TY - JOUR
T1 - Differential age-dependent development of inter-area brain connectivity in term and preterm neonates
AU - Arimitsu, Takeshi
AU - Shinohara, Naomi
AU - Minagawa, Yasuyo
AU - Hoshino, Eiichi
AU - Hata, Masahiro
AU - Takahashi, Takao
N1 - Funding Information:
We acknowledge all the staff in the Division of Neonatology of Keio University Hospital, M. Uchida-Ota, K. Yatabe, S. Ishii, M. Arai, and H. Osawa, for their assistance in this study. We also wish to thank the patients and their families for their contributions to this study. This work was supported in part by the MEXT-supported program for strategic research foundations at private universities and MEXT KAKENHI, grant numbers JP24118508, 19H05594, 20H05010 (to Y.M.) and JP15K09725, 19K12734 (to T.A.), and also by the Japan Science and Technology (JST), CREST (JPMJCR19A2) (to Y.M.).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s).
PY - 2022/10
Y1 - 2022/10
N2 - Background: Among preterm infants, higher morbidities of neurological disturbances and developmental delays are critical issues. Resting-state networks (RSNs) in the brain are suitable measures for assessing higher-level neurocognition. Since investigating task-related brain activity is difficult in neonates, assessment of RSNs provides invaluable insight into their neurocognitive development. Methods: The participants, 32 term and 71 preterm neonates, were divided into three groups based on gestational age (GA) at birth. Cerebral hemodynamic activity of RSNs was measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy in the temporal, frontal, and parietal regions. Results: High-GA preterm infants (GA ≥ 30 weeks) had a significantly stronger RSN than low-GA preterm infants and term infants. Regression analyses of RSNs as a function of postnatal age (PNA) revealed a steeper regression line in the high-GA preterm and term infants than in the low-GA infants, particularly for inter-area brain connectivity between the frontal and left temporal areas. Conclusions: Slower PNA-dependent development of the frontal–temporal network found only in the low-GA group suggests that significant brain growth optimal in the intrauterine environment takes place before 30 weeks of gestation. The present study suggests a likely reason for the high incidence of neurodevelopmental impairment in early preterm infants. Impact: Resting-state fNIRS measurements in three neonate groups differing in gestational age (GA) showed stronger networks in the high-GA preterm infants than in the term and low-GA infants, which was partly explained by postnatal age (PNA).Regression analyses revealed a similar PNA-dependence in the development of the inter-area networks in the frontal and temporal lobes in the high-GA and term infants, and significantly slower development in the low-GA infants.These results suggest that optimal intrauterine brain growth takes place before 30 weeks of gestation. This explains one of the reasons for the high incidence of neurodevelopmental impairment in early preterm infants.
AB - Background: Among preterm infants, higher morbidities of neurological disturbances and developmental delays are critical issues. Resting-state networks (RSNs) in the brain are suitable measures for assessing higher-level neurocognition. Since investigating task-related brain activity is difficult in neonates, assessment of RSNs provides invaluable insight into their neurocognitive development. Methods: The participants, 32 term and 71 preterm neonates, were divided into three groups based on gestational age (GA) at birth. Cerebral hemodynamic activity of RSNs was measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy in the temporal, frontal, and parietal regions. Results: High-GA preterm infants (GA ≥ 30 weeks) had a significantly stronger RSN than low-GA preterm infants and term infants. Regression analyses of RSNs as a function of postnatal age (PNA) revealed a steeper regression line in the high-GA preterm and term infants than in the low-GA infants, particularly for inter-area brain connectivity between the frontal and left temporal areas. Conclusions: Slower PNA-dependent development of the frontal–temporal network found only in the low-GA group suggests that significant brain growth optimal in the intrauterine environment takes place before 30 weeks of gestation. The present study suggests a likely reason for the high incidence of neurodevelopmental impairment in early preterm infants. Impact: Resting-state fNIRS measurements in three neonate groups differing in gestational age (GA) showed stronger networks in the high-GA preterm infants than in the term and low-GA infants, which was partly explained by postnatal age (PNA).Regression analyses revealed a similar PNA-dependence in the development of the inter-area networks in the frontal and temporal lobes in the high-GA and term infants, and significantly slower development in the low-GA infants.These results suggest that optimal intrauterine brain growth takes place before 30 weeks of gestation. This explains one of the reasons for the high incidence of neurodevelopmental impairment in early preterm infants.
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U2 - 10.1038/s41390-022-01939-7
DO - 10.1038/s41390-022-01939-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 35094022
AN - SCOPUS:85123826927
SN - 0031-3998
VL - 92
SP - 1017
EP - 1025
JO - Pediatric Research
JF - Pediatric Research
IS - 4
ER -