Abstract

Human white matter development in the first years of life is rapid, setting the foundation for later development. Microstructural properties of white matter are linked to many behavioral and psychiatric outcomes; however, little is known about when in development individual differences in white matter microstructure are established. The aim of the current study is to characterize longitudinal development of white matter microstructure from birth through 6 years to determine when in development individual differences are established. Two hundred and twenty-four children underwent diffusion-weighted imaging after birth and at 1, 2, 4, and 6 years. Diffusion tensor imaging data were computed for 20 white matter tracts (9 left–right corresponding tracts and 2 commissural tracts), with tract-based measures of fractional anisotropy and axial and radial diffusivity. Microstructural maturation between birth and 1 year are much greater than subsequent changes. Further, by 1 year, individual differences in tract average values are consistently predictive of the respective 6-year values, explaining, on average, 40% of the variance in 6-year microstructure. Results provide further evidence of the importance of the first year of life with regard to white matter development, with potential implications for informing early intervention efforts that target specific sensitive periods.

中文翻译：

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从出生到 6 岁的白质发育：一项纵向研究。

摘要

人类生命最初几年的白质发育迅速，为以后的发育奠定了基础。白质的微观结构特性与许多行为和精神结果有关；然而，对于白质微观结构的个体差异何时在发育中建立，我们知之甚少。本研究的目的是表征从出生到 6 年白质微观结构的纵向发展，以确定何时建立个体差异。224 名儿童在出生后和 1、2、4 和 6 岁时接受了弥散加权成像。计算了 20 个白质束（9 个左右对应束和 2 个连合束）的扩散张量成像数据，与分数各向异性和轴向和径向扩散率的基于道的措施。从出生到 1 岁之间的微观结构成熟度远大于随后的变化。此外，到 1 年时，道平均值的个体差异一致地预测了各自的 6 年值，平均解释了 6 年微观结构中 40% 的差异。结果提供了进一步的证据，证明生命第一年对白质发育的重要性，对于为针对特定敏感时期的早期干预工作提供信息具有潜在影响。平均而言，6 年微观结构的方差为 40%。结果提供了进一步的证据，证明生命第一年对白质发育的重要性，对于为针对特定敏感时期的早期干预工作提供信息具有潜在影响。平均而言，6 年微观结构的方差为 40%。结果提供了进一步的证据，证明生命第一年对白质发育的重要性，对于为针对特定敏感时期的早期干预工作提供信息具有潜在影响。