Publications by authors named "Kevin Michael Cook"
Introduction: The central autonomic network (CAN), which involves complex interconnected brain regions that modulate the autonomic nervous system, may be key to understanding higher risk for psychosocial and behavioral challenges in preterm neonates.
Methods: We compared resting-state functional connectivity of the CAN in 94 healthy term-born controls and 94 preterm infants at term-equivalent age. In preterm infants, we correlated CAN connectivity with postmenstrual age (PMA).
Objective: To determine the association between neighborhood disadvantage (ND) and functional brain development of in utero fetuses.
Study Design: We conducted an observational study using Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) scores to assess the impact of ND on a prospectively recruited sample of healthy pregnant women from Washington, DC. Using 79 functional magnetic resonance imaging scans from 68 healthy pregnancies at a mean gestational age of 33.
Article Synopsis
- The Central Autonomic Network (CAN) is a set of brain structures that regulate heart functions, and this study explores its role in premature neonates for the first time using heart rate variability (HRV) and resting state fMRI.
- The research involved 47 premature neonates who underwent fMRI at term age, with HRV measured from their ECG data; the study aimed to assess how HRV correlates with the connectivity of CAN.
- Findings revealed significant HRV-CAN connectivity relationships, particularly in male neonates, indicating potential vulnerabilities in the brain-heart connection among this group.