title: Brain connectivity in normally developing children and adolescents.
abstract: The developing human brain undergoes an astonishing sequence of events that continuously shape the structural and functional brain connectivity. Distinct regional variations in the timelines of maturational events (synaptogenesis and synaptic pruning) occurring at the synaptic level are reflected in brain measures at macroscopic resolution (cortical thickness and gray matter density). Interestingly, the observed brain changes coincide with cognitive milestones suggesting that the changing scaffold of brain circuits may subserve cognitive development. Recent advances in connectivity analysis propelled by graph theory have allowed, on one hand, the investigation of maturational changes in global organization of structural and functional brain networks; and on the other hand, the exploration of specific networks within the context of global brain networks. An emerging picture from several connectivity studies is a system-level rewiring that constantly refines the connectivity of the developing brain.
authors.affiliation: McGill Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada. Electronic address: budha@bic.mni.mcgill.ca.
authors.forename: Budhachandra S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Khundrakpam
authors.affiliation: McGill Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada.
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.affiliation: McGill Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada.
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: McGill Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada.
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chouinard-Decorte
authors.affiliation: McGill Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada.
authors.forename: Alan C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Evans
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D063132:Connectome / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Brain maturation; Cognitive development; Connectivity; Graph theory; Neuroimaging