title: White matter maturation profiles through early childhood predict general cognitive ability.
abstract: Infancy and early childhood are periods of rapid brain development, during which brain structure and function mature alongside evolving cognitive ability. An important neurodevelopmental process during this postnatal period is the maturation of the myelinated white matter, which facilitates rapid communication across neural systems and networks. Though prior brain imaging studies in children (4 years of age and above), adolescents, and adults have consistently linked white matter development with cognitive maturation and intelligence, few studies have examined how these processes are related throughout early development (birth to 4 years of age). Here, we show that the profile of white matter myelination across the first 5 years of life is strongly and specifically related to cognitive ability. Using a longitudinal design, coupled with advanced magnetic resonance imaging, we demonstrate that children with above-average ability show differential trajectories of myelin development compared to average and below average ability children, even when controlling for socioeconomic status, gestation, and birth weight. Specifically, higher ability children exhibit slower but more prolonged early development, resulting in overall increased myelin measures by ~3 years of age. These results provide new insight into the early neuroanatomical correlates of cognitive ability, and suggest an early period of prolonged maturation with associated protracted white matter plasticity may result in strengthened neural networks that can better support later development. Further, these results reinforce the necessity of a longitudinal perspective in investigating typical or suspected atypical cognitive maturation.
authors.affiliation: Advanced Baby Imaging Lab, Brown University School of Engineering, 184 Hope Street, Box D, Providence, RI, 02912, USA. sdeoni@mac.com.
authors.forename: Sean C L
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Deoni
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroimaging, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: O'Muircheartaigh
authors.affiliation: Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.
authors.forename: Jed T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Elison
authors.affiliation: Advanced Baby Imaging Lab, Brown University School of Engineering, 184 Hope Street, Box D, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
authors.forename: Lindsay
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.affiliation: Advanced Baby Imaging Lab, Brown University School of Engineering, 184 Hope Street, Box D, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Doernberg
authors.affiliation: Advanced Baby Imaging Lab, Brown University School of Engineering, 184 Hope Street, Box D, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Waskiewicz
authors.affiliation: Advanced Baby Imaging Lab, Brown University School of Engineering, 184 Hope Street, Box D, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
authors.forename: Holly
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dirks
authors.affiliation: Advanced Baby Imaging Lab, Brown University School of Engineering, 184 Hope Street, Box D, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Piryatinsky
authors.affiliation: Advanced Baby Imaging Lab, Brown University School of Engineering, 184 Hope Street, Box D, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
authors.forename: Doug C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Dean
authors.affiliation: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, USA.
authors.forename: N L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Jumbe
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007360:Intelligence / Q000502:physiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000473:pathology; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000502:physiology; D066127:White Matter / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Brain development; Cognitive maturation; Myelination; Neurodevelopment; White matter growth