2D-4D Capable Ultrasound Machine

描述（由申请人提供）：五项由美国国立卫生研究院资助的研究由美国国立卫生研究院资助的妇女和婴儿医院和Miriam医院的四名研究人员领导，该研究隶属于Alpert Brown医学院，目前正在使用Salisbury博士开发的胎儿神经行为评估系统来检查高危样本中妊娠第二和第三个月的胎儿行为发育。研究人员由NIMH、NIDA和NICHD资助，研究抗抑郁药物、母亲精神疾病、吸烟和鸦片对胎儿和随后的新生儿发育的影响。NIMH资助的另一项R03研究正在检查自闭症的潜在产前标记。用于收集这些研究中胎儿行为数据的超声系统是1993年制造的，虽然它是可靠的，工作状态良好，但升级到具有先进技术的新机器将大大提高图像质量，从而更准确和精确地编码行为，更准确地了解胎儿行为状态发展（中枢神经系统发育的关键指标）。更快的数据周转时间，以及研究扩展到神经解剖学测量领域，目前的机器无法进行。在我们的许多研究中，新的超声波机器将允许对婴儿进行颅超声成像。通常，研究人员不愿意在婴儿行为和发育的研究中结合神经解剖或功能成像，因为需要使用物理或化学约束才能获得这样的图像。有了超声波，婴儿大脑结构的视图就不用这种方法了，而且比以往任何时候都更清晰。在提议的新超声系统中添加3D和4D技术将允许使用当前机器的所有研究项目进行更大的扩展。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Five NIH-funded studies led by four NIH-funded researchers at Women & Infants Hospital and The Miriam Hospital in affiliation with the Alpert Brown Medical School, are currently using the Fetal Neurobehavioral Assessment System developed by Dr. Salisbury to examine fetal behavioral development during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy in high-risk samples. The researchers are funded by NIMH, NIDA, and NICHD to examine effects of antidepressant medications, maternal psychiatric illness, smoking, and opiates on fetal and subsequent neonatal development. An additional R03 study funded by NIMH is examining the potential prenatal markers for autism. The ultrasound system being used to collect the fetal behavior data in each of these studies was manufactured in 1993 and although it is reliable and in good working order, an upgrade to a new machine with advanced technology would allow for significantly improved quality of images resulting in more accurate and precise coding of behaviors, more accurate information about fetal behavioral state development (a key indicator of central nervous system development), faster data turnaround time as well as research expansion into areas of neuroanatomical measurement that cannot be conducted with the current machine. The new ultrasound machine would allow for cranial ultrasound imaging of the infants in many of our studies. Frequently, researchers are reluctant to combine neuro-anatomical or functional imaging in studies of infant behavior and development due to the need to use physical or chemical restraint in order to obtain such images. With ultrasound, views of infant brain structures are achieved without such means and with greater clarity than ever before. The addition of 3D and 4D technology in the proposed new ultrasound system would allow for even greater expansion of all the research programs using the current machine. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The purchase of a new ultrasound system will allow for improved accuracy, precision, and expanded research capabilities in our work of fetal neurobehavioral development in atrisk populations including fetuses who are siblings of children with autism, prenatally exposed to psychotropic medications, illegal drugs, and maternal psychiatric illness. It would also allow for additional research using cranial ultrasound for brain imaging in infants.