Mapping the evolution of regional brain network efficiency and its association with cognitive abilities during the first twenty-eight months of life

Weixiong Jiang; Zhen Zhou; Guoshi Li; Weiyan Yin; Zhengwang Wu; Li Wang; Maryam Ghanbari; Gang Li; Pew-Thian Yap; Brittany R. Howell; Martin A. Styner; Essa Yacoub; Heather Hazlett; John H. Gilmore; J. Keith Smith; Kamil Ugurbil; Jed T. Elison; Han Zhang; Dinggang Shen; Weili Lin

Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience (Oct 2023)

Mapping the evolution of regional brain network efficiency and its association with cognitive abilities during the first twenty-eight months of life

Weixiong Jiang,
Zhen Zhou,
Guoshi Li,
Weiyan Yin,
Zhengwang Wu,
Li Wang,
Maryam Ghanbari,
Gang Li,
Pew-Thian Yap,
Brittany R. Howell,
Martin A. Styner,
Essa Yacoub,
Heather Hazlett,
John H. Gilmore,
J. Keith Smith,
Kamil Ugurbil,
Jed T. Elison,
Han Zhang,
Dinggang Shen,
Weili Lin

Affiliations

Weixiong Jiang: Department of Radiology and BRIC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
Zhen Zhou: Department of Radiology and BRIC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
Guoshi Li: Department of Radiology and BRIC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
Weiyan Yin: Department of Radiology and BRIC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
Zhengwang Wu: Department of Radiology and BRIC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
Li Wang: Department of Radiology and BRIC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
Maryam Ghanbari: Department of Radiology and BRIC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
Gang Li: Department of Radiology and BRIC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
Pew-Thian Yap: Department of Radiology and BRIC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
Brittany R. Howell: Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, USA
Martin A. Styner: Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
Essa Yacoub: Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, USA
Heather Hazlett: Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA; Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
John H. Gilmore: Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
J. Keith Smith: Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
Kamil Ugurbil: Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, USA
Jed T. Elison: Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, USA
Han Zhang: Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Tech University, Shanghai, China
Dinggang Shen: Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Tech University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai 201210, China
Weili Lin: Department of Radiology and BRIC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Correspondence to: Department of Radiology and BRIC CB#7513, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7513, USA.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 63
p. 101284

Abstract

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Human brain undergoes rapid growth during the first few years of life. While previous research has employed graph theory to study early brain development, it has mostly focused on the topological attributes of the whole brain. However, examining regional graph-theory features may provide unique insights into the development of cognitive abilities. Utilizing a large and longitudinal rsfMRI dataset from the UNC/UMN Baby Connectome Project, we investigated the developmental trajectories of regional efficiency and evaluated the relationships between these changes and cognitive abilities using Mullen Scales of Early Learning during the first twenty-eight months of life. Our results revealed a complex and spatiotemporally heterogeneous development pattern of regional global and local efficiency during this age period. Furthermore, we found that the trajectories of the regional global efficiency at the left temporal occipital fusiform and bilateral occipital fusiform gyri were positively associated with cognitive abilities, including visual reception, expressive language, receptive language, and early learning composite scores (P < 0.05, FDR corrected). However, these associations were weakened with age. These findings offered new insights into the regional developmental features of brain topologies and their associations with cognition and provided evidence of ongoing optimization of brain networks at both whole-brain and regional levels.

Published in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience

ISSN: 1878-9293 (Print); 1878-9307 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Netherlands
LCC subjects: Science: Physiology: Neurophysiology and neuropsychology
Website: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/developmental-cognitive-neuroscience/

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