Dynamic parcellation of cortical functional networks in developing preterm brains

Connectivity is a major organizing principle of the central nervous system. However, little is known on how the cortical functional connectivity emerges in the network organization in the preterm brain. Here, we aimed to demonstrate emergence of primary functional regions using a parcellation method based on measurements from resting-state fMRI. Our results showed the clear emergence of primary sensorimotor and visual regions at 32, 36 and 40 postmenstrual weeks, while coherent parcellations of higher-order network regions are not apparent. The study demonstrated that dynamic parcellation based on resting-state fMRI can effectively delineate differentiated emergence of cortical networks during preterm development.