Current insights in brain protection for the sick newborn infant

OpenAIRE

KOOI E.M.W.

2015-01-01

This paper presents an overview of the modern antenatal and postnatal strategies in brain protection for both preterm and term born infants. It is known, that the two most common causes of neonatal brain injury are prematurity and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in the term born infant. Approximately one in nine babies is born before term. Nowadays these preterm born infants more often survive the neonatal period due to developments in treatment options in the last decades. They are how...

[Research on brain white matter network in cerebral palsy infant].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jun; Yang, Cheng; Wang, Yuanjun; Nie, Shengdong

2017-10-01

Present study used diffusion tensor image and tractography to construct brain white matter networks of 15 cerebral palsy infants and 30 healthy infants that matched for age and gender. After white matter network analysis, we found that both cerebral palsy and healthy infants had a small-world topology in white matter network, but cerebral palsy infants exhibited abnormal topological organization: increased shortest path length but decreased normalize clustering coefficient, global efficiency and local efficiency. Furthermore, we also found that white matter network hub regions were located in the left cuneus, precuneus, and left posterior cingulate gyrus. However, some abnormal nodes existed in the frontal, temporal, occipital and parietal lobes of cerebral palsy infants. These results indicated that the white matter networks for cerebral palsy infants were disrupted, which was consistent with previous studies about the abnormal brain white matter areas. This work could help us further study the pathogenesis of cerebral palsy infants.

Vasoparalysis associated with brain damage in asphyxiated term infants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pryds, O.; Greisen, G.; Lou, H.; Friis-Hansen, B.

1990-01-01

The relationship of cerebral blood flow to acute changes in arterial carbon dioxide and mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) was determined during the first day of life in 19 severely asphyxiated term infants supported by mechanical ventilation. For comparison, 12 infants without perinatal asphyxia were also investigated. Global cerebral blood flow (CBF infinity) was determined by xenon 133 clearance two or three times within approximately 2 hours. During the cerebral blood flow measurement, the amplitude-integrated electroencephalogram and visual-evoked potential were recorded. Changes in arterial carbon dioxide pressure followed adjustments of the ventilator settings, whereas MABP fluctuated spontaneously. Arterial oxygen pressure and blood glucose concentration were in the normal range. Five of the asphyxiated infants had isoelectric electroencephalograms and died subsequently with severe brain damage. They had a high CBF infinity (mean 30.6 ml/100 gm/min) and abolished carbon dioxide and MABP reactivity. Lower CBF infinity (mean 14.7 ml/100 gm/min) and abolished MABP reactivity were found in another five asphyxiated infants with burst-suppression electroencephalograms in whom computed tomographic or clinical signs of brain lesions developed. The carbon dioxide reactivity was preserved in these infants. In the remaining nine asphyxiated infants without signs of central nervous system abnormality, carbon dioxide and MABP reactivity were preserved, as was also the case in the control group. We conclude that abolished autoregulation is associated with cerebral damage in asphyxiated infants and that the combination of isoelectric electroencephalograms and cerebral hyperperfusion is an early indicator of very severe brain damage

Vasoparalysis associated with brain damage in asphyxiated term infants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pryds, O.; Greisen, G.; Lou, H.; Friis-Hansen, B. (Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen (Denmark))

1990-07-01

The relationship of cerebral blood flow to acute changes in arterial carbon dioxide and mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) was determined during the first day of life in 19 severely asphyxiated term infants supported by mechanical ventilation. For comparison, 12 infants without perinatal asphyxia were also investigated. Global cerebral blood flow (CBF infinity) was determined by xenon 133 clearance two or three times within approximately 2 hours. During the cerebral blood flow measurement, the amplitude-integrated electroencephalogram and visual-evoked potential were recorded. Changes in arterial carbon dioxide pressure followed adjustments of the ventilator settings, whereas MABP fluctuated spontaneously. Arterial oxygen pressure and blood glucose concentration were in the normal range. Five of the asphyxiated infants had isoelectric electroencephalograms and died subsequently with severe brain damage. They had a high CBF infinity (mean 30.6 ml/100 gm/min) and abolished carbon dioxide and MABP reactivity. Lower CBF infinity (mean 14.7 ml/100 gm/min) and abolished MABP reactivity were found in another five asphyxiated infants with burst-suppression electroencephalograms in whom computed tomographic or clinical signs of brain lesions developed. The carbon dioxide reactivity was preserved in these infants. In the remaining nine asphyxiated infants without signs of central nervous system abnormality, carbon dioxide and MABP reactivity were preserved, as was also the case in the control group. We conclude that abolished autoregulation is associated with cerebral damage in asphyxiated infants and that the combination of isoelectric electroencephalograms and cerebral hyperperfusion is an early indicator of very severe brain damage.

A case of double meningomyelocoele with hydrocephalous in a four months′ infant

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Anuja A Goyal

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Meningomyelocoele is a developmental congenital disorder caused by failure of the neural tube to close during the first month of embryonic development thus presenting with herniation of neural elements along with meninges. Myelomeningocoeles most commonly occur in the lumbosacral region, but can also occur at any level in the neuraxis, including occipital/suboccipital areas or nasally (encephalocoele.We report a rare case of double meningomyelocoele in a 4-month-old infant (cervical as well as thoracic meningocele with weakness in the left lower limb (power grade 0 posted for resection with difficult intubation because of obstructive hydrocephalus, fear of rupture of neuroplaque, positioning and care of blood loss and temperature. The infant was discharged within 15 days, and his hospital stay was uneventful.

Premature infants display increased noxious-evoked neuronal activity in the brain compared to healthy age-matched term-born infants.

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Slater, Rebeccah; Fabrizi, Lorenzo; Worley, Alan; Meek, Judith; Boyd, Stewart; Fitzgerald, Maria

2010-08-15

This study demonstrates that infants who are born prematurely and who have experienced at least 40days of intensive or special care have increased brain neuronal responses to noxious stimuli compared to healthy newborns at the same postmenstrual age. We have measured evoked potentials generated by noxious clinically-essential heel lances in infants born at term (8 infants; born 37-40weeks) and in infants born prematurely (7 infants; born 24-32weeks) who had reached the same postmenstrual age (mean age at time of heel lance 39.2+/-1.2weeks). These noxious-evoked potentials are clearly distinguishable from shorter latency potentials evoked by non-noxious tactile sensory stimulation. While the shorter latency touch potentials are not dependent on the age of the infant at birth, the noxious-evoked potentials are significantly larger in prematurely-born infants. This enhancement is not associated with specific brain lesions but reflects a functional change in pain processing in the brain that is likely to underlie previously reported changes in pain sensitivity in older ex-preterm children. Our ability to quantify and measure experience-dependent changes in infant cortical pain processing will allow us to develop a more rational approach to pain management in neonatal intensive care. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Isointense infant brain MRI segmentation with a dilated convolutional neural network

OpenAIRE

Moeskops, Pim; Pluim, Josien P. W.

2017-01-01

Quantitative analysis of brain MRI at the age of 6 months is difficult because of the limited contrast between white matter and gray matter. In this study, we use a dilated triplanar convolutional neural network in combination with a non-dilated 3D convolutional neural network for the segmentation of white matter, gray matter and cerebrospinal fluid in infant brain MR images, as provided by the MICCAI grand challenge on 6-month infant brain MRI segmentation.

Early brain development in infants at high risk for autism spectrum disorder.

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Hazlett, Heather Cody; Gu, Hongbin; Munsell, Brent C; Kim, Sun Hyung; Styner, Martin; Wolff, Jason J; Elison, Jed T; Swanson, Meghan R; Zhu, Hongtu; Botteron, Kelly N; Collins, D Louis; Constantino, John N; Dager, Stephen R; Estes, Annette M; Evans, Alan C; Fonov, Vladimir S; Gerig, Guido; Kostopoulos, Penelope; McKinstry, Robert C; Pandey, Juhi; Paterson, Sarah; Pruett, John R; Schultz, Robert T; Shaw, Dennis W; Zwaigenbaum, Lonnie; Piven, Joseph

2017-02-15

Brain enlargement has been observed in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but the timing of this phenomenon, and the relationship between ASD and the appearance of behavioural symptoms, are unknown. Retrospective head circumference and longitudinal brain volume studies of two-year olds followed up at four years of age have provided evidence that increased brain volume may emerge early in development. Studies of infants at high familial risk of autism can provide insight into the early development of autism and have shown that characteristic social deficits in ASD emerge during the latter part of the first and in the second year of life. These observations suggest that prospective brain-imaging studies of infants at high familial risk of ASD might identify early postnatal changes in brain volume that occur before an ASD diagnosis. In this prospective neuroimaging study of 106 infants at high familial risk of ASD and 42 low-risk infants, we show that hyperexpansion of the cortical surface area between 6 and 12 months of age precedes brain volume overgrowth observed between 12 and 24 months in 15 high-risk infants who were diagnosed with autism at 24 months. Brain volume overgrowth was linked to the emergence and severity of autistic social deficits. A deep-learning algorithm that primarily uses surface area information from magnetic resonance imaging of the brain of 6-12-month-old individuals predicted the diagnosis of autism in individual high-risk children at 24 months (with a positive predictive value of 81% and a sensitivity of 88%). These findings demonstrate that early brain changes occur during the period in which autistic behaviours are first emerging.

Brain responses in 4-month-old infants are already language specific.

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Friederici, Angela D; Friedrich, Manuela; Christophe, Anne

2007-07-17

Language is the most important faculty that distinguishes humans from other animals. Infants learn their native language fast and effortlessly during the first years of life, as a function of the linguistic input in their environment. Behavioral studies reported the discrimination of melodic contours [1] and stress patterns [2, 3] in 1-4-month-olds. Behavioral [4, 5] and brain measures [6-8] have shown language-independent discrimination of phonetic contrasts at that age. Language-specific discrimination, however, has been reported for phonetic contrasts only for 6-12-month-olds [9-12]. Here we demonstrate language-specific discrimination of stress patterns in 4-month-old German and French infants by using electrophysiological brain measures. We compare the processing of disyllabic words differing in their rhythmic structure, mimicking German words being stressed on the first syllable, e.g., pápa/daddy[13], and French ones being stressed on the second syllable, e.g., papá/daddy. Event-related brain potentials reveal that experience with German and French differentially affects the brain responses of 4-month-old infants, with each language group displaying a processing advantage for the rhythmic structure typical in its native language. These data indicate language-specific neural representations of word forms in the infant brain as early as 4 months of age.

Term-equivalent functional brain maturational measures predict neurodevelopmental outcomes in premature infants.

