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Updated: Oct 4, 2025
Early Pathological and Magnetic Resonance Detection of Cerebral Injury Using a Rat Model of Neonatal Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy
Published on: October 28, 2022
Alterations in motor functional connectivity in Neonatal Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy
Li Jiang1,2, Dina El-Metwally3, Chandler Sours Rhodes1,2,4
1Center for Advanced Imaging Research (Cair), 670 W Baltimore St, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA.
Insights
Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) disrupts motor network connectivity. Resting state fMRI revealed altered functional connectivity in HIE neonates, suggesting potential for early diagnostic markers.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pediatric Neurology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a major cause of pediatric neurological deficits.
- HIE results from birth asphyxia leading to global brain injury.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate functional brain disruptions in neonates with HIE.
- To compare motor network connectivity in HIE neonates versus healthy controls using rs-fMRI.
Main Methods:
- Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) was employed.
- Functional connectivity was assessed in primary and association motor areas.
- 16 HIE neonates and 11 healthy controls were included.
Main Results:
- Reduced intra-hemispheric and inter-hemispheric resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) in motor regions was observed in HIE neonates.
- HIE neonates showed increased rs-FC between motor areas and other cortical regions (frontal, temporal, parietal).
- Decreased rs-FC between motor regions and the cerebellum was noted in the HIE group.
Conclusions:
- Preliminary findings indicate disrupted functional communication within the motor network in HIE neonates.
- Further research with larger datasets is needed to validate these rs-fMRI findings.
- rs-fMRI may offer prognostic value for HIE, complementing clinical and conventional MRI assessments.
Background:
Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is the result of global hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in neonates due to asphyxia during birth and is one of the most common causes of severe, long-term neurologic deficits in children. Methods: Resting state fMRI (rs-fMRI) was used to assess potential functional disruptions in the primary and association motor areas in HIE neonates (n = 16) compared to healthy controls (n = 11).
Results:
Results demonstrate reduced intra-hemispheric resting state functional connectivity (rs-FC) between primary motor regions (upper extremity and facial motor regions) as well as reduced inter-hemispheric rs-FC in the HIE group. In addition, HIE neonates demonstrated increased rs-FC between motor regions and frontal, temporal and parietal cortices but decreased rs-FC with the cerebellum.
Discussion:
These preliminary results provide initial evidence for the disruption of functional communication with the motor network in neonates with HIE. Further studies are necessary to both validate these findings in a larger dataset as well as to determine if rs-fMRI measurements collected at birth may have the potential to serve as a prognostic marker in addition to the traditional combination of clinical measurements and conventional MRI.
