Table 1.
Clinical characteristics of preterm infants
| Infant ID | Gestational age (weeks) | Birth weight (g) | Reason for preterm delivery | Comorbidities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 25 + 6 | 870 | Preeclampsia | Bronchopulmonary dysplasia |
| 02 | 26 + 2 | 920 | PROM | None |
| 03 | 27 + 1 | 980 | Spontaneous preterm labor | None |
| 04 | 26 + 0 | 860 | Spontaneous preterm labor | Hyperbilirubinemia |
| 05 | 25 + 5 | 910 | Preeclampsia | Bronchopulmonary dysplasia |
Table 2.
The calculated shape coefficient for PF subcortical fields
| Region | Shape coefficient |
|---|---|
| DL | 4.5 |
| DM | 6.1 |
| OL | 6.4 |
| OM | 6.5 |
Table 3.
The calculated CE for the estimated volume of the DLPFC subfield
| 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.3 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | CE (%) | 2.176 | 4.145 | 6.46 |
| V (mm3) | 8.428 | 8.152 | 8.316 | |
| 3 | CE (%) | 2.231 | 4.254 | 6.546 |
| V (mm3) | 8.424 | 8.154 | 8.343 | |
| 4 | CE (%) | 2.348 | 4.382 | 6.717 |
| V (mm3) | 8.480 | 8.192 | 8.352 | |
| 5 | CE (%) | 2.729 | 4.899 | 7.14 |
| V (mm3) | 8.175 | 7.900 | 8.250 |
Table 4.
The calculated CE for the estimated volume of the DMPFC subfield
| 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.3 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | CE (%) | 4.05 | 8.468 | 12.161 |
| V (mm3) | 7.276 | 8.016 | 8.496 | |
| 3 | CE (%) | 4.097 | 8.499 | 12.264 |
| V (mm3) | 7.290 | 8.028 | 8.505 | |
| 4 | CE (%) | 4.201 | 8.627 | 12.384 |
| V (mm3) | 7.280 | 8.032 | 8.496 | |
| 5 | CE (%) | 4.282 | 8.698 | 12.249 |
| V (mm3) | 7.325 | 8.050 | 8.550 |
Table 5.
The calculated CE for the estimated volume of the OLPFC subfield
| 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.3 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | CE (%) | 1.992 | 4.256 | 6.078 |
| V (mm3) | 8.592 | 8.224 | 8.208 | |
| 3 | CE (%) | 2.119 | 1.136 | 1.402 |
| V (mm3) | 8.577 | 8.190 | 8.208 | |
| 4 | CE (%) | 1.188 | 1.734 | 2.15 |
| V (mm3) | 8.640 | 8.288 | 8.256 | |
| 5 | CE (%) | 1.659 | 2.42 | 2.986 |
| V (mm3) | 8.650 | 8.300 | 8.325 | |
| 6 | CE (%) | 2.183 | 3.188 | 3.928 |
| V (mm3) | 8.640 | 8.280 | 8.316 | |
| 7 | CE (%) | 2.732 | 3.999 | 4.922 |
| V (mm3) | 8.722 | 8.330 | 8.379 |
Table 6.
The calculated CE for the estimated volume of the OMPFC subfield
| 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.3 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | CE (%) | 3.227 | 6.36 | 7.946 |
| V (mm3) | 6.544 | 7.064 | 7.464 | |
| 3 | CE (%) | 3.449 | 4.944 | 8.047 |
| V (mm3) | 6.831 | 7.614 | 7.479 | |
| 4 | CE (%) | 3.393 | 6.493 | 8.071 |
| V (mm3) | 6.576 | 7.072 | 7.488 | |
| 5 | CE (%) | 3.688 | 6.841 | 8.567 |
| V (mm3) | 6.550 | 7.100 | 7.500 | |
| 6 | CE (%) | 3.866 | 6.899 | 8.639 |
| V (mm3) | 6.516 | 7.056 | 7.344 | |
| 7 | CE (%) | 4.243 | 7.38 | 8.999 |
| V (mm3) | 6.468 | 6.958 | 7.350 |
Table 7.
Recommended stereological parameters
| PFC subfield | Grid size (pixels) | Slice gap (cm) | Shape coefficient √B/√√A | CE (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DL | 4 × 4 | 0.2 | 4.5 | 4.38 |
| DM | 5 × 5 | 0.1 | 6.1 | 4.28 |
| OL | 5 × 5 | 0.3 | 6.4 | 3.92 |
| OM | 5 × 5 | 0.1 | 6.5 | 3.86 |
Figure 1.
Cross-sectional area point counting (points removed) for the DL PFC and OL PFC (the upper and lower left frames, respectively). Boundary length estimation for the DL PFC and OL PFC (the upper and lower right frames, respectively). The stereological grids appear as red crosses in the cross-sectional area point counting, and as red lines in the boundary length estimation. The yellow crosses indicated demonstrate the intersections between the structure boundaries and the grid. DL, dorsolateral; OL, orbitolateral; PFC, prefrontal cortex.