Experience of early-life pain in premature infants is associated with atypical cerebellar development and later neurodevelopmental deficits.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Infants born very and extremely premature (V/EPT) are at a significantly elevated risk for neurodevelopmental disorders and delays even in the absence of structural brain injuries. These risks may be due to earlier-than-typical exposure to the extrauterine environment, and its bright lights, loud noises, and exposures to painful procedures. Given the relative underdeveloped pain modulatory responses in these infants, frequent pain exposures may confer risk for later deficits.

Methods

Resting-state fMRI scans were collected at term equivalent age from 148 (45% male) infants born V/EPT and 99 infants (56% male) born at term age. Functional connectivity analyses were performed between functional regions correlating connectivity to the number of painful skin break pro

SUBMITTER: Cook KM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10644599 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature