Prediction of individual brain maturity using fMRI

Science. 2010 Sep 10;329(5997):1358-61. doi: 10.1126/science.1194144.

Abstract

Group functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (fcMRI) studies have documented reliable changes in human functional brain maturity over development. Here we show that support vector machine-based multivariate pattern analysis extracts sufficient information from fcMRI data to make accurate predictions about individuals' brain maturity across development. The use of only 5 minutes of resting-state fcMRI data from 238 scans of typically developing volunteers (ages 7 to 30 years) allowed prediction of individual brain maturity as a functional connectivity maturation index. The resultant functional maturation curve accounted for 55% of the sample variance and followed a nonlinear asymptotic growth curve shape. The greatest relative contribution to predicting individual brain maturity was made by the weakening of short-range functional connections between the adult brain's major functional networks.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aging
  • Algorithms
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Brain / growth & development*
  • Brain / physiology*
  • Brain Mapping
  • Cerebellum / growth & development
  • Cerebellum / physiology
  • Child
  • Female
  • Frontal Lobe / growth & development
  • Frontal Lobe / physiology
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging*
  • Male
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Neural Pathways
  • Occipital Lobe / growth & development
  • Occipital Lobe / physiology
  • Young Adult