Neonatal critical illness and development: white matter and hippocampus alterations in school-age neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation survivors

AIM To examine the neurobiology of long-term neuropsychological deficits after neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). METHOD This cross-sectional study assessed white matter integrity and hippocampal volume of ECMO survivors (8-15y) and healthy children (8-17y) using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) respectively. Neuropsychological outcome was evaluated in ECMO survivors. Included clinical predictors of white matter integrity: age start ECMO, ECMO duration, highest oxygenation index before ECMO, highest mean airway pressure, and mechanical ventilation duration. RESULTS ECMO survivors (n=23) had lower global fractional anisotropy than healthy children (n=54) (patients=0.368; comparison group=0.381; p=0.018), but similar global mean diffusivity (p=0.410). ECMO survivors had lower fractional anisotropy in the left cingulum bundle (ECMO survivors=0.345; comparison group=0.399; p<0.001) and higher mean diffusivity in a region of the left parahippocampal cingulum (patients=0.916; comparison group=0.871; p<0.001). Higher global mean diffusivity predicted worse verbal memory in ECMO survivors (n=17) (beta=-0.74, p=0.008). ECMO survivors (n= 23) had smaller bilateral hippocampal volume than healthy children (n= 43) (left, p<0.001; right, p<0.001) and this was related to worse verbal memory (left, beta=0.65, p=0.018; right, beta=0.71, p=0.006). INTERPRETATION Neonatal ECMO survivors are at risk for long-term brain alterations, which may partly explain long-term neuropsychological impairments. Neuroimaging may contribute to better risk stratification of long-term impairments.