Development of human brain cortical network architecture during infancy.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Neuroscience
• Brain Imaging

Background:

• The mature functional network architecture of the brain is well-understood, but its early developmental emergence is largely unknown.
• Understanding early brain development is crucial for identifying developmental trajectories and potential deviations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the developmental process of the brain's functional network architecture during the first two years of life.
• To investigate the topology and growth trajectories of cortical functional networks in early development.

Main Methods:

• Utilized longitudinal resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) scans from 143 subjects (333 datasets).
• Applied spatial independent component analysis and longitudinal linear mixed-effect modeling to analyze network organization and connectivity.
• Examined both within-network and between-network functional connectivity.

Main Results:

• Primary brain networks exhibited adult-like topology in neonates, while higher-order networks showed incomplete organization and isolation, synchronizing over the first two years.
• Observed both increases and decreases in between-network connectivity, with decreases being more prevalent.
• Identified significant sex differences, with boys showing accelerated network-level connectivity increases in frontoparietal networks.

Conclusions:

• The study delineates the development of whole-brain functional architecture in the first two years of life.
• Significant changes in both within- and between-network interactions shape early brain functional organization.
• Sex-specific developmental trajectories exist for key brain networks.