University of North Carolina-led researchers have used brain connectivity charts built from functional MRI data as a tool for tracking early childhood brain development.

Charts mapped the maturation of brain networks from birth to age six and identified key transitions in how regions of the brain interact. Deviations from these developmental patterns were significantly associated with differences in early cognitive ability, involving primary, default, control, and attention networks.

Early childhood marks a critical period in brain growth, during which neural networks undergo rapid, variable changes that shape cognitive development. While physical growth charts are well-established tools for monitoring parameters such as height and weight, comparable standards for assessing the development of brain function, with timing that differs across children, remain elusive.