Transforming Clinical Brain Imaging to Protect the Neonatal Brain

1)简要描述研究背景，包括潜在影响生命的头两年是神经连接和负责人类正常运动和认知功能的功能发展的关键。围产期损伤发育中的大脑通常被称为出生窒息，仍然是神经发育障碍的一个重要原因。我们需要客观、无创、医院门诊友好、易于操作的脑成像工具来早期发现新生儿脑损伤；支持对婴幼儿进行神经行为干预，最终实现最佳的大脑发育。为了满足这一需求，本博士将以脑成像和计算技术的技术进步为基础；这些包括(i)磁共振波谱（或MRS），可以量化代谢的生物产物；光学成像，使用宽带近红外光谱（或bNIRS）和漫射相关光谱（或DCS）；一种非侵入性脑成像仪器，可以绘制从出生开始的皮质氧合、血流动力学、血流和代谢变化；（三）用于新生儿脑损伤分类和预测的机器学习方法。这个项目的目标是创新神经成像，并重新定义在有神经发育障碍风险的婴儿大脑发育中可以研究的内容。2)目的和目标-优化从新生儿重症监护病房到门诊的神经功能评估的多模式神经成像平台。-翻译并使用该平台来绘制从出生到5岁的婴儿的局部皮质反应，这些反应与包括癫痫和脑瘫在内的一系列异常相关。-实施计算技术，如机器学习方法，用于特征提取和图像分析，用于脑功能活动（氧合/流量和代谢）和神经发育结果的分类，以实现脑健康的生物标志物。3)研究方法的新颖性该项目使用了一种新的成像方式（bNIRS， DCS和MRS）结合机器学习方法来推进可以在脑损伤新生儿大脑中进行的实时大脑健康和神经发育结果的研究。该成像平台将提供长时间的血流量、饱和度和代谢监测，并将使用便携式设备，可以带到新生儿床边，而不需要移动患者（例如进行MRI）。4)与EPSRC的战略和研究领域保持一致本项目与EPSRC的“医疗保健技术”和“医学成像”的研究主题保持一致并属于EPSRC的研究主题

1) Brief description of the context of the research including potential impactThe first 2 years of life are critical for the development of the neural connections and functions responsible for normal motor and cognitive functioning in humans. Perinatal injury to the developing brain often refers to as birth asphyxia, continues to remain a significant cause of neurodevelopmental disability.We need objective, non-invasive, hospital and outpatient clinic friendly, easy to operate brain imaging tools to inform early detection of newborn brain injury; to support neurobehavioural interventions in young infants and toddlers, ultimately leading to the best possible brain development.To answer this need, this PhD will build upon technological advancements in brain imaging and computational techniques; these include (i) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (or MRS) that can quantify bioproducts of metabolism; (ii) optical imaging, with broadband near-infrared spectroscopy (or bNIRS) and diffuse correlation spectroscopy (or DCS); a non-invasive brain imaging instrument that can map cortical oxygenation, haemodynamics, blood flow and metabolic changes from birth; and (iii) machine learning approaches for classification and prediction of newborn brain injury.The ambition of this project is to innovate neuroimaging and redefine what can be investigated in the developing brain of infants at risk of neurodevelopmental disability.2) Aims and Objectives- Optimise a multimodal neuroimaging platform for neuronal functional assessment from the neonatal intensive care unit to the outpatient clinic.- Translate and enable the use of this platform to map localized cortical responses, in infants from birth up to 5 years old, correlating with a range of abnormalities including seizures and cerebral palsy.- Implement computational techniques such as machine learning methods for feature extractions and image analytics for classification of brain functional activity (oxygenation/flow and metabolism) and neurodevelopmental outcomes, towards biomarkers of brain health.3) Novelty of Research MethodologyThe project uses a novel combination of imaging modalities (bNIRS, DCS and MRS) combined with machine learning approaches to advance what can be investigated in the brains of neonates with brain injury in terms of real-time brain health as well as neurodevelopmental outcomes. The imaging platform will provide monitoring of blood flow, saturation and metabolism over extended time scales and will use portable equipment that can be brought to the neonatal's bedside rather than requiring moving of the patient (e.g. for an MRI).4) Alignment to EPSRC's strategies and research areasThis project aligns with and falls under the EPSRC's research themes of "Healthcare technologies" and "Medical imaging"5) Any companies or collaborators involvedN/A