Spatiotemporal tissue maturation of thalamocortical pathways in the human fetal brain.

ABSTRACT: The development of connectivity between the thalamus and maturing cortex is a fundamental process in the second half of human gestation, establishing the neural circuits that are the basis for several important brain functions. In this study, we acquired high-resolution in utero diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from 140 fetuses as part of the Developing Human Connectome Project, to examine the emergence of thalamocortical white matter over the second to third trimester. We delineate developing thalamocortical pathways and parcellate the fetal thalamus according to its cortical connectivity using diffusion tractography. We then quantify microstructural tissue components along the tracts in fetal compartments that are critical substrates for white matter maturation, such as the sub

SUBMITTER: Wilson S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10125021 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature