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The development of regional functional connectivity in preterm infants into early childhood

  • Paediatric Neuroradiology
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Abstract

Introduction

Resting state networks are proposed to reflect the neuronal connectivity that underlies cognitive processes. Consequently, abnormal behaviour of these networks due to disease or altered development may predict poor cognitive outcome. To understand how very preterm birth may affect the development of resting state connectivity, we followed a cohort of very preterm-born infants from birth through to 4 years of age using resting state functional MRI.

Methods

From a larger longitudinal cohort of infants born very preterm (<32 weeks gestational age), 36 at birth, 30 at term, 21 two-year and 22 four-year resting state fMRI datasets were acquired. Using seed-based connectivity analyses with seeds in the anterior cingulate cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, left and right motor-hand regions and left and right temporal lobes, we investigated local and inter-region connectivity as a function of group and age.

Results

We found strong local connectivity during the preterm period, which matured into inter-hemispheric and preliminary default-mode network correlations by 4 years of age. This development is comparable to the resting state networks found in term-born infants of equivalent age.

Conclusion

The results of this study suggest that differences in developmental trajectory between preterm-born and term-born infants are small and, if present, would require a large sample from both populations to be detected.

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Conflict of interest

We declare that we have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1X8, Canada

    Wayne Lee, Benjamin R. Morgan, Manohar M. Shroff & Margot J. Taylor

  2. Department of Physiology & Experimental Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    John G. Sled

  3. University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    John G. Sled & Margot J. Taylor

Authors
  1. Wayne Lee
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  2. Benjamin R. Morgan
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  3. Manohar M. Shroff
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  4. John G. Sled
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  5. Margot J. Taylor
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wayne Lee.

Additional information

This article is part of the special supplement “The Premature Brain”—Guest Editor: Charles Raybaud

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Lee, W., Morgan, B.R., Shroff, M.M. et al. The development of regional functional connectivity in preterm infants into early childhood. Neuroradiology 55 (Suppl 2), 105–111 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-013-1232-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-013-1232-z

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