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El Ters, Nathalie M; Vesoulis, Zachary A; Liao, Steve M; Smyser, Christopher D; Mathur, Amit M

2018-04-01

Term equivalent age (TEA) brain MRI identifies preterm infants at risk for adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. But some infants may experience neurodevelopmental impairments even in the absence of neuroimaging abnormalities. Evaluate the association of TEA amplitude-integrated EEG (aEEG) measures with neurodevelopmental outcomes at 24-36 months corrected age. We performed aEEG recordings and brain MRI at TEA (mean post-menstrual age of 39 (±2) weeks in a cohort of 60 preterm infants born at a mean gestational age of 26 (±2) weeks. Forty-four infants underwent Bayley Scales of Infant Development, 3rd Edition (BSID-III) testing at 24-36 months corrected age. Developmental delay was defined by a score greater than one standard deviation below the mean (neurodevelopmental outcomes was assessed using odds ratio, then adjusted for confounding variables using logistic regression. Infants with developmental delay in any domain had significantly lower values of SEF 90 . Absent cyclicity was more prevalent in infants with cognitive and motor delay. Both left and right SEF 90  neurodevelopmental outcomes. Therefore, a larger study is needed to validate these results in premature infants at low and high risk of brain injury. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Results of surgery in symptomatic non-hydrocephalic pineal cysts: role of magnetic resonance imaging biomarkers indicative of central venous hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Eide, Per Kristian; Ringstad, Geir

2017-02-01

We have previously proposed that pineal cysts (PCs) may result in crowding of the pineal recess, causing symptoms due to compression of the internal cerebral veins and central venous hypertension. In the present study, we compared clinical outcome of different treatment modalities in symptomatic individuals with non-hydrocephalic PCs. The study included all patients managed surgically for non-hydrocephalic PCs in our Department of Neurosurgery over a 10-year period. We applied a questionnaire to determine occurrence of symptoms before and after surgery, which allowed the use of a grading scale for symptom severity. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarkers indicative of central venous hypertension were assessed before and after surgery. Relief of symptoms after surgery was most efficiently obtained by complete microsurgical cyst removal [n = 15; no (0/15), some (1/15) or marked (14/15) improvement], and to a lesser extent by microsurgical cyst fenestration [n = 6; no (2/6), some (4/6) or marked (0/6) improvement]. Shunt surgery was not successful [n = 6; no (5/6), some (1/6) or marked (0/6) improvement]. In all patients, the proposed MRI biomarkers gave evidence of central venous hypertension (PC grades 2-4). Microsurgical cyst removal provided marked symptom relief in symptomatic individuals with non-hydrocephalic PCs and MRI biomarkers of central venous hypertension. The hypothesis that PC-induced crowding of the pineal recess may compromise venous run-off and induce a central venous hypertension syndrome deserves further study.

Uptake of [14C]deoxyglucose into brain of young rats with inherited hydrocephalus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richards, H.K.; Bucknall, R.M.; Jones, H.C.; Pickard, J.D.

1989-01-01

The effect of hydrocephalus on cerebral glucose utilization as reflected by deoxyglucose uptake has been examined in rats with inherited hydrocephalus at 10, 20, and 28 days after birth using a semiquantitative method. Injection of [14C]deoxyglucose intraperitoneally was followed by freezing the brain, sectioning, and quantitative autoradiography of 10 brain regions. Brain [14C] concentration, cortical thickness, and plasma glucose concentrations were measured. Maximal thinning of the cerebral cortex had already occurred by 10 days after birth, although obvious symptoms such as gait disturbance developed after 20 days. In control rats, the cerebral isotope concentration was lower and more homogeneous at 10 days than at 20 or 28 days, which may be a reflection of the use of metabolic substrates other than glucose in younger animals. In order to make comparisons between control and hydrocephalic groups, tissue isotope concentrations were normalized to cerebellar cortex which was not affected by the hydrocephalus at any age. In hydrocephalic rats at 10 and 20 days, the concentration of [14C] was lower in all areas except the inferior colliculi and pons but the reduction was only significant in the sensory-motor cortex at 10 days and in the caudate nuclei at 20 days. By 28 days after birth, all areas except the cerebellum (six cortical regions, inferior colliculi, pons, and caudate) had significantly lower isotope concentrations in the hydrocephalic group. It is concluded that cerebral glucose metabolism is significantly reduced by 28 days after birth in H-Tx rats with congenital hydrocephalus and that less marked reductions occur prior to 28 days

Radiation exposure of the gonads in infant brain computerized tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berndt, L.; Rosenkranz, G.; Tellkamp, H.

1988-01-01

In 61 babies and infants the gonadal dose due to brain computerized tomography was determined over the symphysis by thermoluminescent dosimetry. The average radiation dose was 43 mGy corresponding with data reported. Shielding of the testes in infants is an additional burden and worth discussing because of the low absolute gonadal dose

Regional infant brain development: an MRI-based morphometric analysis in 3 to 13 month olds.

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Choe, Myong-Sun; Ortiz-Mantilla, Silvia; Makris, Nikos; Gregas, Matt; Bacic, Janine; Haehn, Daniel; Kennedy, David; Pienaar, Rudolph; Caviness, Verne S; Benasich, April A; Grant, P Ellen

2013-09-01

Elucidation of infant brain development is a critically important goal given the enduring impact of these early processes on various domains including later cognition and language. Although infants' whole-brain growth rates have long been available, regional growth rates have not been reported systematically. Accordingly, relatively less is known about the dynamics and organization of typically developing infant brains. Here we report global and regional volumetric growth of cerebrum, cerebellum, and brainstem with gender dimorphism, in 33 cross-sectional scans, over 3 to 13 months, using T1-weighted 3-dimensional spoiled gradient echo images and detailed semi-automated brain segmentation. Except for the midbrain and lateral ventricles, all absolute volumes of brain regions showed significant growth, with 6 different patterns of volumetric change. When normalized to the whole brain, the regional increase was characterized by 5 differential patterns. The putamen, cerebellar hemispheres, and total cerebellum were the only regions that showed positive growth in the normalized brain. Our results show region-specific patterns of volumetric change and contribute to the systematic understanding of infant brain development. This study greatly expands our knowledge of normal development and in future may provide a basis for identifying early deviation above and beyond normative variation that might signal higher risk for neurological disorders.

Fixel-based analysis reveals alterations is brain microstructure and macrostructure of preterm-born infants at term equivalent age

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Kerstin Pannek

Full Text Available Preterm birth causes significant disruption in ongoing brain development, frequently resulting in adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. Brain imaging using diffusion MRI may provide valuable insight into microstructural properties of the developing brain. The aim of this study was to establish whether the recently introduced fixel-based analysis method, with its associated measures of fibre density (FD, fibre bundle cross-section (FC, and fibre density and bundle cross-section (FDC, is suitable for the investigation of the preterm infant brain at term equivalent age. High-angular resolution diffusion weighted images (HARDI of 55 preterm-born infants and 20 term-born infants, scanned around term-equivalent age, were included in this study (3 T, 64 directions, b = 2000 s/mm2. Postmenstrual age at the time of MRI, and intracranial volume (FC and FDC only, were identified as confounding variables. Gestational age at birth was correlated with all fixel measures in the splenium of the corpus callosum. Compared to term-born infants, preterm infants showed reduced FD, FC, and FDC in a number of regions, including the corpus callosum, anterior commissure, cortico-spinal tract, optic radiations, and cingulum. Preterm infants with minimal macroscopic brain abnormality showed more extensive reductions than preterm infants without any macroscopic brain abnormality; however, little differences were observed between preterm infants with no and with minimal brain abnormality. FC showed significant reductions in preterm versus term infants outside regions identified with FD and FDC, highlighting the complementary role of these measures. Fixel-based analysis identified both microstructural and macrostructural abnormalities in preterm born infants, providing a more complete picture of early brain development than previous diffusion tensor imaging (DTI based approaches. Keywords: Fixel-based analysis, Diffusion, Prematurity, Neonate

Brain MRI findings in infants with primary congenital glaucoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dai, A. Ibrahym; Saygili, O.

2007-01-01

Congenital glaucoma appears in the first months of life, eventually at birth. Isolated congenital glaucoma is characterized by minor malformations of the irido-corneal angle of the anterior chamber of the eye. Clinical manifestations include tearing, photophobia and enlargement of the globe appearing in the first months of life. Imaging technology such as optical coherence tomography and measurement of central corneal thickness may play an important role in the assessment of children with suspected or known glaucoma. However, no MRI findings of the CNS in patients with primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) were reported in the literature. The purpose of this study was to investigate MRI findings of the brain in infants with PCG. We reviewed the radiological and histopathological and clinical characteristics of infants with primary congenital glaucoma. The records of 17 patients with PCG were reviewed and the MRIs of the brain and associated manifestations were analyzed. Three patients with PCG had abnormal MRI findings suggesting agenesis of the corpus callosum. Two infants had delayed myelinization of the brain. Significant abnormal optic nerve excavation and increased corneal diameters in 2 patients with delayed myelinization may suggest that intraocular pressure can be more striking and more severe, revealing a close relationship with PCG and abnormal myelinization in white matter. Studies with more patients are needed to confirm these results. (author)

Resting-State Functional Connectivity in the Infant Brain: Methods, Pitfalls, and Potentiality.

Science.gov (United States)

Mongerson, Chandler R L; Jennings, Russell W; Borsook, David; Becerra, Lino; Bajic, Dusica

2017-01-01

Early brain development is characterized by rapid growth and perpetual reconfiguration, driven by a dynamic milieu of heterogeneous processes. Postnatal brain plasticity is associated with increased vulnerability to environmental stimuli. However, little is known regarding the ontogeny and temporal manifestations of inter- and intra-regional functional connectivity that comprise functional brain networks. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) has emerged as a promising non-invasive neuroinvestigative tool, measuring spontaneous fluctuations in blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal at rest that reflect baseline neuronal activity. Over the past decade, its application has expanded to infant populations providing unprecedented insight into functional organization of the developing brain, as well as early biomarkers of abnormal states. However, many methodological issues of rs-fMRI analysis need to be resolved prior to standardization of the technique to infant populations. As a primary goal, this methodological manuscript will (1) present a robust methodological protocol to extract and assess resting-state networks in early infancy using independent component analysis (ICA), such that investigators without previous knowledge in the field can implement the analysis and reliably obtain viable results consistent with previous literature; (2) review the current methodological challenges and ethical considerations associated with emerging field of infant rs-fMRI analysis; and (3) discuss the significance of rs-fMRI application in infants for future investigations of neurodevelopment in the context of early life stressors and pathological processes. The overarching goal is to catalyze efforts toward development of robust, infant-specific acquisition, and preprocessing pipelines, as well as promote greater transparency by researchers regarding methods used.

Do animals and furniture items elicit different brain responses in human infants?

