Connectivity-based parcellation of primary and high-order cortex from infancy to adult

Motivation: The human brain undergoes a remarkable development from newborn to adulthood in cortex, white matter, and connectivity in previous studies. We speculated connectivity-based cortical parcellation may also change during this process. Goal(s): To explore whether and how connectivity-based parcellations of different cortices changed from neonate to adult. Approach: We utilized diffusion MRI (dMRI) to investigate the structure connectivity-based parcellations of cortical sub-regions and compared the parcellation-related features among infants, toddlers, and adults. Results: We observed significantly altered parcellation profiles and changing connectivity patterns during developed. Especially, we found larger alternations in high-order cortex, such as insula, compared to primary sensory and motor cortices. Impact: Connectivity-based parcellation provided a new insight to assess the development of human brain. Primary cortex has developed sufficiently in early life while high-order cortex developed significantly from newborn to adult. Future studies will fill the gap from toddler to adult.