Neonatal hypoxia, hippocampal atrophy, and memory impairment: evidence of a causal sequence

Cooper, J. M. et al. (2015) Neonatal hypoxia, hippocampal atrophy, and memory impairment: evidence of a causal sequence. Cerebral Cortex, 25(6), pp. 1469-1476. (doi: 10.1093/cercor/bht332) (PMID:24343890) (PMCID:PMC4428295)

Abstract

Neonates treated for acute respiratory failure experience episodes of hypoxia. The hippocampus, a structure essential for memory, is particularly vulnerable to such insults. Hence, some neonates undergoing treatment for acute respiratory failure might sustain bilateral hippocampal pathology early in life and memory problems later in childhood. We investigated this possibility in a cohort of 40 children who had been treated neonatally for acute respiratory failure but were free of overt neurological impairment. The cohort had mean hippocampal volumes (HVs) significantly below normal control values, memory scores significantly below the standard population means, and memory quotients significantly below those predicted by their full scale IQs. Brain white matter volume also fell below the volume of the controls, but brain gray matter volumes and scores on nonmnemonic neuropsychological tests were within the normal range. Stepwise linear regression models revealed that the cohort's HVs were predictive of degree of memory impairment, and gestational age at treatment was predictive of HVs: the younger the age, the greater the atrophy. We conclude that many neonates treated for acute respiratory failure sustain significant hippocampal atrophy as a result of the associated hypoxia and, consequently, show deficient memory later in life.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Munoz, Dr Monica
• Authors: Cooper, J. M., Gadian, D. G., Jentschke, S., Goldman, A., Muñoz, M., Pitts, G., Banks, T., Chong, W. K., Hoskote, A., Deanfield, J., Baldeweg, T., de Haan, M., Mishkin, M., and Vargha-Khadem, F.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Life Sciences
• Journal Name: Cerebral Cortex
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• ISSN: 1047-3211
• ISSN (Online): 1460-2199
• Published Online: 15 December 2013
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2015 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Cerebral Cortex 25(6):1469-1476
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License