Science.gov (United States)

Jeschonek, Susanna; Marinovic, Vesna; Hoehl, Stefanie; Elsner, Birgit; Pauen, Sabina

2010-11-01

One of the earliest categorical distinctions to be made by preverbal infants is the animate-inanimate distinction. To explore the neural basis for this distinction in 7-8-month-olds, an equal number of animal and furniture pictures was presented in an ERP-paradigm. The total of 118 pictures, all looking different from each other, were presented in a semi-randomized order for 1000ms each. Infants' brain responses to exemplars from both categories differed systematically regarding the negative central component (Nc: 400-600ms) at anterior channels. More specifically, the Nc was enhanced for animals in one subgroup of infants, and for furniture items in another subgroup of infants. Explorative analyses related to categorical priming further revealed category-specific differences in brain responses in the late time window (650-1550ms) at right frontal channels: Unprimed stimuli (preceded by a different-category item) elicited a more positive response as compared to primed stimuli (preceded by a same-category item). In sum, these findings suggest that the infant's brain discriminates exemplars from both global domains. Given the design of our task, we conclude that processes of category identification are more likely to account for our findings than processes of on-line category formation during the experimental session. Copyright © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Resting-State Functional Connectivity in the Infant Brain: Methods, Pitfalls, and Potentiality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chandler R. L. Mongerson

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Early brain development is characterized by rapid growth and perpetual reconfiguration, driven by a dynamic milieu of heterogeneous processes. Postnatal brain plasticity is associated with increased vulnerability to environmental stimuli. However, little is known regarding the ontogeny and temporal manifestations of inter- and intra-regional functional connectivity that comprise functional brain networks. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI has emerged as a promising non-invasive neuroinvestigative tool, measuring spontaneous fluctuations in blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD signal at rest that reflect baseline neuronal activity. Over the past decade, its application has expanded to infant populations providing unprecedented insight into functional organization of the developing brain, as well as early biomarkers of abnormal states. However, many methodological issues of rs-fMRI analysis need to be resolved prior to standardization of the technique to infant populations. As a primary goal, this methodological manuscript will (1 present a robust methodological protocol to extract and assess resting-state networks in early infancy using independent component analysis (ICA, such that investigators without previous knowledge in the field can implement the analysis and reliably obtain viable results consistent with previous literature; (2 review the current methodological challenges and ethical considerations associated with emerging field of infant rs-fMRI analysis; and (3 discuss the significance of rs-fMRI application in infants for future investigations of neurodevelopment in the context of early life stressors and pathological processes. The overarching goal is to catalyze efforts toward development of robust, infant-specific acquisition, and preprocessing pipelines, as well as promote greater transparency by researchers regarding methods used.

Rhythmic EEG patterns in extremely preterm infants : Classification and association with brain injury and outcome

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Weeke, Lauren C; van Ooijen, Inge M; Groenendaal, Floris; van Huffelen, Alexander C.; van Haastert, Ingrid C; van Stam, Carolien; Benders, Manon J; Toet, Mona C; Hellström-Westas, Lena; de Vries, Linda S

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Classify rhythmic EEG patterns in extremely preterm infants and relate these to brain injury and outcome. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 77 infants born <28 weeks gestational age (GA) who had a 2-channel EEG during the first 72 h after birth. Patterns detected by the BrainZ seizure

Regional Brain Responses Are Biased Toward Infant Facial Expressions Compared to Adult Facial Expressions in Nulliparous Women.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Bingbing; Cheng, Gang; Zhang, Dajun; Wei, Dongtao; Qiao, Lei; Wang, Xiangpeng; Che, Xianwei

2016-01-01

Recent neuroimaging studies suggest that neutral infant faces compared to neutral adult faces elicit greater activity in brain areas associated with face processing, attention, empathic response, reward, and movement. However, whether infant facial expressions evoke larger brain responses than adult facial expressions remains unclear. Here, we performed event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging in nulliparous women while they were presented with images of matched unfamiliar infant and adult facial expressions (happy, neutral, and uncomfortable/sad) in a pseudo-randomized order. We found that the bilateral fusiform and right lingual gyrus were overall more activated during the presentation of infant facial expressions compared to adult facial expressions. Uncomfortable infant faces compared to sad adult faces evoked greater activation in the bilateral fusiform gyrus, precentral gyrus, postcentral gyrus, posterior cingulate cortex-thalamus, and precuneus. Neutral infant faces activated larger brain responses in the left fusiform gyrus compared to neutral adult faces. Happy infant faces compared to happy adult faces elicited larger responses in areas of the brain associated with emotion and reward processing using a more liberal threshold of p facial expressions compared to adult facial expressions among nulliparous women, and this bias may be modulated by individual differences in Interest-In-Infants and perspective taking ability.

Differential brain responses to cries of infants with autistic disorder and typical development: an fMRI study.

Science.gov (United States)

Venuti, Paola; Caria, Andrea; Esposito, Gianluca; De Pisapia, Nicola; Bornstein, Marc H; de Falco, Simona

2012-01-01

This study used fMRI to measure brain activity during adult processing of cries of infants with autistic disorder (AD) compared to cries of typically developing (TD) infants. Using whole brain analysis, we found that cries of infants with AD compared to those of TD infants elicited enhanced activity in brain regions associated with verbal and prosodic processing, perhaps because altered acoustic patterns of AD cries render them especially difficult to interpret, and increased activity in brain regions associated with emotional processing, indicating that AD cries also elicit more negative feelings and may be perceived as more aversive and/or arousing. Perceived distress engendered by AD cries related to increased activation in brain regions associated with emotional processing. This study supports the hypothesis that cry is an early and meaningful anomaly displayed by children with AD. It could be that cries associated with AD alter parent-child interactions much earlier than the time that reliable AD diagnosis normally occurs. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Brain tumors and CT scans in infants and children, (3)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oi, Shizuo

1983-01-01

In clinical pictures of brain tumors in infants and children, many features are not identical to those in adults, including characteristics of the tumors in age population, the locations of the tumors, the clinical symptoms and signs, and various factors affecting prognosis. We have, therefore, clinically and extensively analyzed brain tumors in infants and children. This study was also performed in order to analyze the characteristic CT findings of astrocytoma, the tumor most frequently occurring among infants and children. The subjects were 24 cases of astrocytoma and 2 cases of glioblastoma in infants and children under 16 years. The locations and characteristics of the tumors were as follows. Most of the tumors occurred in the 4th ventricle, had a characteristic low density, and could almost entirely be clearly distinguished from medulloblastomas, but not from ependymomas, on CT. The features of the supratentorial tumors were similar to those of the astrocytomas and glioblastomas mostly appearing in adults, as previously reported, in the relatively close correlation with the location and malignancy of the tumor. There was also a case of diffuse astrocytoma, a ''non-enhanced low-density solid tumor,'' which raised clinical problems. Among low-grade astrocytomas in infants and children, only a few show a high density on plain CT, many have, at least macroscopically, a strong contrast enhancement, and peritumoral edema is not observed on CT or, if observed, is observed only slightly. As individual features, homogenous enhancement pattern, a mixed density, a central low density, and a rare absence of enhancement are listed. (author)

Gut Microbiome and Infant Health: Brain-Gut-Microbiota Axis and Host Genetic Factors.

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Cong, Xiaomei; Xu, Wanli; Romisher, Rachael; Poveda, Samantha; Forte, Shaina; Starkweather, Angela; Henderson, Wendy A

2016-09-01

The development of the neonatal gut microbiome is influenced by multiple factors, such as delivery mode, feeding, medication use, hospital environment, early life stress, and genetics. The dysbiosis of gut microbiota persists during infancy, especially in high-risk preterm infants who experience lengthy stays in the Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Infant microbiome evolutionary trajectory is essentially parallel with the host (infant) neurodevelopmental process and growth. The role of the gut microbiome, the brain-gut signaling system, and its interaction with the host genetics have been shown to be related to both short and long term infant health and bio-behavioral development. The investigation of potential dysbiosis patterns in early childhood is still lacking and few studies have addressed this host-microbiome co-developmental process. Further research spanning a variety of fields of study is needed to focus on the mechanisms of brain-gut-microbiota signaling system and the dynamic host-microbial interaction in the regulation of health, stress and development in human newborns.

Reduced brain resting-state network specificity in infants compared with adults.

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Wylie, Korey P; Rojas, Donald C; Ross, Randal G; Hunter, Sharon K; Maharajh, Keeran; Cornier, Marc-Andre; Tregellas, Jason R

2014-01-01

Infant resting-state networks do not exhibit the same connectivity patterns as those of young children and adults. Current theories of brain development emphasize developmental progression in regional and network specialization. We compared infant and adult functional connectivity, predicting that infants would exhibit less regional specificity and greater internetwork communication compared with adults. Functional magnetic resonance imaging at rest was acquired in 12 healthy, term infants and 17 adults. Resting-state networks were extracted, using independent components analysis, and the resulting components were then compared between the adult and infant groups. Adults exhibited stronger connectivity in the posterior cingulate cortex node of the default mode network, but infants had higher connectivity in medial prefrontal cortex/anterior cingulate cortex than adults. Adult connectivity was typically higher than infant connectivity within structures previously associated with the various networks, whereas infant connectivity was frequently higher outside of these structures. Internetwork communication was significantly higher in infants than in adults. We interpret these findings as consistent with evidence suggesting that resting-state network development is associated with increasing spatial specificity, possibly reflecting the corresponding functional specialization of regions and their interconnections through experience.

Oscillatory Activity in the Infant Brain and the Representation of Small Numbers.

Science.gov (United States)

Leung, Sumie; Mareschal, Denis; Rowsell, Renee; Simpson, David; Iaria, Leon; Grbic, Amanda; Kaufman, Jordy

2016-01-01

Gamma-band oscillatory activity (GBA) is an established neural signature of sustained occluded object representation in infants and adults. However, it is not yet known whether the magnitude of GBA in the infant brain reflects the quantity of occluded items held in memory. To examine this, we compared GBA of 6-8 month-old infants during occlusion periods after the representation of two objects vs. that of one object. We found that maintaining a representation of two objects during occlusion resulted in significantly greater GBA relative to maintaining a single object. Further, this enhancement was located in the right occipital region, which is consistent with previous object representation research in adults and infants. We conclude that enhanced GBA reflects neural processes underlying infants' representation of small numbers.

Early brain enlargement and elevated extra-axial fluid in infants who develop autism spectrum disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Mark D; Nordahl, Christine W; Young, Gregory S; Wootton-Gorges, Sandra L; Lee, Aaron; Liston, Sarah E; Harrington, Kayla R; Ozonoff, Sally; Amaral, David G

2013-09-01

Prospective studies of infants at risk for autism spectrum disorder have provided important clues about the early behavioural symptoms of autism spectrum disorder. Diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, however, is not currently made until at least 18 months of age. There is substantially less research on potential brain-based differences in the period between 6 and 12 months of age. Our objective in the current study was to use magnetic resonance imaging to identify any consistently observable brain anomalies in 6-9 month old infants who would later develop autism spectrum disorder. We conducted a prospective infant sibling study with longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging scans at three time points (6-9, 12-15, and 18-24 months of age), in conjunction with intensive behavioural assessments. Fifty-five infants (33 'high-risk' infants having an older sibling with autism spectrum disorder and 22 'low-risk' infants having no relatives with autism spectrum disorder) were imaged at 6-9 months; 43 of these (27 high-risk and 16 low-risk) were imaged at 12-15 months; and 42 (26 high-risk and 16 low-risk) were imaged again at 18-24 months. Infants were classified as meeting criteria for autism spectrum disorder, other developmental delays, or typical development at 24 months or later (mean age at outcome: 32.5 months). Compared with the other two groups, infants who developed autism spectrum disorder (n = 10) had significantly greater extra-axial fluid at 6-9 months, which persisted and remained elevated at 12-15 and 18-24 months. Extra-axial fluid is characterized by excessive cerebrospinal fluid in the subarachnoid space, particularly over the frontal lobes. The amount of extra-axial fluid detected as early as 6 months was predictive of more severe autism spectrum disorder symptoms at the time of outcome. Infants who developed autism spectrum disorder also had significantly larger total cerebral volumes at both 12-15 and 18-24 months of age. This is the first magnetic

Structural growth trajectories and rates of change in the first 3 months of infant brain development.

