Fig. 5: Control energy cost to activate brain networks.

Whole-brain control energy cost to activate each brain functional network were compared between term (dark box on the left) and preterm infant (light box on the right) groups with an unpaired two-sided t-test: Visual: t = 1.96, p = 0.050; Somatomotor: t = −4.74, p = 2.7e−6; Dorsal attention: t = 5.42, p = 9.2e−8; Ventral attention: t = −3.23, p = 0.0010; Limbic: t = 2.84, p = 0.005; Frontoparietal: t = −5.35, p = 1.3e−7; Default mode: t = 0.41, p = 0.68; Subcortical: t = −1.83, p-0.067. Boxes denote the 25th to 75th percentile and the median line. (*, **,*** indicates results are significant at p < 0.05, p < 0.01, and p < 0.001 for the two-sample two-sided t-test.) Regional control energy required for term (on the left) and preterm infants (on the right) to reach each network activation target were shown on the corresponding brain maps. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.