Neurodevelopmental MEG

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long-term goal of this research program is to demonstrate the efficacy of magnetoencephalography (MEG) as a new technology for the study of neonatal brain activity. There is a longstanding need for a technology that can aid in the diagnosis and prognosis of babies with brain dysfunction due to intrauterine and postnatal central nervous system insults, which may result in mental retardation and neurodevelopmental disorders. We believe that MEG will prove to be an important technology for evaluation of neurodevelopment, including abnormal neurodevelopment. This expectation is based on its ability to provide high spatial as well as temporal resolution of brain activity, it's extremely high sensitivity to developmental changes, and the paucity of alternative methods of assessing neurodevelopment. We propose a longitudinal study to follow the development of brain activity and its underlying sources from birth through age 18 months. The study is designed to further explore recent findings which demonstrate the utility of MEG for characterization of neonatal brain activity, including its potential to provide improved correlates of neurodevelopment. An important technical goal of the research is to develop methods to compensate for head movement, which has been a major limitation in pediatric MEG studies. The goals of the research are: 1. To implement a head movement tracking system for neonatal MEG and to evaluate methods of incorporating head movement information into MEG data analysis. 2. To carry out longitudinal studies of brain rhythms and auditory evoked responses in normal full-term infants healthy during sleep and wakefulness. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The long-term goal of this research program is to demonstrate the efficacy of magnetoencephalography (MEG) as a new technology for the study of perinatal brain activity. Currently there is a paucity of effective, noninvasive techniques for assessment of neurodevelopment. Such a technology could be invaluable for diagnosis and prognosis of babies with brain dysfunction due to chronic intrauterine central nervous system insults, which may result in cerebral palsy and neurodevelopmental disorders.