Science.gov (United States)

Holland, Dominic; Chang, Linda; Ernst, Thomas M; Curran, Megan; Buchthal, Steven D; Alicata, Daniel; Skranes, Jon; Johansen, Heather; Hernandez, Antonette; Yamakawa, Robyn; Kuperman, Joshua M; Dale, Anders M

2014-10-01

The very early postnatal period witnesses extraordinary rates of growth, but structural brain development in this period has largely not been explored longitudinally. Such assessment may be key in detecting and treating the earliest signs of neurodevelopmental disorders. To assess structural growth trajectories and rates of change in the whole brain and regions of interest in infants during the first 3 months after birth. Serial structural T1-weighted and/or T2-weighted magnetic resonance images were obtained for 211 time points from 87 healthy term-born or term-equivalent preterm-born infants, aged 2 to 90 days, between October 5, 2007, and June 12, 2013. We segmented whole-brain and multiple subcortical regions of interest using a novel application of Bayesian-based methods. We modeled growth and rate of growth trajectories nonparametrically and assessed left-right asymmetries and sexual dimorphisms. Whole-brain volume at birth was approximately one-third of healthy elderly brain volume, and did not differ significantly between male and female infants (347 388 mm3 and 335 509 mm3, respectively, P = .12). The growth rate was approximately 1%/d, slowing to 0.4%/d by the end of the first 3 months, when the brain reached just more than half of elderly adult brain volume. Overall growth in the first 90 days was 64%. There was a significant age-by-sex effect leading to widening separation in brain sizes with age between male and female infants (with male infants growing faster than females by 200.4 mm3/d, SE = 67.2, P = .003). Longer gestation was associated with larger brain size (2215 mm3/d, SE = 284, P = 4×10-13). The expected brain size of an infant born one week earlier than average was 5% smaller than average; at 90 days it will not have caught up, being 2% smaller than average. The cerebellum grew at the highest rate, more than doubling in 90 days, and the hippocampus grew at the slowest rate, increasing by 47% in 90 days. There was left

Breastfeeding, Brain Activation to Own Infant Cry, and Maternal Sensitivity

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Pilyoung; Feldman, Ruth; Mayes, Linda C.; Eicher, Virginia; Thompson, Nancy; Leckman, James F.; Swain, James E.

2011-01-01

Background: Research points to the importance of breastfeeding for promoting close mother-infant contact and social-emotional development. Recent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have identified brain regions related to maternal behaviors. However, little research has addressed the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the…

Speaker gaze increases information coupling between infant and adult brains.

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Leong, Victoria; Byrne, Elizabeth; Clackson, Kaili; Georgieva, Stanimira; Lam, Sarah; Wass, Sam

2017-12-12

When infants and adults communicate, they exchange social signals of availability and communicative intention such as eye gaze. Previous research indicates that when communication is successful, close temporal dependencies arise between adult speakers' and listeners' neural activity. However, it is not known whether similar neural contingencies exist within adult-infant dyads. Here, we used dual-electroencephalography to assess whether direct gaze increases neural coupling between adults and infants during screen-based and live interactions. In experiment 1 ( n = 17), infants viewed videos of an adult who was singing nursery rhymes with ( i ) direct gaze (looking forward), ( ii ) indirect gaze (head and eyes averted by 20°), or ( iii ) direct-oblique gaze (head averted but eyes orientated forward). In experiment 2 ( n = 19), infants viewed the same adult in a live context, singing with direct or indirect gaze. Gaze-related changes in adult-infant neural network connectivity were measured using partial directed coherence. Across both experiments, the adult had a significant (Granger) causal influence on infants' neural activity, which was stronger during direct and direct-oblique gaze relative to indirect gaze. During live interactions, infants also influenced the adult more during direct than indirect gaze. Further, infants vocalized more frequently during live direct gaze, and individual infants who vocalized longer also elicited stronger synchronization from the adult. These results demonstrate that direct gaze strengthens bidirectional adult-infant neural connectivity during communication. Thus, ostensive social signals could act to bring brains into mutual temporal alignment, creating a joint-networked state that is structured to facilitate information transfer during early communication and learning. Copyright © 2017 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

Using event-related potentials to study perinatal nutrition and brain development in infants of diabetic mothers.

Science.gov (United States)

deRegnier, Raye-Ann; Long, Jeffrey D; Georgieff, Michael K; Nelson, Charles A

2007-01-01

Proper prenatal and postnatal nutrition is essential for optimal brain development and function. The early use of event-related potentials enables neuroscientists to study the development of cognitive function from birth and to evaluate the role of specific nutrients in development. Perinatal iron deficiency occurs in severely affected infants of diabetic mothers. In animal models, severe perinatal iron deficiency targets the explicit memory system of the brain. Cross-sectional ERP studies have shown that infants of diabetic mothers have impairments in recognition memory from birth through 8 months of age. The purpose of this study was to evaluate longitudinal development of recognition memory using ERPs in infants of diabetic mothers compared with control infants. Infants of diabetic mothers were divided into high and low risk status based upon their birth weights and iron status and compared with healthy control infants. Infants were tested in the newborn period for auditory recognition memory, at 6 months for visual recognition memory and at 8 months for cross modal memory. ERPs were evaluated for developmental changes in the slow waves that are thought to reflect memory and the Nc component that is thought to reflect attention. The results of the study showed differences in development between the IDMs and control infants in the development of the slow waves over the left anterior temporal leads and age-related patterns of development in the NC component. These results are consistent with animal models showing that perinatal iron deficiency affects the development of the memory networks of the brain. This study highlights the value of using ERPs to translate basic science information obtained from animal models to the development of the human infant.

Infant brain tumors: incidence, survival, and the role of radiation based on Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Bishop, Andrew J; McDonald, Mark W; Chang, Andrew L; Esiashvili, Natia

2012-01-01

To evaluate the incidence of infant brain tumors and survival outcomes by disease and treatment variables. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program November 2008 submission database provided age-adjusted incidence rates and individual case information for primary brain tumors diagnosed between 1973 and 2006 in infants less than 12 months of age. Between 1973 and 1986, the incidence of infant brain tumors increased from 16 to 40 cases per million (CPM), and from 1986 to 2006, the annual incidence rate averaged 35 CPM. Leading histologies by annual incidence in CPM were gliomas (13.8), medulloblastoma and primitive neuroectodermal tumors (6.6), and ependymomas (3.6). The annual incidence was higher in whites than in blacks (35.0 vs. 21.3 CPM). Infants with low-grade gliomas had the highest observed survival, and those with atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors (ATRTs) or primary rhabdoid tumors of the brain had the lowest. Between 1979 and 1993, the annual rate of cases treated with radiation within the first 4 months from diagnosis declined from 20.5 CPM to incidence of infant brain tumors has been stable since 1986. Survival outcomes varied markedly by histology. For infants with medulloblastoma and ATRTs, improved survival was observed in patients treated with both surgery and early radiation compared with those treated with surgery alone. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Brain metabolite alterations in infants born preterm with intrauterine growth restriction: association with structural changes and neurodevelopmental outcome.

Science.gov (United States)

Simões, Rui V; Muñoz-Moreno, Emma; Cruz-Lemini, Mónica; Eixarch, Elisenda; Bargalló, Núria; Sanz-Cortés, Magdalena; Gratacós, Eduard

2017-01-01

Intrauterine growth restriction and premature birth represent 2 independent problems that may occur simultaneously and contribute to impaired neurodevelopment. The objective of the study was to assess changes in the frontal lobe metabolic profiles of 1 year old intrauterine growth restriction infants born prematurely and adequate-for-gestational-age controls, both premature and term adequate for gestational age and their association with brain structural and biophysical parameters and neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years. A total of 26 prematurely born intrauterine growth restriction infants (birthweight intrauterine growth restriction infants had slightly smaller brain volumes and increased frontal lobe white matter mean diffusivity compared with both prematurely born but adequate for gestational age and term adequate for gestational age controls. Frontal lobe N-acetylaspartate levels were significantly lower in prematurely born intrauterine growth restriction than in prematurely born but adequate for gestational age infants but increased in prematurely born but adequate for gestational age compared with term adequate-for-gestational-age infants. The prematurely born intrauterine growth restriction group also showed slightly lower choline compounds, borderline decrements of estimated glutathione levels, and increased myoinositol to choline ratios, compared with prematurely born but adequate for gestational age controls. These specific metabolite changes were locally correlated to lower gray matter content and increased mean diffusivity and reduced white matter fraction and fractional anisotropy. Prematurely born intrauterine growth restriction infants also showed a tendency for poorer neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years, associated with lower levels of frontal lobe N-acetylaspartate at 1 year within the preterm subset. Preterm intrauterine growth restriction infants showed altered brain metabolite profiles during a critical stage of brain maturation, which

The naturally occurring α-tocopherol stereoisomer RRR-α-tocopherol is predominant in the human infant brain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kuchan, J M; Jensen, Søren Krogh; Johnson, E J

2016-01-01

α-Tocopherol is the principal source of vitamin E, an essential nutrient that plays a crucial role in maintaining healthy brain function. Infant formula is routinely supplemented with synthetic α-tocopherol, a racaemic mixture of eight stereoisomers with less bioactivity than the natural...... stereoisomer RRR-α-tocopherol. α-Tocopherol stereoisomer profiles have not been previously reported in the human brain. In the present study, we analysed total α-tocopherol and α-tocopherol stereoisomers in the frontal cortex (FC), hippocampus (HPC) and visual cortex (VC) of infants (n 36) who died of sudden...... infant death syndrome or other conditions. RRR-α-tocopherol was the predominant stereoisomer in all brain regions (Ptocopherol (5–17 μg/g). Mean RRR-α-tocopherol concentrations in FC, HPC and VC were 10·5, 6·8 and 5·5 μg...

Oscillatory activity in the infant brain and the representation of small numbers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sumie eLeung

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Gamma-band oscillatory activity (GBA is an established neural signature of sustained occluded object representation in infants and adults. However, it is not yet known whether the magnitude of GBA in the infant brain reflects the quantity of occluded items held in memory. To examine this, we compared GBA of 6- to 8-month-old infants during occlusion periods after the representation of two objects versus that of one object. We found that maintaining a representation of two objects during occlusion resulted in significantly greater GBA relative to maintaining a single object. Further, this enhancement was located in the right occipital region, which is consistent with previous object representation research in adults and infants. We conclude that enhanced GBA reflects neural processes underlying infants’ representation of small numbers.

Brain magnetic resonance imaging of infants exposed prenatally to buprenorphine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kahila, H.; Kivitie-Kallio, S.; Halmesmaki, E.; Valanne, L.; Autti, T.

