Music impacts brain cortical microstructural maturation in very preterm infants: A longitudinal diffusion MR imaging study

• DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101254
• Publication Date: 2023-05-11T22:07:15Z
• Authors: Joana Sa de Almeida; Olivier Baud; Sebastien Fau; Francisca Barcos-...; Sebastien Courvoi...; Lara Lordier; François Lazeyras; Petra S. Hüppi
• Keywords: Grey matter

Preterm birth disrupts important neurodevelopmental processes occurring from mid-fetal to term-age. Musicotherapy, by enriching infants' sensory input, might enhance brain maturation during this critical period of activity-dependent plasticity. To study the impact music on preterm structural changes, we recruited 54 very infants randomized receive or not a daily intervention, that have undergone longitudinal multi-shell diffusion MRI acquisition, before intervention (at 33 weeks' gestational age) and after it term-equivalent-age). Using whole-brain fixel-based (FBA) NODDI analysis (n = 40), showed increase fiber cross-section (FC) density (FD) in all major cerebral white matter fibers. Regarding cortical grey matter, FD decreased while FC orientation dispersion index (ODI) increased, reflecting intracortical multidirectional complexification myelination. The resulted significantly higher ODI paralimbic regions, namely insulo-orbito-temporopolar complex, precuneus/posterior cingulate gyrus, as well auditory association cortex. Our results support early macro microstructural infants. led an increased complexity regions for socio-emotional development, known be impaired