Structural brain alterations have been reported in key emotional face processing regions following preterm birth; however, few studies have investigated the functional networks underlying these processes in children born with very low birth weight (VLBW). Using magnetoencephalography (MEG), we examined the functional networks related to the implicit processing of happy and angry faces in 5-year-old VLBW (n = 28) and full-term (FT; n = 24) children. We found that VLBW children showed atypical recruitment of emotional face processing networks in theta (4–7 Hz) compared to FT children. VLBW children showed reduced theta connectivity during processing of angry faces only. This hypo-connected theta-band network was anchored in the left orbitofrontal and parietal regions, involved in the higher level processing of faces and emotion regulation. At the behavioural level, despite VLBW children performing within the normal range, FT children had significantly higher affect recognition scores. Our MEG results suggest a selective impairment in processing angry faces, which would negatively impact social functioning in VLBW children. In FT children, greater recruitment of this theta-band network was positively associated with improved affect recognition scores. Thus, our findings suggest an important role of theta oscillations in early face processing, deficits which may contribute to broader socio-emotional impairments in VLBW children.

中文翻译：

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出生体重极低的儿童面部处理过程中功能连接的改变

据报道，早产后关键情绪面部处理区域的大脑结构改变；然而，很少有研究调查出生时极低出生体重（VLBW）儿童的这些过程背后的功能网络。使用脑磁图 (MEG)，我们检查了与 5 岁 VLBW (n = 28) 和足月 (FT; n = 24) 儿童的快乐和愤怒面孔的内隐处理相关的功能网络。我们发现，与 FT 儿童相比，VLBW 儿童在 theta（4-7 Hz）中表现出非典型的情绪面部处理网络招募。VLBW 儿童仅在处理愤怒的面孔时表现出 theta 连通性降低。这个低连接的 theta 波段网络锚定在左眶额和顶叶区域，参与更高层次的面部处理和情绪调节。在行为水平上，尽管 VLBW 儿童表现在正常范围内，但 FT 儿童的情感识别分数明显更高。我们的 MEG 结果表明，在处理愤怒的面孔时存在选择性障碍，这将对 VLBW 儿童的社会功能产生负面影响。在 FT 儿童中，这种 theta 波段网络的更多招募与情感识别分数的提高呈正相关。因此，我们的研究结果表明θ振荡在早期面部处理中的重要作用，缺陷可能导致 VLBW 儿童更广泛的社会情绪障碍。这将对 VLBW 儿童的社会功能产生负面影响。在 FT 儿童中，这种 theta 波段网络的更多招募与情感识别分数的提高呈正相关。因此，我们的研究结果表明θ振荡在早期面部处理中的重要作用，缺陷可能导致 VLBW 儿童更广泛的社会情绪障碍。这将对 VLBW 儿童的社会功能产生负面影响。在 FT 儿童中，这种 theta 波段网络的更多招募与情感识别分数的提高呈正相关。因此，我们的研究结果表明θ振荡在早期面部处理中的重要作用，缺陷可能导致 VLBW 儿童更广泛的社会情绪障碍。