Comprehensive Multi-Modal MRI Templates of the Infant Brain: A Foundational Resource for Early Developing Brain Studies

Motivation: Infancy is characterized with fastest brain changes across the lifespan, with significant brain morphology differences in just several months. To precisely quantify these changes, dense age-specific infant templates and atlases are needed. Goal(s): To create comprehensive age-specific templates for infant brains at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months, facilitating infant neuroimaging analyses. Approach: We constructed age-specific infant templates using high-resolution structural and diffusion MRI data in the MNI-152 space. Results: These templates capture anatomical differences across milestone infant ages, providing a foundational resource. We showcase two applications: mapping the short-range association fibers and charting the differential myelination trajectories in infant brains. Impact: The established foundational resource for infant brain research offers dense and age-specific multi-modal MRI templates. This resource empowers researchers to conduct precise neuroimaging analyses of infants, unlocking insights into brain structure, function, and connectivity in both health and disease.