Precision functional mapping reveals less inter-individual variability in the child vs. adult human brain

Abstract Human brain organization shares a common underlying structure, though recent studies have shown that features of this organization also differ significantly across individual adults. Understanding the developmental pathways that lead to individually unique brains is important for advancing models of cognitive development and neurodevelopmental disorders. Here we use highly personalized precision neuroimaging methods to map brain networks within 12 individual children, ages 8-12 years. We demonstrate fMRI functional connectivity maps that substantially exceed the reliability of traditional techniques, allowing us to measure individual differences after overcoming biases from measurement noise. Children share core functional network topography, with greatest inter-individual variability in association regions, consistent with adult findings. However, children show less between-subject variability than adults, suggesting increasing individual differentiation in brain networks with development. This pediatric precision neuroimaging dataset is publicly available to support future brain development research and provides a high-fidelity foundation for studying individual variation in atypical development. Competing Interest Statement N.U.F.D. has a financial interest in Turing Medical Inc. and may benefit financially if the company is successful in marketing FIRMM motion monitoring software products. N.U.F.D. may receive royalty income based on FIRMM technology developed at Washington University School of Medicine and licensed to Turing Medical Inc. N.U.F.D. is a co-founder of Turing Medical Inc. These potential conflicts of interest have been reviewed and are managed by Washington University School of Medicine.