Walking, Gross Motor Development, and Brain Functional Connectivity in Infants and Toddlers

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Infant gross motor development is crucial for adaptive function and cognitive outcomes.
• Understanding the neural basis of early motor skills, including walking, is limited.
• Autism spectrum disorder is associated with motor dysfunction, highlighting the need to study motor development in at-risk infants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the functional brain networks associated with the emergence of walking and general gross motor abilities in infants.
• To explore how these network-behavior relationships change between 12 and 24 months of age.
• To examine these relationships in infants with varying risk levels for autism spectrum disorder.

Main Methods:

• Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fcMRI) was used to assess functional brain connectivity.
• A cohort of infants, both high and low risk for autism spectrum disorder, was studied cross-sectionally and longitudinally.
• Gross motor skills and walking ability were assessed and correlated with functional connectivity measures.

Main Results:

• At 12 months, functional connectivity in motor and default mode networks correlated with walking ability.
• By 24 months, dorsal attention and posterior cingulo-opercular networks became implicated in walking.
• General gross motor function at both 12 and 24 months involved motor and default mode networks, with additional networks (dorsal attention, cingulo-opercular, frontoparietal, subcortical) emerging at 24 months.

Conclusions:

• Changes in functional brain network connectivity underlie the development and consolidation of walking and gross motor skills during toddlerhood.
• This study provides initial insights into the neural substrates of early gross motor development.
• Findings can inform hypotheses about neural systems contributing to typical/atypical motor outcomes and neurodevelopmental disorders.