Cited by 601Functional Brain Connectivity StudiesMind wandering and attentionAdvanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications

Evidence on the emergence of the brain's default network from 2-week-old to 2-year-old healthy pediatric subjects

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Gao, Wei, Zhu, Hongtu, Giovanello, Kelly S., Smith, J. Keith, Shen, Dinggang, Gilmore, John H., Lin, Weili·2009·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Abstract

Several lines of evidence have implicated the existence of the brain's default network during passive or undirected mental states. Nevertheless, results on the emergence of the default network in very young pediatric subjects are lacking. Using resting functional magnetic resonance imaging in healthy pediatric subjects between 2 weeks and 2 years of age, we describe the temporal evolution of the default network in a critical, previously unstudied, period of early human brain development. Our results demonstrate that a primitive and incomplete default network is present in 2-week-olds, followed by a marked increase in the number of brain regions exhibiting connectivity, and the percent of connection at 1 year of age. By 2 years of age, the default network becomes similar to that observed in adults, including medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), posterior cingulate cortex/retrosplenial (PCC/Rsp), inferior parietal lobule, lateral temporal cortex, and hippocampus regions. While the anatomical representations of the default network highly depend on age, the PCC/Rsp is consistently observed at in both age groups and is central to the most and strongest connections of the default network, suggesting that PCC/Rsp may serve as the main “hub” of the default network as this region does in adults. In addition, although not as remarkable as the PCC/Rsp, the MPFC also emerges as a potential secondary hub starting from 1 year of age. These findings reveal the temporal development of the default network in the critical period of early brain development and offer new insights into the emergence of brain default network.

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Crossref · 10.1073/pnas.0811221106

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  • Across the first two years, default-mode regions progressively become integrated into an online network.

    “Over the course of the first two years of life, these regions undergo a precise evolution to gradually bring the network ‘online’ (Damaraju et al., 2014; Gao et al., 2013; Gao et al., 2009).”
  • Default-mode network subregions in neonates and young infants are locally correlated but not yet synchronized as one coherent network.

    “In neonates and very young infants, these individual compartments demonstrate locally correlated activity, but fail to synchronize into a coherent network (Damaraju et al., 2014; Fransson et al., 2007; Gao et al., 2009; Smyser et al., 2010; Wylie et al., 2014).”
  • Recent imaging studies in early childhood have begun to reveal the very rapid pace of postnatal structural and functional brain development.

    “Recently, however, imaging studies in early childhood have begun to illuminate the extremely rapid pace of postnatal structural and functional brain development3–6.”

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Authors
Gao, W., Zhu, H., Giovanello, K. S., Smith, J. K., Shen, D., Gilmore, J. H., & Lin, W.
Affiliations
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
  • Biostatistics,
Venue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Published
2009-04-21
Volume
106
Issue
16
Pages
6790-6795
ISSN
  • 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
  • 1091-6490
OpenAlex
W1970062588
Cited by
601
References
44
Citations by year
2026: 29 · 2025: 27 · 2024: 38 · 2023: 31 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 35 · 2020: 91 · 2019: 30 · 2018: 33 · 2017: 31 · 2016: 33 · 2015: 42 · 2014: 37 · 2013: 39 · 2012: 25
FWCI
12.95
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) (submittedVersion)
  • UNC Libraries
Funders
  • National Science Foundation
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NS055754, R01NS055754)
  • National Center for Research Resources (RR 025747, UL1RR025747)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Mind wandering and attention
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications
Keywords
default mode network, brain development, early childhood, resting-state functional connectivity, posterior cingulate cortex, medial prefrontal cortex, network hubs, infants, toddlers
MeSH terms
Adult, Brain, Child, Preschool, Female, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Male, Nerve Net, Age Distribution

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