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Updated: Jun 30, 2025
Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations
Published on: July 1, 2015
Differences in the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations of spontaneous brain activity between preterm and term
Ye Feng1, Yuanchong Wang1,2, Xu Li3
1Department of Neonatology, Anhui Provincial Children's Hospital, Hefei, China.
Insights
Preterm infants show increased spontaneous brain activity in key regions compared to term infants. These resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) findings in the developing brain may impact long-term development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Limited research exists on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) in preterm infants.
- Understanding spontaneous brain activity in preterm infants is crucial for assessing their condition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate differences in spontaneous brain activity between preterm and term infants.
- To establish a baseline for evaluating preterm infant neurodevelopment.
Main Methods:
- Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) was used to assess brain activity.
- Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) intensity was measured in 15 preterm and 14 term infants.
- Statistical analysis involved a two-sample t-test with corrected p-value <0.05.
Main Results:
- Preterm infants exhibited significantly higher ALFF values in the left precuneus.
- Increased ALFF was also observed in the left frontal superior orbital gyrus and left calcarine cortex in preterm infants.
Conclusions:
- Significant differences in spontaneous brain activity exist between preterm and term infants.
- These variations may have long-term implications for emotional and cognitive development in preterm infants.
Objectives:
To date, the majority of research on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) in the developing brain has primarily centered on adolescents and adults, leaving a gap in understanding variations in spontaneous brain activity at rest in preterm infants. This study aimed to uncover and comprehend the distinctions in spontaneous brain activity between preterm and term infants, with the goal of establishing a foundation for assessing the condition of preterm infants.
Methods:
In this study, 14 term infants and 15 preterm infants with equivalent gestational age were carefully chosen from the neonatal unit of Anhui Provincial Children's Hospital. The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) intensity was assessed using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to examine brain activity in both groups. Subsequently, the differences between the term and preterm infants were statistically analyzed using a two-sample t-test. A p-value of <0.05, corrected for the REST Gaussian Random Fields, was deemed to be statistically significant.
Results:
In comparison to the term infant group, the preterm infant group exhibited a significant increase in the ALFF value in the left precuneus, left frontal superior orbital gyrus, and left calcarine cortex.
Conclusion:
Significant variances in spontaneous brain activity have been observed in various regions between term infants and preterm infants of equivalent gestational age. These variations could potentially impact the emotional and cognitive development of preterm infants in the long term.
