Functional connectome harmonics capture early brain organization and maturity in neonates

Aylin Rosberg; Isabella L. C. Mariani Wigley; Aaron Barron; Ilkka Suuronen; Harri Merisaari; Elmo P. Pulli; Silja Luotonen; Ru Li; Wajiha Bano; Ashmeet Jolly; Hilyatushalihah Kholis Audah; Niloofar Hashempour; Elena Vartiainen; Hasse Karlsson; Linnea Karlsson; Richard A. I. Bethlehem; Jakob Seidlitz; Jakub Vohryzek; J M S Cabral; Dafnis Batallé; Morten L. Kringelbach; Selen Atasoy; Jetro J. Tuulari

doi:10.64898/2026.03.25.714150

NeurosciencebioRxivMar 25, 2026

Preprint

Functional connectome harmonics capture early brain organization and maturity in neonates

Aylin Rosberg iD, Isabella L. C. Mariani Wigley iD, Aaron Barron iD, Ilkka Suuronen iD, Harri Merisaari iD, Elmo P. Pulli iD, Silja Luotonen iD, Ru Li iD, Wajiha Bano iD, Ashmeet Jolly iD, Hilyatushalihah Kholis Audah iD, Niloofar Hashempour iD, Elena Vartiainen iD, Hasse Karlsson iD, Linnea Karlsson iD, Richard A. I. Bethlehem iD, Jakob Seidlitz iD, Jakub Vohryzek iD, J M S Cabral iD, Dafnis Batallé iD, Morten L. Kringelbach iD, Selen Atasoy iD, Jetro J. Tuulari iD

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Abstract

The functional organization of the human brain is established early, yet the ontogeny of its large-scale functional gradients remains unclear. Using resting-state fMRI data from 714 neonates in the Developing Human Connectome Project, we mapped neonatal brain gradients via functional connectome harmonics (FCH). We identified adult-like sensory-to-multimodal and cognitive gradient patterns present at birth. Applying three FCH-derived metrics--entropy, power, and energy--we found that power and energy were higher in term-born compared to preterm neonates, while entropy was elevated in preterms. These metrics predicted up to ~30% of postmenstrual age, indicating their biological relevance. Our findings reveal that the neonatal brain possesses a robust gradient architecture underpinning early functional organization, offering novel biomarkers for assessing brain maturity and the impact of prematurity on neurodevelopment.