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

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.

Consistent anterior-posterior segregation of the insula during the first 2 years of life.

The human insula is a complex region characterized by heterogeneous cytoarchitecture, connectivity, and function. Subregional parcellation of the insula in adults has revealed an interesting anterior-posterior subdivision pattern that is highly consistent with its functional differentiation. However, the development of the insula's subregional segregation during the first 2 years of life remains unknown. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that similar segregation of the insula exists during this critical time period based on the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study of a large cohort of infants (n = 143) with longitudinal scans. Our results confirmed a consistent anterior-posterior subdivision of the insula during the first 2 years of life with dissociable connectivity patterns associated with each cluster. Specifically, the anterior insula coupled more with frontal association areas, whereas the posterior insula integrated more with sensorimotor-related regions. More importantly, dramatic development of each subregion's functional network was observed, providing important neuronal correlates for the rapid advancement of its related functions during this time period.