Neurodevelopmental MEG

描述（由申请人提供）：本研究计划的长期目标是证明脑磁图（MEG）作为研究新生儿大脑活动的新技术的有效性。长期以来，人们一直需要一种技术，可以帮助诊断和预后婴儿的脑功能障碍，由于宫内和产后中枢神经系统损伤，这可能会导致精神发育迟滞和神经发育障碍。我们相信，脑磁图将被证明是一个重要的技术，用于评估神经发育，包括异常的神经发育。这种期望是基于它能够提供大脑活动的高空间和时间分辨率，它对发育变化的高度敏感性，以及缺乏评估神经发育的替代方法。我们提出了一项纵向研究，以跟踪从出生到18个月大的大脑活动及其潜在来源的发展。这项研究旨在进一步探索最近的发现，这些发现证明了MEG用于表征新生儿大脑活动的实用性，包括其提供改善神经发育相关性的潜力。研究的一个重要技术目标是开发补偿头部运动的方法，这一直是儿科MEG研究的主要限制。本研究的目的是：1.实现新生儿脑磁图的头部运动跟踪系统，并评估将头部运动信息纳入脑磁图数据分析的方法。2.对正常足月儿进行睡眠和觉醒时脑节律和听觉诱发反应的纵向研究。公共卫生相关性：这项研究计划的长期目标是证明脑磁图（MEG）作为研究围产期大脑活动的新技术的有效性。目前，缺乏有效的，非侵入性的技术来评估神经发育。这种技术对于诊断和预后由于慢性宫内中枢神经系统损伤而导致脑功能障碍的婴儿可能是非常宝贵的，这可能导致脑瘫和神经发育障碍。

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.