Frequency-specific gyro-sulcal functional differentiation in preterm neonates: Sulcal dominance and gene expression correlates.

Preterm birth affects up to 10.6% of neonates and increases neurodevelopmental risks, yet functional brain alterations remain poorly understood. Using resting-state fMRI data from 437 neonates and a one-dimensional convolutional neural network, this study investigated frequency-specific functional differences between gyri and sulci across three groups: preterm-born neonates scanned at preterm age, preterm-born neonates scanned at term-equivalent age, and term-born neonates scanned at term age. Associations with gene expression were examined. Group differences in the model-derived frequency characteristics were observed predominantly in the frontal lobe across all frequency bands, and in the temporal and parietal lobes at high frequencies. These differences were more pronounced for sulcal than gyral characteristics, and sulcal dominance was more spatially extensive in neonates scanned at term-equivalent age than in preterm neonates scanned before term-equivalent age. Furthermore, model-derived gyro-sulcal frequency characteristics were significantly associated with regional cortical gene-expression patterns. This study bridges frequency-specific brain imaging with cortical gene expression, highlighting the prominent contribution of sulcal-related frequency characteristics to the observed group differences. These findings reveal regional associations between gyro-sulcal frequency characteristics and gene expression and suggest their potential relevance for early risk assessment, which requires further validation.