The human brain undergoes explosive growth during the prenatal period and the first few
postnatal years, establishing an early infrastructure for the later development of behaviors …

Premature birth has been associated with poor neurodevelopmental outcomes. However,
the relation between such outcomes and brain growth in the neonatal period has not yet …

Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging can be used to non-invasively probe the
brain microstructure. In addition, recent advances have enabled the identification of complex …

Prematurity presents a risk for higher order cognitive functions. Some of these deficits
manifest later in development, when these functions are expected to mature. However, the …

The normal development of thalamocortical connections plays a critical role in shaping brain
connectivity in the prenatal and postnatal periods. Recent studies using advanced magnetic …

Background: The prediction of neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants is one of
the clinical challenges of pediatrics. Despite the recent interest in brain development and …

Preterm birth poses a risk for neurocognitive and behavioral development. Preterm children,
who have not been diagnosed with neurological or cognitive deficits, enter normal schools …

Background: Infantile brain damage and dysfunction are prime risk factors for developmental
delay and cerebral palsy in childhood that may affect school performance and educational …

Intrinsic motivation is essential for academic success and cognitive growth, but limited work
has examined the neuroanatomical underpinnings of intrinsic motivation from a network …

Children born very preterm (VPT) at< 32 weeks' gestational age are vulnerable to disrupted
brain maturation and compromised cognitive abilities. The present thesis investigated the …