Canini Matteo, Cavoretto Paolo, Scifo Paola, Pozzoni Mirko, Petrini Alessandro, Iadanza Antonella, Pontesilli Silvia, Scotti Roberta, Candiani Massimo, Falini Andrea, Baldoli Cristina, Della Rosa Pasquale A
Department of Neuroradiology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy.
Department of Gynecology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy.
Cereb Cortex Commun. 2020 Apr 3;1(1):tgaa008. doi: 10.1093/texcom/tgaa008. eCollection 2020.
Recent evidence has shown that patterns of cortico-cortical functional synchronization are consistently traceable by the end of the third trimester of pregnancy. The involvement of subcortical structures in early functional and cognitive development has never been explicitly investigated, notwithstanding their pivotal role in different cognitive processes. We address this issue by exploring subcortico-cortical functional connectivity at rest in a group of normally developing fetuses between the 25th and 32nd weeks of gestation. Results show significant functional coupling between subcortical nuclei and cortical networks related to: (i) sensorimotor processing, (ii) decision making, and (iii) learning capabilities. This functional maturation framework unearths a Cognitive Development Blueprint, according to which grounding cognitive skills are planned to develop with higher ontogenetic priority. Specifically, our evidence suggests that a newborn already possesses the ability to: (i) perceive the world and interact with it, (ii) create salient representations for the selection of adaptive behaviors, and (iii) store, retrieve, and evaluate the outcomes of interactions, in order to gradually improve adaptation to the extrauterine environment.
最近的证据表明，在妊娠晚期第三个月末，皮质-皮质功能同步模式是可以持续追踪到的。尽管皮质下结构在不同认知过程中起着关键作用，但其在早期功能和认知发展中的参与情况从未得到明确研究。我们通过探索一组妊娠25至32周正常发育胎儿静息状态下的皮质下-皮质功能连接来解决这个问题。结果显示，皮质下核与皮质网络之间存在显著的功能耦合，这些网络与：（i）感觉运动处理、（ii）决策和（iii）学习能力有关。这个功能成熟框架揭示了一个认知发展蓝图，据此，基础认知技能计划以更高的个体发生优先级发展。具体而言，我们的证据表明，新生儿已经具备以下能力：（i）感知世界并与之互动；（ii）创建显著表征以选择适应性行为；（iii）存储、检索和评估互动结果，以便逐渐改善对宫外环境的适应。
