Abstract
Spontaneous bursts of neural activity play a fundamental role in early brain development through guiding the formation of local circuitry and cortical architecture. Whilst this relationship is known in animal models, it has not been demonstrated in human infants due to previous limitations in imaging methods. In this project, the relationship between simultaneously acquired EEG and fMRI data and detailed MRI measures of cortical structure will be explored in preterm human infants. This will inform how function relates to structure in early brain development, with key implications for understanding the early life origin of neuropsychiatric and neurological illness.
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