2007-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the brains of newborns exposed to buprenorphine prenatally. Material and Methods: Seven neonates followed up antenatally in connection with their mothers' buprenorphine replacement therapy underwent 1.5T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain before the age of 2 months. The infants were born to heavy drug abusers. Four mothers were hepatitis C positive, and all were HIV negative. All mothers smoked tobacco and used benzodiazepines. All pregnancies were full term, and no perinatal asphyxia occurred. All but one neonate had abstinence syndrome and needed morphine replacement therapy. Results: Neither structural abnormalities nor abnormalities in signal intensity were recorded. Conclusion: Buprenorphine replacement therapy does not seem to cause any major structural abnormalities of the brain, and it may prevent known hypoxic-ischemic brain changes resulting from uncontrolled drug abuse. Longitudinal studies are needed to assess possible abnormalities in the brain maturation process

Brain magnetic resonance imaging of infants exposed prenatally to buprenorphine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kahila, H.; Kivitie-Kallio, S.; Halmesmaki, E.; Valanne, L.; Autti, T. [Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dept. of Pediatrics, and Helsinki Medical Imaging Center, Helsinki Univ. Central Hospital (Finland)

2007-02-15

Purpose: To evaluate the brains of newborns exposed to buprenorphine prenatally. Material and Methods: Seven neonates followed up antenatally in connection with their mothers' buprenorphine replacement therapy underwent 1.5T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain before the age of 2 months. The infants were born to heavy drug abusers. Four mothers were hepatitis C positive, and all were HIV negative. All mothers smoked tobacco and used benzodiazepines. All pregnancies were full term, and no perinatal asphyxia occurred. All but one neonate had abstinence syndrome and needed morphine replacement therapy. Results: Neither structural abnormalities nor abnormalities in signal intensity were recorded. Conclusion: Buprenorphine replacement therapy does not seem to cause any major structural abnormalities of the brain, and it may prevent known hypoxic-ischemic brain changes resulting from uncontrolled drug abuse. Longitudinal studies are needed to assess possible abnormalities in the brain maturation process.

Gestational age at birth and brain white matter development in term-born infants and children

Science.gov (United States)

Studies on infants/children born preterm have shown that adequate gestational length is critical for brain white matter development. Less is known regarding how variations in gestational age at birth in term infants/children affect white matter development, which was evaluated in this study. Using d...

Lutein Is Differentially Deposited across Brain Regions following Formula or Breast Feeding of Infant Rhesus Macaques.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeon, Sookyoung; Ranard, Katherine M; Neuringer, Martha; Johnson, Emily E; Renner, Lauren; Kuchan, Matthew J; Pereira, Suzette L; Johnson, Elizabeth J; Erdman, John W

2018-01-01

Lutein, a yellow xanthophyll, selectively accumulates in primate retina and brain. Lutein may play a critical role in neural and retinal development, but few studies have investigated the impact of dietary source on its bioaccumulation in infants. We explored the bioaccumulation of lutein in infant rhesus macaques following breastfeeding or formula-feeding. From birth to 6 mo of age, male and female rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) were either breastfed (BF) (n = 8), fed a formula supplemented with lutein, zeaxanthin, β-carotene, and lycopene (237, 19.0, 74.2, and 338 nmol/kg, supplemented formula-fed; SF) (n = 8), or fed a formula with low amounts of these carotenoids (38.6, 2.3, 21.5, and 0 nmol/kg, unsupplemented formula-fed; UF) (n = 7). The concentrations of carotenoids in serum and tissues were analyzed by HPLC. At 6 mo of age, the BF group exhibited significantly higher lutein concentrations in serum, all brain regions, macular and peripheral retina, adipose tissue, liver, and other tissues compared to both formula-fed groups (P Lutein concentrations were higher in the SF group than in the UF group in serum and all tissues, with the exception of macular retina. Lutein was differentially distributed across brain areas, with the highest concentrations in the occipital cortex, regardless of the diet. Zeaxanthin was present in all brain regions but only in the BF infants; it was present in both retinal regions in all groups but was significantly enhanced in BF infants compared to either formula group (P lutein concentrations compared to unsupplemented formula, concentrations were still well below those in BF infants. Regardless of diet, occipital cortex showed selectively higher lutein deposition than other brain regions, suggesting lutein's role in visual processing in early life. © 2018 American Society for Nutrition. All rights reserved.

Creative music therapy to promote brain structure, function, and neurobehavioral outcomes in preterm infants: a randomized controlled pilot trial protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Haslbeck, Friederike Barbara; Bucher, Hans-Ulrich; Bassler, Dirk; Hagmann, Cornelia

2017-01-01

Preterm birth is associated with increased risk of neurological impairment and deficits in cognition, motor function, and behavioral problems. Limited studies indicate that multi-sensory experiences support brain development in preterm infants. Music appears to promote neurobiological processes and neuronal learning in the human brain. Creative music therapy (CMT) is an individualized, interactive therapeutic approach based on the theory and methods of Nordoff and Robbins. CMT may promote brain development in preterm infants via concurrent interaction and meaningful auditory stimulation. We hypothesize that preterm infants who receive creative music therapy during neonatal intensive care admission will have developmental benefits short- and long-term brain function. A prospective, randomized controlled single-center pilot trial involving 60 clinically stable preterm infants under 32 weeks of gestational age is conducted in preparation for a multi-center trial. Thirty infants each are randomized to either standard neonatal intensive care or standard care with CMT. Music therapy intervention is approximately 20 min in duration three times per week. A trained music therapist sings for the infants in lullaby style, individually entrained and adjusted to the infant's rhythm and affect. Primary objectives of this study are feasibility of protocol implementation and investigating the potential mechanism of efficacy for this new intervention. To examine the effect of this new intervention, non-invasive, quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods at corrected age and standardized neurodevelopmental assessments using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development third edition at a corrected age of 24 months and Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children at 5 years will be performed. All assessments will be performed and analyzed by blinded experts. To our knowledge, this is the first randomized controlled clinical trial to systematically examine possible

Brain ultrasonographic findings of late-onset circulatory dysfunction due to adrenal insufficiency in preterm infants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shin, Su Mi; Chai, Jee Won [Dept. of Radiology, SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2016-07-15

The aim of this study was to characterize the brain ultrasonographic findings of late-onset circulatory dysfunction (LCD) due to adrenal insufficiency (AI) in preterm infants. Among the 257 preterm infants born at <33 weeks of gestation between December 2009 and February 2014 at our institution, 35 preterm infants were diagnosed with AI. Brain ultrasonographic findings were retrospectively analyzed before and after LCD in 14 preterm infants, after exclusion of the other 21 infants with AI due to the following causes: death (n=2), early AI (n=5), sepsis (n=1), and patent ductus arteriosus (n=13). Fourteen of 257 infants (5.4%) were diagnosed with LCD due to AI. The age at LCD was a median of 18.5 days (range, 9 to 32 days). The last ultrasonographic findings before LCD occurred showed grade 1 periventricular echogenicity (PVE) in all 14 patients and germinal matrix hemorrhage (GMH) with focal cystic change in one patient. Ultrasonographic findings after LCD demonstrated no significant change in grade 1 PVE and no new lesions in eight (57%), grade 1 PVE with newly appearing GMH in three (21%), and increased PVE in three (21%) infants. Five infants (36%) showed new development (n=4) or increased size (n=1) of GMH. Two of three infants (14%) with increased PVE developed cystic periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) and rapid progression to macrocystic encephalomalacia. LCD due to AI may be associated with the late development of GMH, increased PVE after LCD, and cystic PVL with rapid progression to macrocystic encephalomalacia.

Contribution of Histologic Chorioamnionitis and Fetal Inflammatory Response Syndrome to Increased Risk of Brain Injury in Infants With Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Hong-Yan; Zhang, Qiang; Wang, Qiu-Xia; Lu, Jun-Ying

2016-08-01

To determine the association of histologic chorioamnionitis (HCA) and fetal inflammatory response syndrome (FIRS) with brain injuries in infants born to mothers with preterm premature rupture of membranes. A total of 103 singleton infants born to mothers with preterm premature rupture of membranes were enrolled. The placental inflammation was confirmed by HCA, and FIRS was defined in fetuses with preterm labor and an elevation of the fetal plasma interleukin-6 concentration. Examination of brain images was conducted to confirm the existence of brain injuries. Based on placental HCA and umbilical cord blood interleukin-6 level, all patients were divided into three groups: HCA(-)FIRS(+), HCA(+)FIRS(-), and HCA(+)FIRS(+). Among all infants with preterm premature rupture of membranes, 53.40% were exposed to HCA, 20.38% experienced FIRS, and the overall incidence of brain injuries was 38.83%. The incidence of brain injury in HCA(-)FIRS(+), HCA(+)FIRS(-), and HCA(+)FIRS(+) groups were 20.83%, 41.18%, and 76.19%, respectively. HCA at the advanced grades and stages was associated with increased risk of brain injury. Umbilical cord blood levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) in premature infants with brain injuries were significantly higher than in those without brain injuries. Infants diagnosed with both HCA and FIRS showed significantly higher levels of IL-8, TNF-α, and G-CSF than those with HCA alone. Preterm infants exposed to severe chorioamnionitis had an increased risk of brain injury. IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, and G-CSF in cord blood were associated with brain injuries in preterm infants and may be used as extradiagnostic criteria. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Dual Nature of Early-Life Experience on Somatosensory Processing in the Human Infant Brain.

OpenAIRE

Maitre, N.L.; Key, A.P.; Chorna, O.D.; Slaughter, J.C.; Matusz, P.J.; Wallace, M.T.; Murray, M.M.

2017-01-01

Every year, 15 million preterm infants are born, and most spend their first weeks in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) [1]. Although essential for the support and survival of these infants, NICU sensory environments are dramatically different from those in which full-term infants mature and thus likely impact the development of functional brain organization [2]. Yet the integrity of sensory systems determines effective perception and behavior [3, 4]. In neonates, touch is a cornerstone of...

Greater brain response to emotional expressions of their own children in mothers of preterm infants: an fMRI study.

Science.gov (United States)

Montirosso, R; Arrigoni, F; Casini, E; Nordio, A; De Carli, P; Di Salle, F; Moriconi, S; Re, M; Reni, G; Borgatti, R

2017-06-01

The birth of a preterm infant and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit hospitalization constitute a potentially traumatic experience for mothers. Although behavioral studies investigated the parenting stress in preterm mothers, no study focused on the underlying neural mechanisms. We examined the effect of preterm births in mothers, by comparing brain activation in mothers of preterm and full-term infants. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to measure the cerebral response of 10 first-time mothers of preterm infants (gestational age mothers of full-term infants, viewing happy-, neutral- and distress-face images of their own infant, along with a matched unknown infant. While viewing own infant's face preterm mothers showed increased activation in emotional processing area (i.e., inferior frontal gyrus) and social cognition (i.e., supramarginal gyrus) and affiliative behavior (i.e., insula). Differential brain activation patterns in mothers appears to be a function of the atypical parenthood transition related to prematurity.

