Preterm brain cortical GM maturational changes from the 33rd week GA to term-equivalent age
CORTEX
In the preterm brain, from the 33rd week GA to term-equivalent age we find a statistically significant longitudinal increase of FC and decrease of FD and FDC (pCortical GM regions with increased FC and decreased FD and FDC from the 33rd week GA to term-equivalent age in very preterm infants’ brain. Population template sagittal views, from the right to left hemisphere, including only points that correspond to significant fixels (pDuring this period of early brain maturation, cortical GM macrostructural increases of FC were pronounced (up to 50% of increase) and accompanied by a decrease in FD and FDC by up to 15% in the same cortical regions. The largest FC increase occurred in the bilateral dorsal superior frontal gyrus, precentral and postcentral cortex, Heschl's gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, insula and precuneus/posterior cingulate gyrus, whereas the largest FD and FDC decrease occurred in the bilateral temporal pole, inferior temporal gyrus, bilateral orbito-frontal cortex and left dorsal superior frontal gyrus.