Functional Connectivity of the Human Brain in Utero.
The brain is subject to dramatic developmental processes during the prenatal period. Nevertheless, information about the development of functional brain networks during gestation is scarce. Until recently it has not been possible to probe function in the living human fetal brain. Advances in functional MRI have changed the paradigm, making it possible to measure spontaneous activity in the fetal brain and to cross-correlate functional signals to attain information about neural connectional architecture across human gestation. We summarize the earliest MRI studies of fetal neural functional connectivity and highlight unique challenges and limitations inherent in the technique. In addition, we discuss future directions to unlock the potential of fetal brain functional MRI research.
Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA; Perinatology Research Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)/National Institutes of Health (NIH)/Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Detroit, MI, USA.
Marion I
MI
van den Heuvel
Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA; Perinatology Research Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)/National Institutes of Health (NIH)/Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Detroit, MI, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA. Electronic address: moriah@wayne.edu.
Moriah E
ME
Thomason
D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000196:embryology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D047109:Fetal Development; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009434:Neural Pathways
brain development; fetus; functional connectivity; pregnancy; resting-state