Accentuate or repeat? Brain signatures of developmental periods in infant word recognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Männel, Claudia; Friederici, Angela D

2013-01-01

Language acquisition has long been discussed as an interaction between biological preconditions and environmental input. This general interaction seems particularly salient in lexical acquisition, where infants are already able to detect unknown words in sentences at 7 months of age, guided by phonological and statistical information in the speech input. While this information results from the linguistic structure of a given language, infants also exploit situational information, such as speakers' additional word accentuation and word repetition. The current study investigated the developmental trajectory of infants' sensitivity to these two situational input cues in word recognition. Testing infants at 6, 9, and 12 months of age, we hypothesized that different age groups are differentially sensitive to accentuation and repetition. In a familiarization-test paradigm, event-related brain potentials (ERPs) revealed age-related differences in infants' word recognition as a function of situational input cues: at 6 months infants only recognized previously accentuated words, at 9 months both accentuation and repetition played a role, while at 12 months only repetition was effective. These developmental changes are suggested to result from infants' advancing linguistic experience and parallel auditory cortex maturation. Our data indicate very narrow and specific input-sensitive periods in infant word recognition, with accentuation being effective prior to repetition. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prognostic value of gradient echo T2* sequences for brain MR imaging in preterm infants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruine, Francisca T. de; Berg-Huysmans, Annette A. van den; Buchem, Mark A. van; Grond, Jeroen van der; Steggerda, Sylke J.; Leijser, Lara M.; Rijken, Monique; Wezel-Meijler, Gerda van

2014-01-01

Gradient echo T2*-W sequences are more sensitive than T2-W spin-echo sequences for detecting hemorrhages in the brain. The aim of this study is to correlate presence of hemosiderin deposits in the brain of very preterm infants (gestational age 6 non-hemorrhagic punctate white matter lesions (PWML), cysts and/or ventricular dilatation. Six infants with post-hemorrhagic ventricular dilatation detected by US in the neonatal period were excluded. Infants were seen for follow-up at 2 years. Univariate and regression analysis assessed the relation between presence and location of hemosiderin, white matter injury and neurodevelopmental outcome. In 38/95 (40%) of the infants, hemosiderin was detected. Twenty percent (19/95) of the infants were lost to follow-up. There was a correlation between hemosiderin in the ventricular wall with >6 PWML (P < 0.001) and cysts (P < 0.001) at term-equivalent age, and with a lower psychomotor development index (PDI) (P=0.02) at 2 years. After correcting for known confounders (gestational age, gender, intrauterine growth retardation and white matter injury), the correlation with PDI was no longer significant. The clinical importance of detecting small hemosiderin deposits is limited as there is no independent association with neurodevelopmental outcome. (orig.)

Neonatal Pain in Very Preterm Infants: Long-Term Effects on Brain, Neurodevelopment and Pain Reactivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruth Eckstein Grunau

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Effects of early life psychosocial adversity have received a great deal of attention, such as maternal separation in experimental animal models and abuse/neglect in young humans. More recently, long-term effects of the physical stress of repetitive procedural pain have begun to be addressed in infants hospitalized in neonatal intensive care. Preterm infants are more sensitive to pain and stress, which cannot be distinguished in neonates. The focus of this review is clinical studies of long-term effects of repeated procedural pain-related stress in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU in relation to brain development, neurodevelopment, programming of stress systems, and later pain sensitivity in infants born very preterm (24–32 weeks’ gestational age. Neonatal pain exposure has been quantified as the number of invasive and/or skin-breaking procedures during hospitalization in the NICU. Emerging studies provide convincing clinical evidence for an adverse impact of neonatal pain/stress in infants at a time of physiological immaturity, rapidly developing brain microstructure and networks, as well as programming of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Currently it appears that early pain/stress may influence the developing brain and thereby neurodevelopment and stress-sensitive behaviors, particularly in the most immature neonates. However, there is no evidence for greater prevalence of pain syndromes compared to children and adults born healthy at full term. In addressing associations between pain/stress and outcomes, careful consideration of confounding clinical factors related to prematurity is essential. The need for pain management for humanitarian care is widely advocated. Non-pharmacological interventions to help parents reduce their infant’s stress may be brain-protective.

No laughing matter: intranasal oxytocin administration changes functional brain connectivity during exposure to infant laughter.

Science.gov (United States)

Riem, Madelon M E; van IJzendoorn, Marinus H; Tops, Mattie; Boksem, Maarten A S; Rombouts, Serge A R B; Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J

2012-04-01

Infant laughter is a rewarding experience. It activates neural reward circuits and promotes parental proximity and care, thus facilitating parent-infant attachment. The neuropeptide oxytocin might enhance the incentive salience of infant laughter by modulating neural circuits related to the perception of infant cues. In a randomized controlled trial with functional magnetic resonance imaging we investigated the influence of intranasally administered oxytocin on functional brain connectivity in response to infant laughter. Blood oxygenation level-dependent responses to infant laughter were measured in 22 nulliparous women who were administered oxytocin and 20 nulliparous women who were administered a placebo. Elevated oxytocin levels reduced activation in the amygdala during infant laughter and enhanced functional connectivity between the amygdala and the orbitofrontal cortex, the anterior cingulate, the hippocampus, the precuneus, the supramarginal gyri, and the middle temporal gyrus. Increased functional connectivity between the amygdala and regions involved in emotion regulation may reduce negative emotional arousal while enhancing the incentive salience of the infant laughter.

Infant Brain Tumors: Incidence, Survival, and the Role of Radiation Based on Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bishop, Andrew J.; McDonald, Mark W.; Chang, Andrew L.; Esiashvili, Natia

2012-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the incidence of infant brain tumors and survival outcomes by disease and treatment variables. Methods and Materials: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program November 2008 submission database provided age-adjusted incidence rates and individual case information for primary brain tumors diagnosed between 1973 and 2006 in infants less than 12 months of age. Results: Between 1973 and 1986, the incidence of infant brain tumors increased from 16 to 40 cases per million (CPM), and from 1986 to 2006, the annual incidence rate averaged 35 CPM. Leading histologies by annual incidence in CPM were gliomas (13.8), medulloblastoma and primitive neuroectodermal tumors (6.6), and ependymomas (3.6). The annual incidence was higher in whites than in blacks (35.0 vs. 21.3 CPM). Infants with low-grade gliomas had the highest observed survival, and those with atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors (ATRTs) or primary rhabdoid tumors of the brain had the lowest. Between 1979 and 1993, the annual rate of cases treated with radiation within the first 4 months from diagnosis declined from 20.5 CPM to <2 CPM. For infants with medulloblastoma, desmoplastic histology and treatment with both surgery and upfront radiation were associated with improved survival, but on multivariate regression, only combined surgery and radiation remained associated with improved survival, with a hazard ratio for death of 0.17 compared with surgery alone (p = 0.005). For ATRTs, those treated with surgery and upfront radiation had a 12-month survival of 100% compared with 24.4% for those treated with surgery alone (p = 0.016). For ependymomas survival was higher in patients treated in more recent decades (p = 0.001). Conclusion: The incidence of infant brain tumors has been stable since 1986. Survival outcomes varied markedly by histology. For infants with medulloblastoma and ATRTs, improved survival was observed in patients treated with both surgery and early radiation

Reduced brain resting-state network specificity in infants compared with adults

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Wylie KP

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Korey P Wylie,1,* Donald C Rojas,1,* Randal G Ross,1 Sharon K Hunter,1 Keeran Maharajh,1 Marc-Andre Cornier,2 Jason R Tregellas1,3 1Department of Psychiatry, 2Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA; 3Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Denver, CO, USA *These authors contributed equally to this work Purpose: Infant resting-state networks do not exhibit the same connectivity patterns as those of young children and adults. Current theories of brain development emphasize developmental progression in regional and network specialization. We compared infant and adult functional connectivity, predicting that infants would exhibit less regional specificity and greater internetwork communication compared with adults.Patients and methods: Functional magnetic resonance imaging at rest was acquired in 12 healthy, term infants and 17 adults. Resting-state networks were extracted, using independent components analysis, and the resulting components were then compared between the adult and infant groups.Results: Adults exhibited stronger connectivity in the posterior cingulate cortex node of the default mode network, but infants had higher connectivity in medial prefrontal cortex/anterior cingulate cortex than adults. Adult connectivity was typically higher than infant connectivity within structures previously associated with the various networks, whereas infant connectivity was frequently higher outside of these structures. Internetwork communication was significantly higher in infants than in adults.Conclusion: We interpret these findings as consistent with evidence suggesting that resting-state network development is associated with increasing spatial specificity, possibly reflecting the corresponding functional specialization of regions and their interconnections through experience. Keywords: functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging

Deep Convolutional Neural Networks for Multi-Modality Isointense Infant Brain Image Segmentation

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Zhang, Wenlu; Li, Rongjian; Deng, Houtao; Wang, Li; Lin, Weili; Ji, Shuiwang; Shen, Dinggang

2015-01-01

The segmentation of infant brain tissue images into white matter (WM), gray matter (GM), and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) plays an important role in studying early brain development in health and disease. In the isointense stage (approximately 6–8 months of age), WM and GM exhibit similar levels of intensity in both T1 and T2 MR images, making the tissue segmentation very challenging. Only a small number of existing methods have been designed for tissue segmentation in this isointense stage; however, they only used a single T1 or T2 images, or the combination of T1 and T2 images. In this paper, we propose to use deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for segmenting isointense stage brain tissues using multi-modality MR images. CNNs are a type of deep models in which trainable filters and local neighborhood pooling operations are applied alternatingly on the raw input images, resulting in a hierarchy of increasingly complex features. Specifically, we used multimodality information from T1, T2, and fractional anisotropy (FA) images as inputs and then generated the segmentation maps as outputs. The multiple intermediate layers applied convolution, pooling, normalization, and other operations to capture the highly nonlinear mappings between inputs and outputs. We compared the performance of our approach with that of the commonly used segmentation methods on a set of manually segmented isointense stage brain images. Results showed that our proposed model significantly outperformed prior methods on infant brain tissue segmentation. In addition, our results indicated that integration of multi-modality images led to significant performance improvement. PMID:25562829

Relationship between brain function (aEEG) and brain structure (MRI) and their predictive value for neurodevelopmental outcome of preterm infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Hüning, Britta; Storbeck, Tobias; Bruns, Nora; Dransfeld, Frauke; Hobrecht, Julia; Karpienski, Julia; Sirin, Selma; Schweiger, Bernd; Weiss, Christel; Felderhoff-Müser, Ursula; Müller, Hanna

2018-05-22

To improve the prediction of neurodevelopmental outcome in very preterm infants, this study used the combination of amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (aEEG) within the first 72 h of life and cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at term equivalent age. A single-center cohort of 38 infants born before 32 weeks of gestation was subjected to both investigations. Structural measurements were performed on MRI. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify independent factors including functional and structural brain measurements associated with outcome at a corrected age of 24 months. aEEG parameters significantly correlated with MRI measurements. Reduced deep gray matter volume was associated with low Burdjalov Score on day 3 (p neurodevelopmental outcome: intraventricular hemorrhage (p = 0.0060) and interhemispheric distance (p = 0.0052) for mental developmental index; Burdjalov Score day 1 (p = 0.0201) and interhemispheric distance (p = 0.0142) for psychomotor developmental index. Functional aEEG parameters were associated with altered brain maturation on MRI. The combination of aEEG and MRI contributes to the prediction of outcome at 24 months. What is Known: • Prematurity remains a risk factor for impaired neurodevelopment. • aEEG is used to measure brain activity in preterm infants and cranial MRI is performed to identify structural gray and white matter abnormalities with impact on neurodevelopmental outcome. What is New: • aEEG parameters observed within the first 72 h of life were associated with altered deep gray matter volumes, biparietal width, and transcerebellar diameter at term equivalent age. • The combination of aEEG and MRI contributes to the prediction of neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years of corrected age in very preterm infants.

Development of visual motion perception for prospective control: Brain and behavioural studies in infants

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Seth B. Agyei

2016-02-01

Full Text Available During infancy, smart perceptual mechanisms develop allowing infants to judge time-space motion dynamics more efficiently with age and locomotor experience. This emerging capacity may be vital to enable preparedness for upcoming events and to be able to navigate in a changing environment. Little is known about brain changes that support the development of prospective control and about processes, such as preterm birth, that may compromise it. As a function of perception of visual motion, this paper will describe behavioural and brain studies with young infants investigating the development of visual perception for prospective control. By means of the three visual motion paradigms of occlusion, looming, and optic flow, our research shows the importance of including behavioural data when studying the neural correlates of prospective control.

