Little is known about the frequency features of spontaneous neural activity in the brains of moderate and late preterm (MLPT) newborns. We used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) method to investigate the frequency properties of spontaneous blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signals in 26 MLPT and 35 term newborns. Two frequency bands, slow-4 (0.027-0.073 Hz) and slow-5 (0.01-0.027 Hz), were analyzed. Our results showed widespread differences in ALFF between the two bands; differences occurred mainly in the primary sensory and motor cortices and to a lesser extent in association cortices and subcortical areas. Compared with term newborns, MLPT newborns showed significantly altered neural activity predominantly in the primary sensory and motor cortices and in the posterior cingulate gyrus/precuneus. In addition, a significant interaction between frequency bands and groups was observed in the primary somatosensory cortex. Intriguingly, these primary sensory and motor regions have been proven to be the major cortical hubs during the neonatal period. Our results revealed the frequency of spontaneous BOLD signal differences between MLPT and term newborns, which contribute to the understanding of regional development of spontaneous brain rhythms of MLPT newborns.

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ObjectiveIntraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is a serious neurological complication in premature infants. This study aimed to investigate the white matter impairments and neurodevelopmental outcomes of severe IVH in extremely preterm infants with gestation age less than 28 weeks.MethodsWe retrospectively evaluated the extremely preterm infants between 2017 and 2020. Neurodevelopmental outcomes were evaluated with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-III at 2 years of corrected age. Diffusional kurtosis imaging (DKI) was employed to evaluate the microstructural changes in white matter tracts. Mean kurtosis (MK) and fractional anisotropy (FA) values of DKI were measured in the brain regions including posterior limbs of the internal capsule (PLIC) and the corpus callosum at term equivalent age.ResultsOf 32 extremely preterm infants with severe IVH during the follow-up period, 18 cases were identified as neurodevelopmental impairments. The delay rates of motor and language were 58.4% and 52.7%. The cases with neurodevelopmental impairments had lower MK and FA values in both bilateral PLIC and the corpus callosum. The analysis of multivariable regression models predicting motor and language outcomes at 2 years of corrected age, showed that the decreases of MK values in both PLIC and the corpus callosum at the term equivalent age contributed to a significantly increased risk of neurodevelopmental impairments (all p < 0.05). During follow-up period, obvious loss of nerve fiber bundles was observed with DKI tractography.ConclusionMotor and language abilities at age 2 years were associated with MK values of DKI at the term equivalent age in both PLIC and the corpus callosum of extremely preterm infants with severe IVH. The evaluation of white matter microstructural changes with MK values might provide feasible indicators of neurodevelopmental outcomes of extremely preterm infants with severe intraventricular hemorrhage.