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Structure-function coupling in the first month of life: Associations with age and attention
Ursula A Tooley1, Jeanette K Kenley2, M Catalina Camacho1
1Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110.
Summary
Brain structure and function coupling varies across the infant cortex. Early coupling predicts later attention skills, highlighting critical early brain development periods.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Brain Imaging
Background:
- Understanding the relationship between brain structure and function is crucial in neuroscience.
- The development of structural and functional brain connectivity in early life is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize regional variations in structure-function coupling in healthy neonates.
- To investigate the association between structure-function coupling and age in the first month of life.
- To explore how early structure-function coupling predicts later cognitive abilities, specifically visuospatial attention.
Main Methods:
- Utilized neuroimaging techniques to assess brain structure and function in 239 healthy neonates.
- Quantified structure-function coupling by relating cortical structural connections to patterns of neural activity.
- Analyzed age-related changes in coupling and its association with functional and white matter connectivity patterns.
Main Results:
- Structure-function coupling exhibited heterogeneous patterns across the cortex, with higher coupling in auditory, lateral prefrontal, and inferior parietal regions.
- Average structure-function coupling decreased with age in the first month, particularly in auditory and somatomotor regions.
- Higher structure-function coupling in specific brain systems at birth predicted faster visuospatial attention development by one year of age.
Conclusions:
- Early brain development shows significant regional variation in structure-function coupling.
- Age-related decoupling of structure and function occurs within the first month of life, linked to shifts in connectivity patterns.
- Neonatal structure-function coupling is a potential predictor of later attentional development, offering insights into critical developmental trajectories.
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