Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
Nat Commun. 2023 Sep 19;14(1):5820. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-41499-w.
White matter connectivity supports diverse cognitive demands by efficiently constraining dynamic brain activity. This efficiency can be inferred from network controllability, which represents the ease with which the brain moves between distinct mental states based on white matter connectivity. However, it remains unclear how brain networks support diverse functions at birth, a time of rapid changes in connectivity. Here, we investigate the development of network controllability during the perinatal period and the effect of preterm birth in 521 neonates. We provide evidence that elements of controllability are exhibited in the infant's brain as early as the third trimester and develop rapidly across the perinatal period. Preterm birth disrupts the development of brain networks and altered the energy required to drive state transitions at different levels. In addition, controllability at birth is associated with cognitive ability at 18 months. Our results suggest network controllability develops rapidly during the perinatal period to support cognitive demands but could be altered by environmental impacts like preterm birth.
白质连接通过有效地约束动态脑活动来支持多样化的认知需求。这种效率可以从网络可控性推断出来，网络可控性代表了大脑根据白质连接在不同心理状态之间移动的难易程度。然而，目前尚不清楚大脑网络如何在出生时支持多样化的功能，因为出生时连接性正在迅速变化。在这里，我们研究了围产期网络可控性的发展以及早产对 521 名新生儿的影响。我们提供的证据表明，可控性的要素早在妊娠晚期就出现在婴儿的大脑中，并在围产期迅速发展。早产会破坏大脑网络的发育，并改变在不同水平上驱动状态转变所需的能量。此外，出生时的可控性与 18 个月时的认知能力有关。我们的研究结果表明，网络可控性在围产期迅速发展，以支持认知需求，但可能会受到早产等环境影响的改变。
