Neural correlates of the development of reaching in infants at risk for developmental delay

项目摘要 发育迟缓的婴儿通常会在运动、认知和社交方面经历终身困难 skills.然而，提供早期物理治疗干预的挑战是， 在生命的最初几个月内识别由于婴儿有限的运动技能而导致的非典型发育， 高度可变的发展速度和运动技能表现。本研究的目的是利用 脑电图（EEG），以获得婴儿运动控制发展的神经测量 存在发育迟缓风险的婴儿。脑电图是一种神经成像技术， 测量大脑活动，并有很大的潜力，用于测量与婴儿运动有关的大脑功能 控制将EEG与婴儿运动的观察相结合将有助于更好地识别 婴儿将受益于早期治疗干预。 这是一项对3- 6个月大的有发育迟缓风险的婴儿进行的纵向观察性研究。 随着婴儿学会伸手去够物体，脑电图数据将每月收集一次。感兴趣的EEG测量值为 参与大脑活动的部分之间的活动量（功率）和连接（连贯性） 执行注意力和意图（额叶皮层），运动控制（运动皮层）和感觉整合 （顶叶皮层）。该项目的第一个目标是确定 脑电测量的神经运动控制作为婴儿达到技能的发展，在婴儿的风险， 发育迟缓该项目的第二个目的是将EEG测量与行为和 婴儿神经运动控制的功能测量。实现我们的总体目标将提供一个非常- - 有风险的婴儿中婴儿神经运动控制发展所需的神经生物标志物 发育迟缓这项研究的结果将提供关键的第一步，我们的努力，以评估 治疗干预对改善婴幼儿神经运动发育的有效性 或有发育迟缓和其他神经运动问题的风险。最佳的早期干预将 Eunice Kennedy Shriver国家儿童健康和人类发展研究所 其使命是使所有儿童都有机会充分发挥其健康和富有成效的生活的潜力， 没有疾病或残疾，并确保健康，生产力，独立性和福祉 所有人都能得到最佳康复这项研究也符合国家的使命 神经疾病和中风研究所：寻求有关大脑的基本知识， 神经系统，并利用这些知识来减少神经系统疾病的负担。

Project Summary Infants with developmental delay often experience lifelong difficulties in motor, cognitive and social skills. A challenge to providing early physical therapy intervention, however, is that it can be difficult to identify atypical development within the first few months of life due to infants’ limited motor skills and highly variable rates of development and motor skill performance. The aim of this study is to use electroencephalography (EEG) to obtain a neural measure of the development of infant motor control in infants at risk for developmental delay. EEG is a neural imaging technique that non--invasively measures brain activity and has great potential for measuring brain function related to infant motor control. Combining EEG with observation of infant movements will support better identification of infants who will benefit from early therapy intervention. This is a longitudinal, observational study of infants at risk for developmental delay 3--6 months of age. EEG data will be collected monthly as infants learn to reach for objects. EEG measures of interest are amount of activity in (power) and connections (coherence) between parts of the brain involved in executive attention and intention (frontal cortex), motor control (motor cortex), and sensory integration (parietal cortex). The first aim of this project is to determine the developmental trajectory of changes in EEG measures of neuromotor control as infant reaching skills develop in infants at risk for developmental delay. The second aim of this project is to relate EEG measures to behavioral and functional measures of infant neuromotor control. Achieving our overall objective will provide a much- -needed neural biomarker of the development of infant neuromotor control in infants at risk for developmental delay. Results of this study will provide the crucial first step in our effort to evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic intervention aimed at improving neuromotor development for infants with or at risk for developmental delay and other neuromotor problems. Optimal early intervention will support the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development mission that all children have the chance to achieve their full potential for healthy and productive lives, free from disease or disability, and to ensure the health, productivity, independence, and well--being of all people through optimal rehabilitation. This research also fits with the mission of the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: to seek fundamental knowledge about the brain and nervous system and to use that knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease.