Typical Patterns of Myelin Neurodevelopment and Cognitive Abilities in Babies and Toddlers

Jonathan O'Muircheartaigh¹, ², Douglas C. Dean III¹, Holly Dirks¹, Nicole Waskiewicz¹, Katie Lehman¹, Michelle Han¹, Lindsay Walker¹, Beth A. Jerskey¹, Sean C. L. Deoni¹

The trajectory of myelination in the developing brain is coupled with progressive optimisation of cognitively relevant brain networks. Here we use a multivariate technique, independent component analysis, to parcellate quantitative myelin maps (mcDESPOT) from 200 children between 3 months and 5 years, into clusters with consistent developmental trajectories. We demonstrate distributed, functionally relevant, systems that myelinate concurrently.