Altered brain state dynamics between preterm and term-born infants

Preterm birth alters the development of infant brain networks. However, most prior studies investigate its effects on static brain networks rather than dynamic brain states. Increasing evidence shows that brain state dynamics reflect cognitive processes beyond what is revealed by static brain networks. In the current study, we identify infant brain states and test how their dynamics are influenced by prematurity. To do so, we applied Leading Eigenvector Analysis (LEiDA) to resting-state fMRI data collected from term (n = 86) and preterm-born (n = 102) infants after term equivalent age which identified four discrete brain states across both groups. These brain states corroborate, in an independent dataset, those found in the only other large-scale study of infant brain states. Furthermore, we show that term-born infants spent more time than preterm infants in a "Transmodal State" that resembles the Default-Mode Network in adults. In contrast, preterm birth was associated with transitioning from the Transmodal state to states dominated by sensory processing or where subcortical and cortical areas were dissociated from each other. Together, these findings suggest that preterm birth alters not just static brain networks as previously shown but also brain network dynamics.