的内化问题之间存在性别二态性和出生组差异。这些发现为儿童中期内化行为问题的起源提供了理论依据，并可能为学龄期的治疗方法提供建议。