Gray Matter Volume and Intrinsic Timescale and Their Spatial Coupling Alterations in the Brains of Preterm Infants.
BACKGROUND Extensive neuroimaging abnormalities in multiple brain regions constitute the neural basis of preterm infants (PTIs). However, the function of the brain and its spatial coupling with brain structure remain unknown, leaving a considerable gap in understanding the neural mechanism underlying atypical neurodevelopment in PTIs. METHODS Combining structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from 14 PTIs and 14 term infants (TEIs), we quantified gray matter volume (GMV) via voxel-based morphometry, estimated intrinsic timescales from fMRI signals via autocorrelation function (ACF) analysis, and further assessed spatial structure-function coupling across individuals. RESULTS PTIs exhibited GMV alterations in multiple brain regions encompassing high-order cortical and subcortical regions (p < 0.001, corrected by family-wise error (FWE)), which were significantly associated with clinical variables such as gestational age (R = 0.716, p < 0.0001), postnatal age (R = -0.698, p < 0.0001) and birth weight (R = 0.727, p < 0.0001). Alterations in intrinsic timescales were revealed at both the spatial distribution (voxel-level p < 0.001, Gaussian random field (GRF)-corrected p < 0.05) and local regional levels, highlighting functional alterations of the medial frontal gyrus in PTIs (voxel-level p < 0.001, GRF-corrected p < 0.05). Furthermore, alterations in spatial structure-function coupling were also found in both high-order cortical and subcortical regions, with ACF decay in these regions significantly correlated with serum iron levels (R = -0.664, p = 0.0096) in PTIs. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that preterm birth-related neurodevelopmental alterations may be associated with differences in the coordination between brain structure and function, which could be related to variations in neurobehavioral outcomes, and indicate that neuroimaging may provide useful insights into early neurodevelopmental differences in PTIs.