Mental development is associated with cortical connectivity of the ventral and nonspecific thalamus of preterm newborns

Jakab, András; Natalucci, Giancarlo; Koller, Brigitte; Tuura, Ruth; Rüegger, Christoph M.; Hagmann, Cornelia

doi:10.1002/brb3.1786

Cited by 11 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…Tentative support for this hypothesis comes from correlational studies showing that structural and functional thalamocortical connectivity in infants predicts subsequent cognitive outcomes. Structural connectivity measured by diffusion MRI in preterm newborns predicts performance on a cognitive battery of cognitive tests at 2 years of age (Ball et al 2015), and thalamic connectivity specifically to prefrontal cortex in neonates predicts cognitive, but not motor function in 2-year olds (Jakab et al 2020). Furthermore, longitudinal analyses of resting-state correlations in the first 2 years of life show that correlations between thalamus and a set of PFC regions predicted the progression of visuospatial working memory and general learning scores, composed of motor, perceptual and language performance (Alcauter et al 2014).…”

Section: Reconciling Pfc Anatomy and Function: A Role For Thalamus?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning in Infancy is Active, Endogenously Motivated, and Depends on Prefrontal Cortices

Raz¹,

Saxe²

2020

Preprint

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A common view of learning in infancy emphasizes the role of incidental, sensoryexperiences from which increasingly abstract statistical regularities are extracted. Inthis view, infant brains initially support basic sensory and motor functions, followedby maturation of higher-level association cortex. Here, we critique this view and positthat, by contrast and more like adults, infants are active, endogenously motivatedlearners who structure their own learning through flexible selection of attentional targetsand active interventions on their environment. We further argue that the infantbrain, and particularly the prefrontal cortex (PFC), is well-equipped to support theselearning behaviors. We review recent progress in characterizing the function of theinfant PFC, which suggests that, also like adults, PFC is functionally specialized andhighly connected. Together, we present an integrative account of infant minds andbrains, in which the infant PFC represents multiple intrinsic motivations, which areleveraged for active learning.

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Section: Reconciling Pfc Anatomy and Function: A Role For Thalamus?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning in Infancy is Active, Endogenously Motivated, and Depends on Prefrontal Cortices

Raz¹,

Saxe²

2020

Preprint

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“…We found a reduction in fiber length in the SH as a prodrome of thyroid pathophysiology using a non-invasive DTI approach, implying that it can be used as a reliable imaging biomarker to assist clinically efficient cures for the normal development of preterm infants. Furthermore, fiber abnormalities identified using DTI have been positively correlated with mental, cognitive, and motor function in preterm infants 35 , 54 . When combined with serial thyroid testing, fiber changes determined with DTI could be used as a quantitative clinical marker to help anticipate whether cerebral development appropriately progresses while preterm infants with SH undergo treatment.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…The diminished connectivity was found to be positively correlated with cognitive dysfunction, as assessed through the Bayley-III (The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition), at the age of 2 years 34 . In addition, performance on the Bayley-II assessment of mental development and non-psychomotor outcomes is closely associated with the dysfunctional connectivity of the premature thalamus 35 . Although the degeneration of fiber integrity in premature brains has proven to be linked to developmental outcomes 34 , 35 , thyroid dysfunction commonly increases the risk of neurodevelopmental disabilities in VLBW infants 10 , 16 , making clinical treatments more ambiguous.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, performance on the Bayley-II assessment of mental development and non-psychomotor outcomes is closely associated with the dysfunctional connectivity of the premature thalamus 35 . Although the degeneration of fiber integrity in premature brains has proven to be linked to developmental outcomes 34 , 35 , thyroid dysfunction commonly increases the risk of neurodevelopmental disabilities in VLBW infants 10 , 16 , making clinical treatments more ambiguous. Several studies regarding thyroid dysfunction have focused on morphometric analysis in children with congenital hypothyroidism 36 or adults with hypothyroidism 37 , suggesting hypothyroidism can alter significantly white matter volume or cortical thickness.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Abnormal thalamocortical connectivity of preterm infants with elevated thyroid stimulating hormone identified with diffusion tensor imaging

Jang

Kim

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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While thyroid disturbances during perinatal and postnatal periods in preterm infants with congenital hypothyroidism reportedly disrupt neuronal development, no study has considered the effect of thyroid disturbances in premature infants with subclinical hypothyroidism with elevations of thyroid stimulating hormone. We aimed to identify altered fiber integrity from the thalamus to cortices in preterm infants with subclinical hypothyroidism. All preterm infants born were categorized according to thyroid stimulating hormone levels through serial thyroid function tests (36 preterm controls and 29 preterm infants with subclinical hypothyroidism). Diffusion tensor images were acquired to determine differences in thalamocortical fiber lengths between the groups, and cerebral asymmetries were investigated to observe neurodevelopmental changes. Thalamocortical fiber lengths in the subclinical hypothyroidism group were significantly reduced in the bilateral superior temporal gyrus, heschl’s gyrus, lingual gyrus, and calcarine cortex (all p < 0.05). According to the asymmetric value in the orbitofrontal regions, there is a left dominance in the subclinical hypothyroidism group contrary to the controls (p = 0.012), and that of the cuneus areas showed significant decreases in the subclinical hypothyroidism group (p = 0.035). These findings could reflect altered neurodevelopment, which could help treatment plans using biomarkers for subclinical hypothyroidism.

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“…Thalamocortical structural connectivity patterns in the preterm brain measured at term equivalent age were correlated with cognitive performance in early childhood ( Ball et al. 2015 ; Jakab et al. 2020 ; Toulmin et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fetal development of functional thalamocortical and cortico–cortical connectivity

et al. 2022

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Measuring and understanding functional fetal brain development in utero is critical for the study of the developmental foundations of our cognitive abilities, possible early detection of disorders, and their prevention. Thalamocortical connections are an intricate component of shaping the cortical layout, but so far, only ex-vivo studies provide evidence of how axons enter the sub-plate and cortex during this highly dynamic phase. Evidence for normal in-utero development of the functional thalamocortical connectome in humans is missing. Here, we modeled fetal functional thalamocortical connectome development using in-utero functional magnetic resonance imaging in fetuses observed from 19th to 40th weeks of gestation (GW). We observed a peak increase of thalamocortical functional connectivity strength between 29th and 31st GW, right before axons establish synapses in the cortex. The cortico–cortical connectivity increases in a similar time window, and exhibits significant functional laterality in temporal-superior, -medial, and -inferior areas. Homologous regions exhibit overall similar mirrored connectivity profiles, but this similarity decreases during gestation giving way to a more diverse cortical interconnectedness. Our results complement the understanding of structural development of the human connectome and may serve as the basis for the investigation of disease and deviations from a normal developmental trajectory of connectivity development.

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Mental development is associated with cortical connectivity of the ventral and nonspecific thalamus of preterm newborns

Abstract: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Cited by 11 publications

References 69 publications

Learning in Infancy is Active, Endogenously Motivated, and Depends on Prefrontal Cortices

Learning in Infancy is Active, Endogenously Motivated, and Depends on Prefrontal Cortices

Abnormal thalamocortical connectivity of preterm infants with elevated thyroid stimulating hormone identified with diffusion tensor imaging

Fetal development of functional thalamocortical and cortico–cortical connectivity

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