Addiction neuroscience goes nuclear: A role for the transcription factor RXRα.

Preterm birth remains the leading cause of lifelong neurodevelopmental disabilities worldwide []. Extremely (< 28 weeks' gestation) to very preterm infants (28–32 weeks' gestation) are born during a critical period of rapid brain development, vulnerable to white matter and cerebellar injury [, , ]. Moreover, during their neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stay, preterm infants are frequently exposed to procedures inducing pain‐related stress (e.g., invasive skin‐breaking procedures) and treatment for neonatal morbidities, altering typical brain development []. Early life exposures, such as infections, neonatal pain, and analgesia and sedative medications are associated with regional changes in brain microstructure [, , , ]. As a result, preterm birth is often associated with abnormal brain maturation and lifelong neurodevelopmental challenges, highlighting a need for longitudinal follow‐up studies []. The cerebellum undergoes its most rapid period of development during the third trimester of pregnancy []. The co‐occurrence of this rapid cerebellar growth and foliation period and their prolonged NICU stay makes preterm infants particularly vulnerable to cerebellar injury and dysmaturation [, , ]. Smaller cerebellar volumes and altered development have been associated with supratentorial brain injury, higher procedural pain and infection, and morphine exposure in children born preterm [, , ]. Consequently, cerebellar dysmaturation and injury contribute, in part, to long‐term cognitive and behavioral dysfunctions that occur in children born preterm []. The extended period of postnatal cerebellar development makes post‐neonatal brain imaging critical to identifying the risk factors for impaired cerebellar maturation. The cerebellum has long been recognized for its involvement in motor control and coordination. In addition, its significance in many cognitive aspects, including executive function and language, has become increasingly evident []. Given the complexity of the cerebellum, understanding specific roles of prematurity‐related factors and brain injury on cerebellar development is crucial to optimize health‐related outcomes throughout childhood. The current study evaluated neonatal clinical factors associated with regionally specific cerebellar volumes and white matter pathways at 8 years of age in children born preterm (24–32 weeks' gestational age; GA). Then, we assessed the association between cerebellar development and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 8 years of age.