Prognostic value of gradient echo T2* sequences for brain MR imaging in preterm infants

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Bruine, Francisca T. de; Berg-Huysmans, Annette A. van den; Buchem, Mark A. van; Grond, Jeroen van der [Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Radiology, PO Box 9600, Leiden (Netherlands); Steggerda, Sylke J.; Leijser, Lara M.; Rijken, Monique [Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, subdivision of Neonatology, Leiden (Netherlands); Wezel-Meijler, Gerda van [Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, subdivision of Neonatology, Leiden (Netherlands); Isala Hospital, Department of Neonatology, Zwolle (Netherlands)

2014-03-15

Gradient echo T2*-W sequences are more sensitive than T2-W spin-echo sequences for detecting hemorrhages in the brain. The aim of this study is to correlate presence of hemosiderin deposits in the brain of very preterm infants (gestational age <32 weeks) detected by T2*-W gradient echo MRI to white matter injury and neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years. In 101 preterm infants, presence and location of hemosiderin were assessed on T2*-W gradient echo MRI performed around term-equivalent age (range: 40-60 weeks). White matter injury was defined as the presence of >6 non-hemorrhagic punctate white matter lesions (PWML), cysts and/or ventricular dilatation. Six infants with post-hemorrhagic ventricular dilatation detected by US in the neonatal period were excluded. Infants were seen for follow-up at 2 years. Univariate and regression analysis assessed the relation between presence and location of hemosiderin, white matter injury and neurodevelopmental outcome. In 38/95 (40%) of the infants, hemosiderin was detected. Twenty percent (19/95) of the infants were lost to follow-up. There was a correlation between hemosiderin in the ventricular wall with >6 PWML (P < 0.001) and cysts (P < 0.001) at term-equivalent age, and with a lower psychomotor development index (PDI) (P=0.02) at 2 years. After correcting for known confounders (gestational age, gender, intrauterine growth retardation and white matter injury), the correlation with PDI was no longer significant. The clinical importance of detecting small hemosiderin deposits is limited as there is no independent association with neurodevelopmental outcome. (orig.)

Rhythmic EEG patterns in extremely preterm infants: Classification and association with brain injury and outcome.

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Weeke, Lauren C; van Ooijen, Inge M; Groenendaal, Floris; van Huffelen, Alexander C; van Haastert, Ingrid C; van Stam, Carolien; Benders, Manon J; Toet, Mona C; Hellström-Westas, Lena; de Vries, Linda S

2017-12-01

Classify rhythmic EEG patterns in extremely preterm infants and relate these to brain injury and outcome. Retrospective analysis of 77 infants born Rhythmic patterns were observed in 62.3% (ictal 1.3%, PEDs 44%, other waveforms 86.3%) with multiple patterns in 36.4%. Ictal discharges were only observed in one and excluded from further analyses. The EEG location of the other waveforms (pRhythmic waveforms related to head position are likely artefacts. Rhythmic EEG patterns may have a different significance in extremely preterm infants. Copyright © 2017 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Altered small-world topology of structural brain networks in infants with intrauterine growth restriction and its association with later neurodevelopmental outcome.

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Batalle, Dafnis; Eixarch, Elisenda; Figueras, Francesc; Muñoz-Moreno, Emma; Bargallo, Nuria; Illa, Miriam; Acosta-Rojas, Ruthy; Amat-Roldan, Ivan; Gratacos, Eduard

2012-04-02

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) due to placental insufficiency affects 5-10% of all pregnancies and it is associated with a wide range of short- and long-term neurodevelopmental disorders. Prediction of neurodevelopmental outcomes in IUGR is among the clinical challenges of modern fetal medicine and pediatrics. In recent years several studies have used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to demonstrate differences in brain structure in IUGR subjects, but the ability to use MRI for individual predictive purposes in IUGR is limited. Recent research suggests that MRI in vivo access to brain connectivity might have the potential to help understanding cognitive and neurodevelopment processes. Specifically, MRI based connectomics is an emerging approach to extract information from MRI data that exhaustively maps inter-regional connectivity within the brain to build a graph model of its neural circuitry known as brain network. In the present study we used diffusion MRI based connectomics to obtain structural brain networks of a prospective cohort of one year old infants (32 controls and 24 IUGR) and analyze the existence of quantifiable brain reorganization of white matter circuitry in IUGR group by means of global and regional graph theory features of brain networks. Based on global and regional analyses of the brain network topology we demonstrated brain reorganization in IUGR infants at one year of age. Specifically, IUGR infants presented decreased global and local weighted efficiency, and a pattern of altered regional graph theory features. By means of binomial logistic regression, we also demonstrated that connectivity measures were associated with abnormal performance in later neurodevelopmental outcome as measured by Bayley Scale for Infant and Toddler Development, Third edition (BSID-III) at two years of age. These findings show the potential of diffusion MRI based connectomics and graph theory based network characteristics for estimating differences in the

Brain Volumes at Term-Equivalent Age in Preterm Infants : Imaging Biomarkers for Neurodevelopmental Outcome through Early School Age

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Keunen, Kristin; Išgum, Ivana; van Kooij, Britt J M; Anbeek, Petronella; van Haastert, Ingrid C; Koopman-Esseboom, Corine; van Stam, Petronella C; Nievelstein, Rutger A J; Viergever, Max A; de Vries, Linda S; Groenendaal, Floris; Benders, Manon J N L

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between brain volumes at term and neurodevelopmental outcome through early school age in preterm infants. STUDY DESIGN: One hundred twelve preterm infants (born mean gestational age 28.6 ± 1.7 weeks) were studied prospectively with magnetic resonance imaging

Development of cortical morphology evaluated with longitudinal MR brain images of preterm infants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Moeskops, P.; Benders, M.J.N.L.; Kersbergen, K.J.; Groenendaal, F.; de Vries, L.S.; Viergever, M.A.; Išgum, I.

2015-01-01

INTRODUCTION: The cerebral cortex develops rapidly in the last trimester of pregnancy. In preterm infants, brain development is very vulnerable because of their often complicated extra-uterine conditions. The aim of this study was to quantitatively describe cortical development in a cohort of 85

Plasma Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels in Newborn Infants with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome

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Lochan Subedi

2017-11-01

Full Text Available BackgroundBrain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF is a type of growth factor that promotes growth and survival of neurons. Fetal exposure to opiates can lead to postnatal withdrawal syndrome, which is referred as neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS. Preclinical and clinical studies have shown an association between opiates exposure and alteration in BDNF expression in the brain and serum levels in adult. However, to date, there are no data available on the effects of opiate exposure on BDNF levels in infant who are exposed to opiates in utero and whether BDNF level may correlate with the severity of NAS.ObjectiveTo compare plasma BDNF levels among NAS and non-NAS infants and to determine the correlation of BDNF levels and the severity of NAS.MethodsThis is a prospective cohort study with no intervention involved. Infants ≥35 weeks of gestation were enrolled. BDNF level was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique from blood samples drawn within 48 h of life. The severity of NAS was determined by the length of hospital stay, number of medications required to treat NAS.Results67 infants were enrolled, 34 NAS and 33 non-NAS. Mean gestational age did not differ between the two groups. Mean birth weight of NAS infants was significantly lower than the non-NAS infants (3,070 ± 523 vs. 3,340 ± 459 g, p = 0.028. Mean BDNF level in NAS group was 252.2 ± 91.6 ng/ml, significantly higher than 211.3 ± 66.3 ng/ml in the non-NAS group (p = 0.04. There were no differences in BDNF levels between NAS infants that required one medication vs. more than one medication (254 ± 91 vs. 218 ± 106 ng/ml, p = 0.47. There was no correlation between the BDNF levels and length of hospital stay (p = 0.68 among NAS infants. Overall, there were no significant correlations between BDNF levels and NAS scores except at around 15 h after admission (correlation 0.35, p = 0.045.ConclusionPlasma BDNF

Plasma Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels in Newborn Infants with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome.

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Subedi, Lochan; Huang, Hong; Pant, Amrita; Westgate, Philip M; Bada, Henrietta S; Bauer, John A; Giannone, Peter J; Sithisarn, Thitinart

2017-01-01

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a type of growth factor that promotes growth and survival of neurons. Fetal exposure to opiates can lead to postnatal withdrawal syndrome, which is referred as neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). Preclinical and clinical studies have shown an association between opiates exposure and alteration in BDNF expression in the brain and serum levels in adult. However, to date, there are no data available on the effects of opiate exposure on BDNF levels in infant who are exposed to opiates in utero and whether BDNF level may correlate with the severity of NAS. To compare plasma BDNF levels among NAS and non-NAS infants and to determine the correlation of BDNF levels and the severity of NAS. This is a prospective cohort study with no intervention involved. Infants ≥35 weeks of gestation were enrolled. BDNF level was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique from blood samples drawn within 48 h of life. The severity of NAS was determined by the length of hospital stay, number of medications required to treat NAS. 67 infants were enrolled, 34 NAS and 33 non-NAS. Mean gestational age did not differ between the two groups. Mean birth weight of NAS infants was significantly lower than the non-NAS infants (3,070 ± 523 vs. 3,340 ± 459 g, p  = 0.028). Mean BDNF level in NAS group was 252.2 ± 91.6 ng/ml, significantly higher than 211.3 ± 66.3 ng/ml in the non-NAS group ( p  = 0.04). There were no differences in BDNF levels between NAS infants that required one medication vs. more than one medication (254 ± 91 vs. 218 ± 106 ng/ml, p  = 0.47). There was no correlation between the BDNF levels and length of hospital stay ( p  = 0.68) among NAS infants. Overall, there were no significant correlations between BDNF levels and NAS scores except at around 15 h after admission (correlation 0.35, p  = 0.045). Plasma BDNF level was significantly increased in NAS infants

Adaptation of vacuum-assisted mouthpiece head immobilization system for precision infant brain radiation therapy.

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Wong, Kenneth; Cheng, Justine; Bowlin, Kristine; Olch, Arthur

Our purpose was to describe an adaptation of a commercially available mouthpiece for vacuum-assisted mouthpiece immobilization for radiation therapy in infants. An infant diagnosed with a brain tumor required radiation therapy. After reviewing dental literature about obturators, we designed a modification for the smallest commercially available mouthpiece tray. The patient was simulated with the adapted mouthpiece tray. We achieved excellent immobilization and had small daily image guided treatment position shifts. Our patient tolerated treatment well without injury to oral cavity or mucosa. Head immobilization with a vacuum-assisted modified mouthpiece has not been described in infants. Our modification is a novel and safe and permits effective and accurate immobilization for infants for radiation therapy. New manufacturing technologies may allow creation of individualized mouthpieces. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Radiation Oncology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Premature infant with a bilateral thalamostriatal hemorrhage. Brain imaging and pathology

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Hokazono, Yoshimi; Ohtani, Yoshiaki; Inukai, Kazuhisa; Yokochi, Kenji; Takashima, Sachio

1987-12-01

Hemorrhagic areas were seen on ultrasonography and computed tomography in both thalamostriatal regions in a preterm female infant with perinatal asphyxia due to abruptio placentae. At autopsy, marked perivascular bleeding in the thalamus and putamen and eosinophilic neuronal changes in the thalamus and pontine tegmentum were seen. These thalamostriatal and brain stem lesions are thought to have been caused by an acute process causing total asphyxia.

