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Updated: Jul 29, 2026
Preterm EEG: A Multimodal Neurophysiological Protocol
Published on: February 18, 2012
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.
Insights
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.
Abstract:
Preterm birth alters the development of infant brain networks. However, most prior studies investigate its effects on static brain networks rather than dynamic brain states. Increasing evidence shows that brain state dynamics reflect cognitive processes beyond what is revealed by static brain networks. In the current study, we identify infant brain states and test how their dynamics are influenced by prematurity. To do so, we applied Leading Eigenvector Analysis (LEiDA) to resting-state fMRI data collected from term (n = 86) and preterm-born (n = 102) infants after term equivalent age which identified four discrete brain states across both groups. These brain states corroborate, in an independent dataset, those found in the only other large-scale study of infant brain states. Furthermore, we show that term-born infants spent more time than preterm infants in a "Transmodal State" that resembles the Default-Mode Network in adults. In contrast, preterm birth was associated with transitioning from the Transmodal state to states dominated by sensory processing or where subcortical and cortical areas were dissociated from each other. Together, these findings suggest that preterm birth alters not just static brain networks as previously shown but also brain network dynamics.
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