About this Research Topic
Brain maturation during the perinatal period in the fetus and infant is a rapid and complex process. Neurodevelopment during this period is critical for supporting later cognitive, emotional, and behavioral abilities. Increasing evidence for the perinatal origins of various neurodevelopmental disorders underscores the importance of identifying features of early brain development. To date, few advances in neuroscience have had as much impact as a precise global description of the human brain connectome and its variability. Understanding the developing brain connectome will open new insights into the fundamental processes of brain circuit formation and maturation in early life and reveal the etiology of intractable neurodevelopmental disorders.
Recent advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), such as rapid imaging and motion correction techniques, have overcome significant challenges in fetal and infant brain MRI and enabled non-invasive in vivo assessment of functional and structural connectivity between separate brain regions, offering great opportunities to capture the connectome of the fetal and postnatal brain with unprecedented accuracy.
The purpose of this Research Topic focuses on neuroimaging studies of the early development of the brain connectome, shedding light on the progression of normal brain maturation and markers of neurodevelopmental disorders during the perinatal period, as well as important technical advances in fetal and infantile brain MRI. We welcome submissions of Original Research, Review, and Methods aimed at uncovering the connectome mechanisms that support the development of cognition, language, and behavior in perinatal brains, and identifying the atypical connectivity patterns associated with preterm birth and neurodevelopmental disorders. Sub-topics may include, but are not limited to:
- Overview of the challenges and current advances in mapping the connectivity pattern of the perinatal brain.
- Individual differences in connectivity network rewiring during early development and their cognitive correlates.
- Influence of genes and/or proteins on the development of structural and functional connectomes in fetal and neonatal brains.
- Functional and structural disorders of the connectome associated with prematurity, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, and neurodevelopmental diseases.
- New methods for acquisition and analysis of fetal and neonatal brains and advanced techniques for improved mapping of the functional and structural connectome;
- Cross-species research that contributes to broaden our knowledge about the developing mechanism of brain connectome.
Recent advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), such as rapid imaging and motion correction techniques, have overcome significant challenges in fetal and infant brain MRI and enabled non-invasive in vivo assessment of functional and structural connectivity between separate brain regions, offering great opportunities to capture the connectome of the fetal and postnatal brain with unprecedented accuracy.
The purpose of this Research Topic focuses on neuroimaging studies of the early development of the brain connectome, shedding light on the progression of normal brain maturation and markers of neurodevelopmental disorders during the perinatal period, as well as important technical advances in fetal and infantile brain MRI. We welcome submissions of Original Research, Review, and Methods aimed at uncovering the connectome mechanisms that support the development of cognition, language, and behavior in perinatal brains, and identifying the atypical connectivity patterns associated with preterm birth and neurodevelopmental disorders. Sub-topics may include, but are not limited to:
- Overview of the challenges and current advances in mapping the connectivity pattern of the perinatal brain.
- Individual differences in connectivity network rewiring during early development and their cognitive correlates.
- Influence of genes and/or proteins on the development of structural and functional connectomes in fetal and neonatal brains.
- Functional and structural disorders of the connectome associated with prematurity, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, and neurodevelopmental diseases.
- New methods for acquisition and analysis of fetal and neonatal brains and advanced techniques for improved mapping of the functional and structural connectome;
- Cross-species research that contributes to broaden our knowledge about the developing mechanism of brain connectome.
Keywords: Connectome, Perinatal Brain, Neuroimaging, Neurodevelopment, Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
