Sex difference in brain white matter and relevant neurobehavioral development: preterm vs. term neonates

Motivation: Preterm male present high risk for neurodevelopmental disability. However, sex differences in preterm neurodevelopmental characterization is not yet known. Goal(s): Investigate sex differences in neurodevelopmental evolution of preterm by exploring the postnatal age-related changes of brain white matter (WM) and neurobehavioral abilities. Approach: The diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) parameter FA was applied to indirectly reflect the changes of brain white matter microstructure. Results: The FA in preterm neonates is lower than term neonates which increased with postnatal age in both. Male presented significantly higher growth rate in certain brain regions compared with female especially for preterm male. Impact: Preterm male showed higher growth rate in certain brain regions which indicate a “catch-up” pattern toward the term neonates and this finding may suggest that certain intervention would be expected to work well in improving the preterm male outcome.