Development of functional organization within the sensorimotor network across the perinatal period
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
In the mature human brain, the neural processing related to different body parts is reflected in patterns of functional connectivity, which is strongest between functional homologs in opposite cortical hemispheres. To understand how this organization is first established, we investigated functional connectivity between limb regions in the sensorimotor cortex in 400 preterm and term infants aged across the equivalent period to the third trimester of gestation (32–45 weeks postmenstrual age). Masks were obtained from empirically derived functional responses in neonates from an independent data set. We demonstrate the early presence of a crude but spatially organized functional connectivity, that rapidly matures across the preterm period to achieve an adult-like configuration by the normal time of birth. Specifically, connectivity was strongest between homolog regions, followed by connectivity between adjacent regions (different limbs but same hemisphere) already in the preterm brain, and increased with age. These changes were specific to the sensorimotor network. Crucially, these trajectories were strongly dependent on age more than age of birth. This demonstrates that during the perinatal period the sensorimotor cortex undergoes preprogrammed changes determining the functional movement organization that are not altered by preterm birth in absence of brain injury.
Date Issued
2022-05
Date Acceptance
2022-01-10
Citation
Human Brain Mapping, 2022, 43 (7), pp.2249-2261
ISSN
1065-9471
Publisher
Wiley
Start Page
2249
End Page
2261
Journal / Book Title
Human Brain Mapping
Volume
43
Issue
7
Copyright Statement
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is properly cited.
© 2022 The Authors. Human Brain Mapping published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
provided the original work is properly cited.
© 2022 The Authors. Human Brain Mapping published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
License URL
Identifier
https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000747774200001&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=a2bf6146997ec60c407a63945d4e92bb
Subjects
ARCHITECTURE
BRAIN
CEREBRAL-CORTEX
CONNECTIVITY
COORDINATION
CORPUS-CALLOSUM
EMERGENCE
functional connectivity
GENERAL MOVEMENTS
infants
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
MOTOR
neurodevelopment
Neuroimaging
Neurosciences
Neurosciences & Neurology
prematurity
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
resting-state fMRI
RESTING-STATE NETWORKS
Science & Technology
sensorimotor cortex
somatotopic organization
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2022-01-28