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Updated: Jan 12, 2026
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Modeling the Functional Network for Spatial Navigation in the Human Brain
Published on: October 13, 2023
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Spatial development of brain networks during the first six postnatal months
Masoud Seraji1,2, Sarah Shultz3,4, Qiang Li5
1Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA. m.seraji@utexas.edu.
Communications Biology
|November 1, 2025
Summary
Infant brain networks mature significantly from birth to 6 months, showing increased spatial similarity and strength. This developmental consolidation refines functional brain organization in early life.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- The early postnatal period is critical for brain development.
- Understanding neurodevelopmental disorders requires insight into early brain maturation.
- Spatial development of brain networks in infancy is under-explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the spatial evolution of brain networks from birth to 6 months in infants.
- To identify age-related changes in the spatial organization of functional brain networks.
- To establish a framework for assessing typical and atypical early brain development.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data from 74 neurotypical infants.
- Independent Component Analysis (ICA) applied to analyze spatial network characteristics.
- Quantification of network-averaged spatial similarity, engagement range, strength, size, and center of mass.
Main Results:
- Significant age-related increases in network-averaged spatial similarity were observed.
- Network engagement range decreased with age, indicating a consolidation process.
- Network strength increased in frontal-medial prefrontal cortex and visual networks.
- Temporal networks showed increases in size and alterations in the center of mass.
Conclusions:
- Early infancy brain development involves significant spatial reorganization of functional networks.
- Quantifiable changes in network topology, size, and similarity provide insights into brain maturation.
- This study offers a foundation for identifying atypical neurodevelopmental trajectories in infants.
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