Large diffusion-weighted brain MRI (dMRI) studies in neonates are crucial for developmental neuroscience. Our aim was to investigate the utility of ComBat, an empirical Bayes tool for multisite harmonization, in removing site effects from white matter (WM) dMRI measures in healthy infants born at 37 gestational weeks+ 0 days-42 weeks+ 6 days from the Theirworld Edinburgh Birth Cohort (n = 86) and Developing Human Connectome Project (n = 287). Skeletonized fractional anisotropy (FA), mean, axial and radial diffusivity (MD, AD, RD) maps were harmonized. Differences between voxel-wise metrics, skeleton means and histogram widths (5th-95th percentile) were assessed before and after harmonization, as well as variance associated with gestational age at birth and scan. Before harmonization, large cohort differences were observed. Harmonization removed all voxel-wise differences from MD maps and all metric means and histogram widths, however small voxel-wise differences (<1.5 % of voxels) remained in FA, AD and RD. We detected significant relationships between GA at birth and all metrics. When comparing single site and multisite harmonized datasets of equal sample sizes, harmonized data resulted in smaller standardized regression coefficients. ComBat could enable unprecedented sample sizes in developmental neuroscience, offering new horizons for biomarker discovery and validation, understanding typical and atypical brain development, and assessing neuroprotective therapies.

Alexandra F Bonthrone

Manuel Blesa Cábez

A David Edwards

Jo V Hajnal

Serena J Counsell

James P Boardman

Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience

该杂志发表关于认知大脑发育的理论和研究论文，从婴儿期到儿童期和青春期，再到成年期。它涵盖了典型和非典型发展中的神经认知发展和神经认知加工，包括社会和情感方面。该期刊的适当方法包括但不限于功能性神经影像学（FMRI 和 MEG）、电生理学（EEG 和 ERP）、NIRS 和经颅磁刺激，以及使用细胞和动物模型直接解决认知问题的其他基本神经科学方法大脑发育、患者研究、案例研究、验尸研究和药理学研究。

The journal 'Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience' publishes theoretical and research papers on cognitive brain development, covering various stages from infancy to childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. It addresses neural cognitive development and processing in both typical and atypical development, including social and emotional aspects. Appropriate methodologies include, but are not limited to, functional neuroimaging (such as fMRI and MEG), electrophysiology (such as EEG and ERP), near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), and transcranial magnetic stimulation. The journal also welcomes fundamental neuroscience research that directly addresses cognitive issues using cellular and animal models, including studies on brain development, patient research, case studies, autopsy studies, and pharmacological research.

《Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience》期刊发表关于认知大脑发育的理论和研究论文，涵盖从婴儿期到儿童期、青春期，再到成年期的各个阶段。期刊内容涉及典型和非典型发展中的神经认知发展与加工，包括社会和情感方面的研究。适用的方法包括但不限于功能性神经影像学（如FMRI和MEG）、电生理学（如EEG和ERP）、近红外光谱（NIRS）和经颅磁刺激等。此外，期刊还欢迎使用细胞和动物模型直接探讨认知问题的基础神经科学研究，包括大脑发育、患者研究、案例研究、尸检研究和药理学研究。

Category	Quartile
医学	2
医学, 神经科学	2
医学, 心理学发育	2

Harmonizing multisite neonatal diffusion-weighted brain MRI data for developmental neuroscience

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Journal Info

Category	Quartile
PSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENTAL	1