Developmental patterns of white matter functional networks in neonates
Yuhan Wang1, Ningning Pan1, Zhuoshuo Li2
1School of Information Science and Engineering, Shandong Normal University, No.1 Daxue Road, Jinan, Shandong 250358, China.
Neuroimage
|May 8, 2025
Summary
This study reveals that white matter functional networks develop with age, showing lower connectivity in preterm infants. Preterm infants also exhibit altered spontaneous brain activity, impacting neonatal brain development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Neonatal brain network development is a key research area.
- Previous studies focused mainly on gray matter functional networks.
- White matter (WM) functional networks in neonates remain less explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically investigate the developmental characteristics of neonatal white matter functional networks.
- To compare WM functional network development between preterm and full-term infants.
- To analyze the influence of age, sex, and hemispheric differences on WM networks.
Main Methods:
- Utilized resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data from the Developing Human Connectome Project (dHCP).
- Analyzed data from 730 full-term and 157 preterm neonates.
- Identified ten large-scale WM functional networks and validated with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).
Main Results:
- WM network functional connectivity increases with age; preterm infants show reduced connectivity compared to full-term infants.
- Preterm infants exhibit lower low-frequency amplitude and more unstable high-frequency activity in spontaneous brain activity.
- No significant differences in connectivity were found between sexes or hemispheres, but spontaneous activity showed variations.
Conclusions:
- Neonatal white matter functional networks demonstrate significant developmental trajectories influenced by preterm birth.
- Preterm birth is associated with altered functional connectivity and spontaneous activity in neonatal brain networks.
- Findings offer insights for clinical interventions and treatment strategies for preterm infants.
Related Concept Videos
00:57Cellular Differentiation
How does a complex organism such as a human develop from a single cell? It all starts from a single fertilized egg which gives rise to a vast array of cell types, such as nerve cells, muscle cells, and epithelial cells that characterize the adult? Throughout development and adulthood, cellular differentiation leads cells to assume their final morphology and physiology. Differentiation is the process by which unspecialized cells become specialized to carry out distinct functions.
A zygote is a...
A zygote is a...
01:22Development of Immunocompetence
The initiation of cell-mediated immunity can be observed as early as the third month of fetal growth, with active antibody-mediated immunity following approximately one month later.
The initial cells that migrate from the fetal thymus settle within the skin and epithelial tissues lining the mouth, digestive tract, and in females, the uterus and vagina. These cells, including skin-based dendritic cells, serve as antigen-presenting cells, playing a key role in T cell activation.
Subsequent T...
The initial cells that migrate from the fetal thymus settle within the skin and epithelial tissues lining the mouth, digestive tract, and in females, the uterus and vagina. These cells, including skin-based dendritic cells, serve as antigen-presenting cells, playing a key role in T cell activation.
Subsequent T...
01:01Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity reflects the brain's remarkable capacity to adapt and evolve, responding dynamically to learning, experiences, or injury by reorganizing its neural circuitry. This reorganization involves creating new neural connections and refining old ones through a series of biological processes that contribute to the brain's lifelong development and adaptability.
01:22Language Development
Children master language quickly and with relative ease, supported by both biological predisposition and reinforcement. B. F. Skinner (1957) proposed that language is learned through reinforcement, while Noam Chomsky (1965) argued that language acquisition mechanisms are biologically determined.
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
01:21The Nativist Approach
The nativist approach to infant cognitive development proposes that infants are born with inherent knowledge structures that allow them to interpret the world almost immediately. This perspective contrasts with earlier developmental theories, such as those proposed by Jean Piaget, which emphasized a more gradual acquisition of cognitive abilities through interaction with the environment. One key concept in this approach is object permanence — the understanding that objects continue to exist...
01:28Development of the Oral Microbiota
The establishment of the oral microbiome begins before birth, challenging the long-held belief that the fetal oral cavity is sterile. The presence of oral microbes such as Streptococcus and Fusobacterium in amniotic fluid suggests that microbial exposure may occur in utero, potentially through translocation from the maternal oral or gastrointestinal tract. This early colonization primes the neonatal immune system and sets the stage for subsequent microbial succession. Maternal health,...