Microstructural Grey-Matter Covariance and Functional Connectivity in Preterm and Full-term Infants
Poster No:
404
Submission Type:
Abstract Submission
Authors:
Andrea Gondova1,2, Sara Neumane1,2, Tomoki Arichi3,4, Jessica Dubois1,2
Institutions:
1Université Paris Cité, Inserm, NeuroDiderot, F-75019, Paris, France, 2UNIACT, NeuroSpin, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France, 3Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s Co, London, United Kingdom, 4Paediatric Neurosciences, Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
First Author:
Andrea Gondova
Université Paris Cité, Inserm, NeuroDiderot, F-75019|UNIACT, NeuroSpin, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191
Paris, France|Gif-sur-Yvette, France
Université Paris Cité, Inserm, NeuroDiderot, F-75019|UNIACT, NeuroSpin, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191
Paris, France|Gif-sur-Yvette, France
Co-Author(s):
Sara Neumane
Université Paris Cité, Inserm, NeuroDiderot, F-75019|UNIACT, NeuroSpin, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191
Paris, France|Gif-sur-Yvette, France
Université Paris Cité, Inserm, NeuroDiderot, F-75019|UNIACT, NeuroSpin, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191
Paris, France|Gif-sur-Yvette, France
Tomoki Arichi
Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s Co|Paediatric Neurosciences, Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
London, United Kingdom|London, United Kingdom
Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s Co|Paediatric Neurosciences, Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
London, United Kingdom|London, United Kingdom
Jessica Dubois
Université Paris Cité, Inserm, NeuroDiderot, F-75019|UNIACT, NeuroSpin, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191
Paris, France|Gif-sur-Yvette, France
Université Paris Cité, Inserm, NeuroDiderot, F-75019|UNIACT, NeuroSpin, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191
Paris, France|Gif-sur-Yvette, France
Introduction:
The third trimester of pregnancy is characterized by complex neurodevelopmental processes which shape the brain's structural and functional networks1. In grey matter (GM) regions, micro-structural changes observed with diffusion MRI show distinct spatiotemporal profiles during this period2. While GM microstructural synchrony across regions belonging to the same developing functional networks is expected3, the grey matter microstructural covariance (MC) and its relationship to functional connectivity (FC) assessed with resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) remains underexplored. Our study aimed to examine the developmental changes in these two modalities and the MC-FC relationships in the last pre-term weeks and their potential alterations in the context of prematurity.
Methods:
We analysed anatomical, diffusion, and resting-state functional MRI data from the developing Human Connectome Project (dHCP) database4: 45 preterm (PT) infants without overt brain lesions (26 males, gestational age at birth – GA at birth – median 32.3 weeks, range [25.6w–36.0w]) scanned close to birth at median postmenstrual age – PMA at scan – 34.9 weeks, range [28.3w–36.9w](PT:ses1) and near term equivalent age (TEA) (median PMA at scan 41.3 weeks, range [38.4w–44.9w]) (PT:ses2) and a control group of 45 full-term (FT) infants matched to preterms on sex and PMA at TEA scan (Figure1a). Median cortical microstructure for cortical and subcortical regions (ROIs) was evaluated with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)5 and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI)6 models before computing a MC for each pair of ROI within each group (Figure1b,c). Average FC for each group between the same set of ROIs was derived as a Pearson's correlation. Connectivity matrices were compared for different conditions (PT:ses 1 vs ses2; PT:ses2 vs FT, within or between MC and FC modalities) using Wilcoxon signed-rank test and correlation analyses with FDR correction. Overlap of the MC and FC in terms of network structure described with hierarchical clustering over all possible cluster sizes was evaluated with average mutual information.
Results:
Both MC and FC showed a global strengthening of regional connectivity between birth and TEA in preterms. Initially weaker and widespread at birth (PT:ses1), MC covariance selectively strengthened, particularly between lobes, with development (PT:ses2, FT). Differences in FC between preterm sessions indicated concurrent functional development. Additionally, both MC and FC showed significant differences between PT infants at TEA and FT, implying substantial microstructural and functional alterations in prematurity (MC – PT:ses2 > FT, p<0.001; FC – PT:ses2 < FT, p<0.001). Despite these differences, both MC and FC remained highly correlated between these two groups, indicating that while prematurity impacted regional covariance strengths, overall connectivity profiles were not drastically modified (Figure 2a).
Direct comparisons between MC and FC revealed a significant relationship that decreased during development (Z=17.39, p<0.001) (Figure 2b). On the network level, analyses revealed an initially low but increasing overlap between MC and FC-derived networks, suggesting the emergence of a shared underlying network architecture between grey matter microstructural covariance and functional connectivity (Figure 2c).
Direct comparisons between MC and FC revealed a significant relationship that decreased during development (Z=17.39, p<0.001) (Figure 2b). On the network level, analyses revealed an initially low but increasing overlap between MC and FC-derived networks, suggesting the emergence of a shared underlying network architecture between grey matter microstructural covariance and functional connectivity (Figure 2c).
Conclusions:
Our results bring new insights into the early development of grey matter microstructural covariance and functional connectivity in the context of prematurity. This study emphasizes the value of integrating descriptors of MC in addition to more commonly used white matter structural connectivity to better understand early structure-function relationships. In the future, it will be crucial to investigate potential alterations of the MC-FC relationships within individual subjects8 and their ability to serve as neuroimaging markers for the diagnosis and prognosis of neurodevelopmental disorders frequently observed in preterm-born children.
Disorders of the Nervous System:
Neurodevelopmental/ Early Life (eg. ADHD, autism) 1
Lifespan Development:
Normal Brain Development: Fetus to Adolescence
Modeling and Analysis Methods:
Diffusion MRI Modeling and Analysis
fMRI Connectivity and Network Modeling
Multivariate Approaches 2
Keywords:
Data analysis
Development
FUNCTIONAL MRI
MRI
PEDIATRIC
WHITE MATTER IMAGING - DTI, HARDI, DSI, ETC
1|2Indicates the priority used for review
Provide references using author date format
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