Spontaneous brain activity in the newborn brain during natural sleep--an fMRI study in infants born at full term

Pediatr Res. 2009 Sep;66(3):301-5. doi: 10.1203/PDR.0b013e3181b1bd84.

Abstract

Recent progress in functional neuroimaging research has provided the opportunity to probe at the brain's intrinsic functional architecture. Synchronized spontaneous neuronal activity is present in the form of resting-state networks in the brain even in the absence of external stimuli. The objective of this study was to investigate the presence of resting-state networks in the unsedated infant brain born at full term. Using functional MRI, we investigated spontaneous low-frequency signal fluctuations in 19 healthy full-term infants. Resting-state functional MRI data acquired during natural sleep was analyzed using independent component analysis. We found five resting-state networks in the unsedated infant brain born at full term, encompassing sensory cortices, parietal and temporal areas, and the prefrontal cortex. In addition, we found evidence for a resting-state network that enclosed the bilateral basal ganglia.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Brain / anatomy & histology
  • Brain / physiology*
  • Brain Mapping / methods
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Infant, Newborn / physiology*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
  • Nerve Net / physiology*
  • Sleep / physiology*