Associations Between Preterm Birth, Inhibitory Control-Implicated Brain Regions and Tracts, and Inhibitory Control Task Performance in Children: Consideration of Socioeconomic Context

Abstract

Abstract Background: Preterm birth (PTB) is associated with increased risk for unfavorable outcomes such as deficits in attentional control and related brain structure alterations. Crucially, PTB is more likely to occur within the context of poverty. The current study examined associations between PTB and inhibitory control (IC) implicated brain regions/tracts and task performance, as well as the moderating role of early life poverty on the relation between PTB and IC regions/tracts/task performance. Methods: 2,899 children from the ABCD study were sampled for this study. Mixed effects models examined the relation between PTB and subsequent IC performance as well as prefrontal gray matter volume and white matter fractional anisotropy (FA). Household income was examined as a moderator. Results: PTB was significantly associated with less improvement in IC task performance over time and decreased FA in right uncinate fasciculus and bilateral cingulum. Early life poverty moderated the relation between PTB and bilateral cingulum FA.