Altered functional connectivity during face processing in children born with very low birth weight

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Julie Sato1,2,3, Kristina Safar1,3, Marlee M Vandewouw1,3,4,5

  • 1Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada.

Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience
|June 5, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Very low birth weight (VLBW) children exhibit altered brain network connectivity for processing angry faces, impacting emotion recognition. This theta-band network difference suggests potential socio-emotional challenges in VLBW individuals.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Preterm birth is linked to structural brain changes in emotional processing regions.
  • Functional network alterations in very low birth weight (VLBW) children remain understudied.
  • Understanding face processing networks is crucial for VLBW child development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate functional brain networks in VLBW children during implicit emotional face processing.
  • To compare network activity between VLBW and full-term (FT) children using magnetoencephalography (MEG).
  • To explore the relationship between network function and behavioral affect recognition.

Main Methods:

  • Magnetoencephalography (MEG) was used to record brain activity in 5-year-old children.
  • Implicit processing of happy and angry faces was assessed in VLBW (n=28) and FT (n=24) groups.
  • Theta-band (4-7 Hz) functional connectivity was analyzed.

Main Results:

  • VLBW children showed reduced theta-band connectivity in response to angry faces compared to FT children.
  • This hypo-connectivity was localized to left orbitofrontal and parietal regions.
  • FT children demonstrated higher affect recognition scores, correlating positively with theta-band network recruitment.

Conclusions:

  • VLBW children exhibit atypical theta-band network function in processing angry faces, potentially impacting social functioning.
  • Theta oscillations play a significant role in early face and emotion processing.
  • Deficits in these networks may contribute to socio-emotional impairments in VLBW populations.

Keywords:
MEGface processingfunctional connectivitypretermvery low birth weight

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