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Neurobehavioral Assessments in a Mouse Model of Neonatal Hypoxic-ischemic Brain Injury
Published on: November 24, 2017
Disruption to functional networks in neonates with perinatal brain injury predicts motor skills at 8 months
Annika C Linke1, Conor Wild2, Leire Zubiaurre-Elorza2
1Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, Canada; Brain Development Imaging Lab, San Diego State University, San Diego, USA.
Insights
Functional connectivity MRI in neonates with perinatal brain injury predicts motor impairment. Disrupted somatomotor and frontoparietal networks are key indicators, guiding potential interventions for early development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Pediatric Neurology
Background:
- Perinatal brain injury in neonates can lead to motor impairments.
- Early prediction of motor deficits is crucial for timely intervention.
- Understanding the relationship between early brain organization and later motor skills is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess functional brain networks in neonates with perinatal brain injury using functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (fcMRI).
- To quantitatively evaluate the relationship between early brain network organization and subsequent motor skill development.
- To determine if fcMRI can predict motor impairment before clinical symptoms manifest.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 65 infants (53 in final analysis) recruited from neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).
- Infants were stratified by age at birth (premature vs. term) and presence of neuropathology on structural MRI.
- Functional brain networks were assessed using 14 minutes of fcMRI during natural sleep at term-equivalent age.
Main Results:
- Disruption in the somatomotor and frontoparietal executive networks predicted motor impairment at 4 and 8 months of age.
- This functional connectivity disruption was independent of clinical group differences or specific clinical course measures.
- fcMRI predictions were significant even when considering other clinical measures, including structural MRI.
Conclusions:
- Functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (fcMRI) is a valuable tool for predicting motor impairment in neonates with perinatal brain injury.
- Disruption to both somatomotor and frontoparietal executive networks impacts motor learning and early development.
- Distinct intervention strategies may be required to address disruptions in these specific networks.
Objective:
Functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (fcMRI) of neonates with perinatal brain injury could improve prediction of motor impairment before symptoms manifest, and establish how early brain organization relates to subsequent development. This cohort study is the first to describe and quantitatively assess functional brain networks and their relation to later motor skills in neonates with a diverse range of perinatal brain injuries.
Methods:
Infants (n = 65, included in final analyses: n = 53) were recruited from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and were stratified based on their age at birth (premature vs. term), and on whether neuropathology was diagnosed from structural MRI. Functional brain networks and a measure of disruption to functional connectivity were obtained from 14 min of fcMRI acquired during natural sleep at term-equivalent age.
Results:
Disruption to connectivity of the somatomotor and frontoparietal executive networks predicted motor impairment at 4 and 8 months. This disruption in functional connectivity was not found to be driven by differences between clinical groups, or by any of the specific measures we captured to describe the clinical course.
Conclusion:
fcMRI was predictive over and above other clinical measures available at discharge from the NICU, including structural MRI. Motor learning was affected by disruption to somatomotor networks, but also frontoparietal executive networks, which supports the functional importance of these networks in early development. Disruption to these two networks might be best addressed by distinct intervention strategies.
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