Functional connectivity differences in brain networks from childhood to youth

Examining while using the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) of brain development in terms of functional connectivity between childhood and adulthood in healthy subjects gives important information. In this study, it was aimed to examine the changes in functional networks between healthy age groups by using rs-fMRI for prepuberty (childhood), puberty, and adolescence by examining changes within and between networks. The rs-fMRI data in this study were obtained from the New York University Child Study in ADHD200 database. The data that 53 healthy subjects selected from the New York University dataset were split into three groups in the 8-9, 13-14, and 16-18 age ranges, and these groups included 18, 18, and 17 healthy subjects, respectively. The functional connectivity of data that preprocessed using the statistical parametric mapping routine was analyzed with ROI-to-ROI analysis by the CONN toolbox and the changes in the resting brain networks were obtained. Multiple voxel comparisons in statistical analyses were determined with the false discovery rate corrected p value (p-FDR), p < .05 for positive and negative correlations. According to our findings, within-network connectivity increases from childhood to young adulthood, and the connection between networks is weaker in childhood, also it has many dispersed connections, but less and strong links came out with advancing age. In addition, the brain begins to show a number of functional differences in adolescence, along with new changes that occur. The examination of resting-state networks in healthy children will make significant contributions to the scientific infrastructure and literature in terms of both identifying normal brain development and comparing it with neurological and psychiatric problems.