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Development of Microstructural and Morphological Cortical Profiles in the Neonatal Brain
Daphna Fenchel1,2,3, Ralica Dimitrova2,3,4, Jakob Seidlitz5,6
1MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, SE1 1UL, UK.
Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)
|June 16, 2020
Summary
Brain development in infants shows distinct network changes during the perinatal period. These findings establish a baseline for understanding atypical neurodevelopmental trajectories.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Neurodevelopmental interruptions can have lasting effects.
- Understanding typical brain development is crucial for identifying deviations.
- Early brain connectivity forms the foundation for functional circuits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure the evolution of cortical architecture in typically developing infants.
- To establish normative reference data for early brain development.
- To investigate changes in morphometric similarity networks (MSN) during the perinatal period.
Main Methods:
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to assess cortical profiles in 241 infants.
- Cortical morphometry and microstructure were analyzed between 37-44 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA).
- Inter-areal network similarity was calculated using profile covariance to form MSNs, which were then clustered.
Main Results:
- Clustered MSNs corresponded to known functional brain regions (sensory-motor, limbic, association) and cytoarchitectonic classes.
- Posterior regions showed increased morphometric similarity with age, while peri-cingulate and medial temporal regions became more dissimilar.
- Within-network similarity increased with age, indicating emerging network distinctions.
Conclusions:
- Cortical network architecture undergoes dynamic changes during the perinatal period (37-44 weeks PMA).
- These age-related changes in network similarity likely support critical developmental processes.
- The established cortical profiles offer a normative baseline for studying atypical early brain development.
