Altered functional network connectivity in preterm infants: antecedents of cognitive and motor impairments?

Very preterm infants (≤ 31 weeks gestational age) are at high risk for brain injury and delayed development. Applying functional connectivity and graph theory methods to resting state MRI data (fcMRI), we tested the hypothesis that preterm infants would demonstrate alterations in connectivity measures both globally and in specific networks related to motor, language and cognitive function, even when there is no anatomical imaging evidence of injury. Fifty-one healthy full-term controls and 24 very preterm infants without significant neonatal brain injury, were evaluated at term-equivalent age with fcMRI. Preterm subjects showed lower functional connectivity from regions associated with motor, cognitive, language and executive function, than term controls. Examining brain networks using graph theory measures of functional connectivity, very preterm infants also exhibited lower rich-club coefficient and assortativity but higher small-worldness and no significant difference in modularity when compared to term infants. The findings provide evidence that functional connectivity exhibits deficits soon after birth in very preterm infants in key brain networks responsible for motor, language and executive functions, even in the absence of anatomical lesions. These functional network measures could serve as prognostic biomarkers for later developmental disabilities and guide decisions about early interventions.