Adult outcome of preterm birth: Implications for neurodevelopmental theories of psychosis

Preterm birth is associated with an elevated risk of developmental and adult psychiatric disorders, including psy-chosis. In this review, we evaluate the implications of neurodevelopmental, cognitive, motor, and social sequelae of preterm birth for developing psychosis, with an emphasis on outcomes observed in adulthood. Abnormal brain development precipitated by early exposure to the extra-uterine environment, and exacerbated by neuroinflam-mation, neonatal brain injury, and genetic vulnerability, can result in alterations of brain structure and function persisting into adulthood. These alterations, including abnormal regional brain volumes and white matter macro -and micro-structure, can critically impair functional (e.g. frontoparietal and thalamocortical) network connectiv-ity in a manner characteristic of psychotic illness. The resulting executive, social, and motor dysfunctions may constitute the basis for behavioural vulnerability ultimately giving rise to psychotic symptomatology. There are many pathways to psychosis, but elucidating more precisely the mechanisms whereby preterm birth increases risk may shed light on that route consequent upon early neurodevelopmental insult.(c) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Automated summary

Preterm birth is associated with an elevated risk of developmental and adult psychiatric disorders, including psychosis, which can be attributed to abnormal brain development and alterations in brain structure and function.