Early development of the functional brain network in newborns

During the prenatal period and the first postnatal years, the human brain undergoes rapid growth, which establishes a preliminary infrastructure for the subsequent development of cognition and behavior. To understand the underlying processes of brain functioning and identify potential sources of developmental disorders, it is essential to uncover the developmental rules that govern this critical period. In this study, graph theory modeling and network science analysis were employed to investigate the impact of age, gender, weight, and typical and atypical development on brain development. Local and global topologies of functional connectomes obtained from rs-fMRI data were collected from 421 neonates aged between 31 and 45 postmenstrual weeks who were in natural sleep without any sedation. The results showed that global efficiency, local efficiency, clustering coefficient, and small-worldness increased with age, while modularity and characteristic path length decreased with age. The normalized rich-club coefficient displayed a U-shaped pattern during development. The study also examined the global and local impacts of gender, weight, and group differences between typical and atypical cases. The findings presented some new insights into the maturation of functional brain networks and their relationship with cognitive development and neurodevelopmental disorders.

Automated summary

During the prenatal and early postnatal periods, the human brain undergoes rapid growth, establishing a foundation for cognitive and behavioral development. This study used graph theory modeling and network science analysis to investigate the effects of age, gender, weight, and typical/atypical development on brain development. Functional connectomes were obtained from 421 neonates, and the results showed various changes in network properties with age. This research provides novel insights into the maturation of functional brain networks and their relationship with cognitive development and neurodevelopmental disorders.