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September 10, 2026PLoS BiologyOpen Access

Brain structural and functional connectivity converge prenatally but diverge after birth

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Authors

RZRuoke ZhaoMLMingyang LiYZY ZHANG

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Overview

Neuroimaging analysis reveals structural and functional connectivity converge before birth and diverge postnatally in infants, highlighting mechanisms of early cognitive and language development.

Key Points

  • To determine how brain structure–function (SF) coupling develops from the perinatal period through toddlerhood and investigate its link to early cognitive outcomes.
  • Analyzed multimodal MRI datasets from two large cohorts: the developing Human Connectome Project (dHCP) and the Baby Connectome Project (BCP).
  • Characterized spatiotemporal trajectories of SF coupling across 26 to 44 postmenstrual weeks perinatally and 1 to 28 months postnatally.
  • Evaluated correlations between SF coupling at birth and standardized cognitive and language performance scores assessed at 18 months of age.
  • SF coupling strengthened rapidly between 26 and 44 postmenstrual weeks along a sensorimotor-association axis, with sensorimotor and visual areas demonstrating the earliest developmental plateau.
  • SF coupling shifted toward widespread cortical weakening during infancy and toddlerhood (1–28 months) as functional networks diverged through global inter-modular connections.
  • Individual variation in SF coupling at birth showed a statistically significant association with cognitive and language outcomes at 18 months of age.

Cite This Study

Zhao et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6aa27a2a58559d80afc72d18https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3003927
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