Normative models combining fetal and postnatal MRI data to characterize neurodevelopmental trajectories during the transition from in- to ex-utero

Abstract

The perinatal period involves transitioning from an intra- to an extrauterine environment, which requires a complex adaptation of the brain. This period is marked with dynamic and multifaceted cortical changes in both structure and function. Most studies to date have focused either on the fetal or postnatal period, independently. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first neurodevelopmental study targeting the cortical trajectory of typically developing perinatal subjects, combining MRIs from both fetal and postnatal participants. Prior to analysis, preprocessing and segmentation parameters were harmonized across all subjects in order to overcome methodological limitations that arise when studying such different populations. We conducted a normative modeling analysis on a sample of 607 subjects, age ranged 24 to 45 weeks post-conception, to observe changes that arise as participants traverse the birth barrier. We observed that the trajectories of global surface area and several volumetric features, including total gray matter, white matter, brainstem, cerebellum and hippocampi, follow distinct but continuous patterns during this transition. We further report three features presenting a discontinuity in their neurodevelopmental trajectories as participants traverse from a fetal to a postnatal environment: the extra-cerebrospinal fluid volume, the ventricular volume and global gyrification. The current study demonstrates the presence of unique neurodevelopmental patterns for several structural features during the perinatal period, and confirms that not all features are affected in the same way as they cross the birth barrier. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTThe perinatal phase comprises the fetal and immediate postnatal period, and is generally described as the time surrounding birth. Comprehensively understanding this period is crucial due to the presence of dynamic and multifaceted brain changes. What makes this investigation unique is that it is the first neurodevelopmental study, to the best of our knowledge, focused on the cortical trajectory of typically developing perinatal subjects through the combination of both fetal and postnatal participants into one analysis. We report that certain brain feature trajectories change drastically as fetuses become newborns, while other features remain continuous. These observations are relevant in both the isolation of biomarkers for later cognitive and physiological disorders and in the understanding of typical cerebral development.