To explore associations between psychiatric symptoms and cerebral magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities in low-birth-weight adolescents, 55 very low-birth-weight (or=10th centile) were assessed at 14-15 years of age. Outcome measures were Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Rating Scale IV, Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire, and qualitatively assessed cerebral magnetic resonance images. The very low-birth-weight group manifested increased prevalence of psychiatric symptoms and disorders compared with controls (P < 0.001), especially symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and high frequency of ventricular dilatation, white matter reduction, thinning of corpus callosum, and gliosis (P < 0.01 vs controls). ⋯ The term small for gestational age group had increased prevalence of psychiatric symptoms compared with control subjects, but not more frequent abnormalities on cerebral magnetic resonance imaging. In conclusion, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms were significantly associated with white matter reduction and thinning of corpus callosum in very low-birth-weight adolescents. No associations were found for other psychiatric symptoms and brain abnormalities in any of the groups.
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