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Updated: Aug 23, 2025
Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
Large-scale brain network dynamics in very preterm children and relationship with socio-emotional outcomes: an
Vanessa Siffredi1,2,3, Maria Chiara Liverani4,5, Lorena G A Freitas4,6,7
1Division of Development and Growth, Department of Paediatrics, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland. vanessa.siffredi@unige.ch.
Insights
Very preterm children show comparable brain network organization to full-term peers, but differences in dynamic functional connectivity are linked to socio-emotional difficulties, suggesting altered brain maturation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Children born very preterm (VPT) face heightened risks for neurodevelopmental and behavioral issues, including socio-emotional deficits, often linked to atypical brain maturation.
- Investigating large-scale brain network dynamics during rest offers insights into functional connectivity and its relationship with behavioral outcomes in VPT children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore differences in dynamic functional connectivity and its association with socio-emotional abilities between very preterm (VPT) and full-term children.
- To identify potential neuroimaging biomarkers for socio-emotional difficulties in VPT children.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the innovation-driven co-activation patterns framework to extract dynamic functional connectivity in VPT and full-term children aged 6-9.
- Analyzed spatial organization, laterality, and temporal dynamics of spontaneous large-scale brain activity.
- Employed multivariate analysis to identify biomarkers for socio-emotional difficulties.
Main Results:
- Spatial organization and lateralization of 13 functional networks were comparable between VPT and full-term groups.
- Dynamic features of network brain activity were also similar across both groups.
- Multivariate analysis revealed distinct associations between dynamic functional connectivity parameters and socio-emotional abilities in VPT versus full-term children.
Conclusions:
- Observed group differences in connectivity-behavior associations may indicate reduced functional architecture maturation in VPT children concerning socio-emotional skills.
- Dynamic functional connectivity features show promise as neuroimaging markers for understanding neurodevelopmental disorders in preterm infants.
Background:
Children born very preterm (VPT; <32 weeks' gestation) are at high risk of neurodevelopmental and behavioural difficulties associated with atypical brain maturation, including socio-emotional difficulties. The analysis of large-scale brain network dynamics during rest allows us to investigate brain functional connectivity and its association with behavioural outcomes.
Methods:
Dynamic functional connectivity was extracted by using the innovation-driven co-activation patterns framework in VPT and full-term children aged 6-9 to explore changes in spatial organisation, laterality and temporal dynamics of spontaneous large-scale brain activity (VPT, n = 28; full-term, n = 12). Multivariate analysis was used to explore potential biomarkers for socio-emotional difficulties in VPT children.
Results:
The spatial organisation of the 13 retrieved functional networks was comparable across groups. Dynamic features and lateralisation of network brain activity were also comparable for all brain networks. Multivariate analysis unveiled group differences in associations between dynamical functional connectivity parameters with socio-emotional abilities.
Conclusion:
In this exploratory study, the group differences observed might reflect reduced degrees of maturation of functional architecture in the VPT group in regard to socio-emotional abilities. Dynamic features of functional connectivity could represent relevant neuroimaging markers and inform on potential mechanisms through which preterm birth leads to neurodevelopmental and behavioural disorders.
Impact:
Spatial organisation of the retrieved resting-state networks was comparable between school-aged very preterm and full-term children. Dynamic features and lateralisation of network brain activity were also comparable across groups. Multivariate pattern analysis revealed different patterns of association between dynamical functional connectivity parameters and socio-emotional abilities in the very preterm and full-term groups. Findings suggest a reduced degree of maturation of the functional architecture in the very preterm group in association with socio-emotional abilities.
