Temporal theta slow‐wave activity (TTA‐SW) in premature infants is a specific neurobiomarker of the early neurodevelopment of perisylvian networks observed as early as 24 weeks of gestational age (wGA). It is present at the turning point between non‐sensory driven spontaneous networks and cortical network functioning. Despite its clinical importance, the underlying mechanisms responsible for this spontaneous nested activity and its functional role have not yet been determined. The coupling between neural oscillations at different timescales is a key feature of ongoing neural activity, the characteristics of which are determined by the network structure and dynamics. The underlying mechanisms of cross‐frequency coupling (CFC) are associated with several putative functions in adults. In order to show that this generic mechanism is already in place early in the course of development, we analyzed electroencephalography recordings from sleeping preterm newborns (24–27 wGA). Employing cross‐frequency phase–amplitude coupling analyses, we found that TTAs were orchestrated by the SWs defined by a precise temporal relationship. Notably, TTAs were synchronized to the SW trough, and were suppressed during the SW peak. Spontaneous endogenous TTA‐SWs constitute one of the very early signatures of the developing temporal neural networks with key functions, such as language and communication. The presence of a fine‐tuned relationship between the slow activity and the TTA in premature neonates emphasizes the complexity and relative maturity of the intimate mechanisms that shape the CFC, the disruption of which can have severe neurodevelopmental consequences.

中文翻译：

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早产人类新生儿大脑中的聚结发生器之间的密切关系：量化嵌套内源振荡的耦合

早产儿的颞 θ 慢波活动 (TTA-SW) 是早在 24 周胎龄 (wGA) 时观察到的周裂网络早期神经发育的特定神经生物标志物。它存在于非感觉驱动的自发网络和皮质网络功能之间的转折点。尽管其临床重要性，但造成这种自发嵌套活动的潜在机制及其功能作用尚未确定。不同时间尺度的神经振荡之间的耦合是正在进行的神经活动的一个关键特征，其特征由网络结构和动力学决定。交叉频率耦合（CFC）的潜在机制与成人的几种假定功能有关。为了表明这种通用机制在发育过程的早期就已经存在，我们分析了睡眠早产新生儿 (24-27 wGA) 的脑电图记录。采用跨频相位幅度耦合分析，我们发现 TTA 是由精确时间关系定义的 SW 精心编排的。值得注意的是，TTA 与 SW 波谷同步，并在 SW 峰值期间受到抑制。自发的内源性 TTA-SW 是正在发展的具有语言和交流等关键功能的时间神经网络的早期特征之一。早产儿的慢活动和 TTA 之间存在微调关系，强调了形成 CFC 的内部机制的复杂性和相对成熟性，其破坏可能会产生严重的神经发育后果。