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Task-free functional connectivity changes before and after hyper- and hypoglycemia in very preterm neonates
Guy A Perkins1, Giacomo Bianco2, Silvia Guiducci3
1University of Padova, Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, Padua, Italy.
Neurophotonics
|April 2, 2026
Summary
Very preterm infants
Area of Science:
- Neonatal neuroscience
- Neurodevelopmental biology
- Metabolic disorders
Background:
- Very preterm infants exhibit significant blood glucose concentration (BGC) fluctuations due to immature glucose control.
- Impaired glucose regulation in neonates can impact brain development and function.
- Understanding brain responses to glycemic events is crucial for identifying early biomarkers of neurodevelopmental vulnerability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between blood glucose concentration (BGC) fluctuations and changes in brain functional connectivity in very preterm infants.
- To determine if task-free functional connectivity (tfFC) patterns are altered by glycemic variability.
- To explore potential early biomarkers of brain vulnerability in preterm neonates.
Main Methods:
- Continuous monitoring of blood glucose concentration (BGC) using a continuous glucose monitoring device.
- Simultaneous monitoring of brain hemodynamics using diffuse optical tomography.
- Analysis of task-free functional connectivity (tfFC) patterns in 12 very preterm newborns.
Main Results:
- Changes in tfFC between left frontal and left parietal regions correlated with the standard deviation of BGC.
- Alterations in tfFC between central prefrontal cortex and right prefrontal regions correlated with maximum BGC.
- Specific brain region couplings during rest were found to be dependent on glycemic changes.
Conclusions:
- Glycemic fluctuations in preterm infants are associated with changes in region-specific brain functional connectivity.
- These findings suggest that brain area coupling during rest is influenced by glycemic variability in the preterm brain.
- Characterizing these relationships may offer insights into neurodevelopment and early identification of brain vulnerability.
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