Phase-Based Cortical Synchrony Is Affected by Prematurity

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Neuroscience
• Computational Neuroscience

Background:

• Inter-areal synchronization via phase-phase correlations (PPCs) of cortical oscillations is crucial for higher neurocognitive functions.
• Prematurity is a significant risk factor impacting neurodevelopment and cognitive abilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of prematurity on brain-wide cortical PPC networks at term-equivalent age.
• To identify sleep state- and frequency-specific alterations in PPC networks associated with prematurity.
• To explore the predictive value of PPC network synchronization for clinical outcomes in preterm infants.

Main Methods:

• Electroencephalography (EEG) was used to record brain activity in preterm infants and healthy controls.
• Analysis focused on brain-wide cortical phase-phase correlations (PPCs) at term-equivalent age.
• Comparison of PPC network characteristics between preterm and control groups across different sleep states and frequencies.

Main Results:

• Prematurity significantly altered brain-wide cortical PPC networks in a sleep state-specific and frequency-selective manner.
• Differences in synchronization strength were observed in brain-wide connections between preterm and control infants.
• The strength of synchronization within these networks predicted clinical outcomes in preterm infants.

Conclusions:

• Prematurity profoundly affects cortical phase-phase correlation networks, impacting neurocognitive functions.
• These findings highlight prematurity-induced alterations in brain connectivity as potential early functional biomarkers.
• The identified biomarkers may aid in clinical and translational studies for assessing neurodevelopmental compromise following early neonatal adversity.