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Use of resting-state functional MRI to study brain development and injury in neonates
Christopher D Smyser1, Jeffrey J Neil2
1Department of Neurology, Division of Child Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110.
Insights
Resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) offers new insights into infant brain development. This review covers its application in neonates, technical challenges, and findings on normal and abnormal brain development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) is increasingly used to study early brain development.
- Understanding functional cerebral development in neonates is crucial for identifying developmental trajectories and potential issues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the evolving understanding and application of rs-fMRI in neonatal research.
- To discuss technical considerations and summarize current literature on neonatal brain development using rs-fMRI.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on rs-fMRI in neonatal studies.
- Focus on cortical and resting-state network development.
- Discussion of technical challenges like motion and image distortion.
Main Results:
- rs-fMRI provides insights into early functional cerebral development in infants.
- The review summarizes findings on normal development, effects of prematurity, and cerebral injury.
- Technical challenges in neonatal rs-fMRI acquisition and analysis are highlighted.
Conclusions:
- rs-fMRI is a valuable tool for studying neonatal brain development.
- Addressing technical challenges is key for robust neonatal rs-fMRI research.
- Future directions include integrating complementary imaging and advanced analyses.
Abstract:
Advances in methodology have led to expanded application of resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) to the study of term and prematurely born infants during the first years of life, providing fresh insight into the earliest forms of functional cerebral development. In this review, we detail our evolving understanding of the use of rs-fMRI for studying neonates. We initially focus on the biological processes of cortical development related to resting-state network development. We then review technical issues principally affecting neonatal investigations, including the effects of subject motion during acquisition and image distortions related to magnetic susceptibility effects. We next summarize the literature in which rs-fMRI is used to study normal brain development during the early postnatal period, the effects of prematurity, and the effects of cerebral injury. Finally, we review potential future directions for the field, such as the use of complementary imaging modalities and advanced analysis techniques.
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