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Updated: Jul 29, 2026
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Preterm EEG: A Multimodal Neurophysiological Protocol
Published on: February 18, 2012
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Altered brain state dynamics between preterm and term-born infants
Srikanth R Damera1, Sudeepta Basu1, Kushal Kapse1
1Developing Brain Institute, Children's National, Washington, DC, United States.
Imaging Neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.)
|August 13, 2025
Summary
Preterm birth impacts infant brain network dynamics, shifting infants away from a key "Transmodal State" towards sensory processing or dissociated networks. This highlights altered brain development beyond static network changes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Brain Imaging
Background:
- Preterm birth significantly affects infant brain development.
- Previous research focused on static brain networks, overlooking dynamic brain states.
- Brain state dynamics are crucial for understanding cognitive processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify distinct brain states in infants.
- To investigate the influence of prematurity on the dynamics of these brain states.
- To compare brain network dynamics between term-born and preterm-born infants.
Main Methods:
- Applied Leading Eigenvector Analysis (LEiDA) to resting-state fMRI data.
- Analyzed data from term (n=86) and preterm (n=102) infants post term equivalent age.
- Identified four discrete brain states common to both groups.
Main Results:
- Confirmed previously identified infant brain states in an independent dataset.
- Term-born infants spent more time in a "Transmodal State" (similar to adult Default-Mode Network).
- Preterm infants showed altered transitions from the Transmodal state, favoring sensory processing or cortical-subcortical dissociation.
Conclusions:
- Preterm birth alters not only static brain networks but also dynamic brain network states.
- These findings suggest prematurity impacts functional brain development at a dynamic level.
- Understanding these dynamic changes is crucial for infant neurodevelopmental research.
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