Mapping the early cortical folding process in the preterm newborn brain.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Biology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Cortical sulci formation is a complex developmental process beginning in gestation.
• Understanding early brain folding mechanisms is limited by a lack of in vivo quantification.
• The critical period for human cortex maturation occurs between 26-36 weeks of gestation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate early sulcal emergence noninvasively in preterm newborns.
• To quantify changes in sulcation related to age, gender, and white matter lesions.
• To establish early indicators for cortical functional specialization and abnormalities.

Main Methods:

• Utilized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 35 preterm newborns (26-36 weeks gestational age).
• Applied advanced postprocessing tools for three-dimensional reconstruction of cortex-white matter interface.
• Correlated sulcal patterns with volumetric measurements, age, gender, and white matter lesions.

Main Results:

• Documented early in vivo sulcation and quantified age-related changes.
• Observed trends of smaller cortical and white matter volumes in females, with equivalent sulcation compared to males.
• Highlighted significant interindividual variability and interhemispheric asymmetries in sulcal development, notably the superior temporal sulcus.

Conclusions:

• Noninvasive in vivo quantification of early cortical folding is feasible.
• Early sulcation patterns show variability influenced by age, gender, and potentially white matter integrity.
• This approach can serve as an early indicator for neurodevelopmental outcomes and genetic/environmental influences.