Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41957008›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

Regional BOLD variability reflects microstructural maturation and neuronal ensheathment in the preterm infant cortex.

Joana Sa de Almeida, Andrew Boehringer, Serafeim Loukas, Elda Fischi-Gomez, Annemijn Van Der Veek, Lara Lordier, Sebastien Courvoisier, François Lazeyras, Dimitri Van De Ville, Gareth Ball and 1 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Joana Sa de Almeida *Division of Development and Growth, Department of Women's, Children's, and Adolescent Health, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. joana.alvessadealmeida@unige.ch.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1145-7674
Andrew Boehringer *Department of Pediatrics, Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Serafeim LoukasDepartment of Pediatrics, Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Elda Fischi-GomezCIBM Center for Biomedical Imaging, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6506-2128
Annemijn Van Der VeekDepartment of Pediatrics, Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0008-9469-8353
Lara LordierDivision of Development and Growth, Department of Women's, Children's, and Adolescent Health, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Sebastien CourvoisierCIBM Center for Biomedical Imaging, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9309-4154
François LazeyrasCIBM Center for Biomedical Imaging, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Dimitri Van De VilleCIBM Center for Biomedical Imaging, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2879-3861
Gareth BallDevelopmental Imaging, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3509-1435
Petra S HüppiDivision of Development and Growth, Department of Women's, Children's, and Adolescent Health, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7383-6648

Funding

Schweizerische Akademie der Medizinischen Wissenschaften (Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences) YTCR 49/19Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (Swiss National Science Foundation) 324730-163084
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) variability reflects meaningful brain activity, yet its structural and biological correlates during early development remain unknown. Using longitudinal resting-state fMRI and multi-shell diffusion imaging acquired longitudinally in 54 very preterm infants (at 33-weeks' gestational age and term-equivalent-age) and 24 full-term newborns, we investigated how BOLD variability evolves in very preterm infants, its relationship with cortical microstructure and gene expression, using the BrainSpan dataset, and how it differs from full-term newborns at term-equivalent age. During preterm development, BOLD variability increased in primary sensory-sensorimotor and proto-Default-Mode-Network regions, accompanied by decreases in cortical diffusivity. Gene expression analysis revealed concurrent upregulation of genes mediating gliogenesis and neuronal ensheathment. At term-equivalent age, very preterm infants showed decreased BOLD variability and increased cortical diffusivity, compared to full-term newborns. In this work, we show that BOLD variability reflects cortical microstructural maturation, mediated by upregulation of gliogenesis and neuronal ensheathment. Interruption of these processes by preterm birth identifies putative mechanisms of preterm brain injury.

Indexed as

Cerebral CortexInfant, PrematureNeuronsOxygenFemaleGestational AgeHumansInfant, NewbornMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleNeurodevelopmentOxygen

Identifiers

PMID41957008
PMCPMC13222875

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.