Earliest predictors of language outcomes in high-risk infants

在美国，每九个婴儿中就有一个早产。言语、语言和听力障碍 (SLD)是儿童最常见的神经发育障碍之一，尤其是 在早产幸存者中。约40%的极早产儿(≤32周胎龄) 当10%的人患有永久性听力损失时，会出现言语语言障碍，这会增加 对沟通困难的影响。目前，不可能在第一时间准确地预测 几年的生活中，孩子们会患上言语语言障碍，而言语- 语言治疗是为早产儿提供的所有干预措施中延迟最多的。这样的一种 先进的将促进早期干预和研究治疗期间的关键窗口 最佳神经可塑性。我们的中心假设是言语语言障碍的预测是 有可能在3米修正年龄(CA)之前，结合结构和 用磁共振成像、诱发反应测量大脑功能连接性 语音处理，以及新颖的敏感化听力措施。主要目标是(1)确定 预测SLD的早产儿脑连接缺陷的生物标志物；(2)确定 早产儿言语处理障碍和各种程度的听力损失；以及 利用先进的生物标记物开发早产儿不良言语的预测模型， 两年和三年CA的语言和识字前成绩。这项提案将提前入学。 在一项前瞻性研究中，婴儿将完成全面的语音-语言和前 在加州大学的2年和3年的识字评估。和36米CA。首要目标是开发一种 稳健的预测模型，使用创新措施，以实现早期识别儿童在 系统性红斑狼疮的高风险。

One in every nine babies in the US is born preterm. Speech, language and hearing disorders (SLD) are among the most prevalent neurodevelopmental disorders in children, especially among very preterm survivors. About 40% of very preterm infants (≤32 weeks gestational age) develop speech-language disorders while 10% have permanent hearing loss, increasing the impact on communication difficulties. Currently, it is not possible to accurately predict in the first several years of life which children will develop speech-language disorders, and speech- language therapy is the most delayed of any intervention provided to preterm infants. Such an advance would facilitate early intervention and research therapies during critical windows of optimal neuroplasticity. Our central hypothesis is that prediction of speech-language disorders is possible by 3 m corrected age (CA) with combined innovative measures of structural and functional brain connectivity with magnetic resonance imaging, evoked response measures of speech processing, and novel, sensitized hearing measures. Primary aims are to (1) Identify biomarkers of brain connectivity deficits in very preterm infants that predict SLD; (2) Identify impaired speech processing and all degrees of hearing loss in very preterm infants; and (3) Develop predictive models using advanced biomarkers in preterm infants for adverse speech, language and pre-literacy outcomes at 2 and 3 years CA. This proposal will enroll very preterm infants in a prospective study that will complete comprehensive speech-language and pre- literacy assessments at 2 and 3 years CA. and 36 m CA. The overarching goal is to develop a robust prediction model using innovative measures to enable early identification of children at high risk for SLD.