LINKS: learning-based multi-source IntegratioN frameworK for Segmentation of infant brain images.

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Wang, Li; Gao, Yaozong; Shi, Feng; Li, Gang; Gilmore, John H; Lin, Weili; Shen, Dinggang

2015-03-01

Segmentation of infant brain MR images is challenging due to insufficient image quality, severe partial volume effect, and ongoing maturation and myelination processes. In the first year of life, the image contrast between white and gray matters of the infant brain undergoes dramatic changes. In particular, the image contrast is inverted around 6-8months of age, and the white and gray matter tissues are isointense in both T1- and T2-weighted MR images and thus exhibit the extremely low tissue contrast, which poses significant challenges for automated segmentation. Most previous studies used multi-atlas label fusion strategy, which has the limitation of equally treating the different available image modalities and is often computationally expensive. To cope with these limitations, in this paper, we propose a novel learning-based multi-source integration framework for segmentation of infant brain images. Specifically, we employ the random forest technique to effectively integrate features from multi-source images together for tissue segmentation. Here, the multi-source images include initially only the multi-modality (T1, T2 and FA) images and later also the iteratively estimated and refined tissue probability maps of gray matter, white matter, and cerebrospinal fluid. Experimental results on 119 infants show that the proposed method achieves better performance than other state-of-the-art automated segmentation methods. Further validation was performed on the MICCAI grand challenge and the proposed method was ranked top among all competing methods. Moreover, to alleviate the possible anatomical errors, our method can also be combined with an anatomically-constrained multi-atlas labeling approach for further improving the segmentation accuracy. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Distribution of human enterovirus 71 in brainstem of infants with brain stem encephalitis and infection mechanism].

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Bo; Gao, Di; Tang, Da-Wei; Wang, Xiao-Guang; Liu, Shui-Ping; Kong, Xiao-Ping; Liu, Chao; Huang, Jing-Lu; Bi, Qi-Ming; Quan, Li; Luo, Bin

2012-04-01

To explore the mechanism that how human enterovirus 71 (EV71) invades the brainstem and how intercellular adhesion molecules-1 (ICAM-1) participates by analyzing the expression and distribution of human EV71, and ICAM-1 in brainstem of infants with brain stem encephalitis. Twenty-two brainstem of infants with brain stem encephalitis were collected as the experimental group and 10 brainstems of fatal congenital heart disease were selected as the control group. The sections with perivascular cuffings were selected to observe EV71-VP1 expression by immunohistochemistry method and ICAM-1 expression was detected for the sections with EV71-VP1 positive expression. The staining image analysis and statistics analysis were performed. The experiment and control groups were compared. (1) EV71-VP1 positive cells in the experimental group were mainly astrocytes in brainstem with nigger-brown particles, and the control group was negative. (2) ICAM-1 positive cells showed nigger-brown. The expression in inflammatory cells (around blood vessels of brain stem and in glial nodules) and gliocytes increased. The results showed statistical difference comparing with control group (P diagnose fatal EV71 infection in infants. EV71 can invade the brainstem via hematogenous route. ICAM-1 may play an important role in the pathogenic process.

Brain metabolite differences in one-year-old infants born small at term and association with neurodevelopmental outcome.

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Simões, Rui V; Cruz-Lemini, Mónica; Bargalló, Núria; Gratacós, Eduard; Sanz-Cortés, Magdalena

2015-08-01

We assessed brain metabolite levels by magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in 1-year-old infants born small at term, as compared with infants born appropriate for gestational age (AGA), and their association with neurodevelopment at 2 years of age. A total of 40 infants born small (birthweight growth restriction or as small for gestational age, based on the presence or absence of prenatal Doppler and birthweight predictors of an adverse perinatal outcome, respectively. Single-voxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) data were acquired from the frontal lobe at short echo time. Neurodevelopment was evaluated at 2 years of age using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition, assessing cognitive, language, motor, social-emotional, and adaptive behavior scales. As compared with AGA controls, infants born small showed significantly higher levels of glutamate and total N-acetylaspartate (NAAt) to creatine (Cr) ratio at age 1 year, and lower Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition scores at 2 years. The subgroup with late intrauterine growth restriction further showed lower estimated glutathione levels at age 1 year. Significant correlations were observed for estimated glutathione levels with adaptive scores, and for myo-inositol with language scores. Significant associations were also noticed for NAA/Cr with cognitive scores, and for glutamate/Cr with motor scores. Infants born small show brain metabolite differences at 1 year of age, which are correlated with later neurodevelopment. These results support further research on MRS to develop imaging biomarkers of abnormal neurodevelopment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Integration of Sparse Multi-modality Representation and Geometrical Constraint for Isointense Infant Brain Segmentation

OpenAIRE

Wang, Li; Shi, Feng; Li, Gang; Lin, Weili; Gilmore, John H.; Shen, Dinggang

2013-01-01

Segmentation of infant brain MR images is challenging due to insufficient image quality, severe partial volume effect, and ongoing maturation and myelination process. During the first year of life, the signal contrast between white matter (WM) and gray matter (GM) in MR images undergoes inverse changes. In particular, the inversion of WM/GM signal contrast appears around 6–8 months of age, where brain tissues appear isointense and hence exhibit extremely low tissue contrast, posing significan...

CSF dynamics in children

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oi, Shizuo; Shose, Yoshiteru; Yamada, Hiroshi; Ijichi, Akihiro; Matsumoto, Satoshi.

1986-01-01

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dynamics in infants and children is still obscure. This paper aims to analyze the characteristics of CSF dynamics in the younger age group and to clarify the changes both in the acute/chronic hydrocephalic status and in the post-shunt condition on the basis of our experience with 118 cases of metrizamide CT cisternography. In order to pursue the CSF passive movements, the exact regional CT numbers were obtained by means of the ROI method in each case at 3, 6, and 24 hours after metrizamide injection. The results revealed that, in the normal CSF dynamics in both the major and minor pathways in children, it took more than 24 hours until the regional metrizamide was completely cleared up. In the acute hydrocephalic state, the ventricular reflux and stasis of the contrast was remarkable, and stagnation in the Sylvian fissure continued more than 24 hours. In the minor pathway, the contrast moved into the brain parenchyma, with there obviously being more in the subependymal layer and the adjacent white matter, and lasted more than 24 hours. On the other hand, these phenomena were very much less prominent in the chronic phase of hydrocephalus. This fact may suggest the hypothesis that a reconstituted active major or minor fluid pathway does not play an important role in the compensation of the acute high-pressure progressive hydrocephalic state. The CSF dynamics in a shunted hydrocephalus are obviously improved when in stasis or when stagnated inside or outside of the ventricular system. The timing of the metrizamide clear-up was within 24 hours after achieving a high accumulation of the contrast in the lateral ventricle where the shunt is placed. The contrast movement in the brain parenchyma as the minor pathway was significantly less in a shunted hydrocephalus, and there was almost none in cases of slit-like ventricles. (author)

MRI quantitative assessment of brain maturation and prognosis in premature infants using total maturation score

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qi Ying; Wang Xiaoming

2009-01-01

Objective: To quantitatively assess brain maturation and prognosis in premature infants on conventional MRI using total maturation score (TMS). Methods: Nineteen cases of sequelae of white matter damage (WMD group )and 21 cases of matched controls (control group) in premature infants confirmed by MRI examinations were included in the study. All cases underwent conventional MR imaging approximately during the perinatal period after birth. Brain development was quantitatively assessed using Childs AM's validated scoring system of TMS by two sophisticated radiology physicians. Interobserver agreement and reliability was evaluated by using intraclass correlation (ICC). Linear regression analysis between TMS and postmenstrual age (PMA) was made(Y: TMS, X: PMA). Independent-sample t test of the two groups' TMS was made. Results: Sixteen of 19 cases revealed MRI abnormalities. Lesions showing T 1 and T 2 shortening tended to occur in clusters or a linear pattern in the deep white matter of the centrum semiovale, periventricular white matter. Diffusion-weighted MR image (DWI) showed 3 cases with greater lesions and 4 cases with new lesions in corpus callosum. There was no abnormality in control group on MRI and DWI. The average numbers of TMS between the two observers were 7.13±2.27, 7.13±2.21. Interobservcer agreement was found to be high (ICC=0.990, P 2 =0.6401,0.5156 respectively, P 0.05). Conclusion: Conventional MRI is able to quantify the brain maturation and prognosis of premature infants using TMS. (authors)

Referential framework for transcranial anatomical correspondence for fNIRS based on manually traced sulci and gyri of an infant brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsui, Mie; Homae, Fumitaka; Tsuzuki, Daisuke; Watanabe, Hama; Katagiri, Masatoshi; Uda, Satoshi; Nakashima, Mitsuhiro; Dan, Ippeita; Taga, Gentaro

2014-03-01

Functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), which is compact, portable, and tolerant of body movement, is suitable for monitoring infant brain functions. Nevertheless, fNIRS also poses a technical problem in that it cannot provide structural information. Supplementation with structural magnetic resonance images (MRI) is not always feasible for infants who undergo fNIRS measurement. Probabilistic registration methods using an MRI database instead of subjects' own MRIs are optimized for adult studies and offer only limited resources for infant studies. To overcome this, we used high-quality infant MRI data for a 12-month-old infant and manually delineated segmented gyri from among the highly visible macroanatomies on the lateral cortical surface. These macroanatomical regions are primarily linked to the spherical coordinate system based on external cranial landmarks, and further to traditional 10-20-based head-surface positioning systems. While macroanatomical structures were generally comparable between adult and infant atlases, differences were found in the parietal lobe, which was positioned posteriorly at the vertex in the infant brain. The present study provides a referential framework for macroanatomical analyses in infant fNIRS studies. With this resource, multichannel fNIRS functional data could be analyzed in reference to macroanatomical structures through virtual and probabilistic registrations without acquiring subject-specific MRIs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd and the Japan Neuroscience Society. All rights reserved.

Top-down modulation in the infant brain: Learning-induced expectations rapidly affect the sensory cortex at 6 months.

Science.gov (United States)

Emberson, Lauren L; Richards, John E; Aslin, Richard N

2015-08-04

Recent theoretical work emphasizes the role of expectation in neural processing, shifting the focus from feed-forward cortical hierarchies to models that include extensive feedback (e.g., predictive coding). Empirical support for expectation-related feedback is compelling but restricted to adult humans and nonhuman animals. Given the considerable differences in neural organization, connectivity, and efficiency between infant and adult brains, it is a crucial yet open question whether expectation-related feedback is an inherent property of the cortex (i.e., operational early in development) or whether expectation-related feedback develops with extensive experience and neural maturation. To determine whether infants' expectations about future sensory input modulate their sensory cortices without the confounds of stimulus novelty or repetition suppression, we used a cross-modal (audiovisual) omission paradigm and used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to record hemodynamic responses in the infant cortex. We show that the occipital cortex of 6-month-old infants exhibits the signature of expectation-based feedback. Crucially, we found that this region does not respond to auditory stimuli if they are not predictive of a visual event. Overall, these findings suggest that the young infant's brain is already capable of some rudimentary form of expectation-based feedback.

A cross-talk between brain-damage patients and infants on action and language.

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Papeo, Liuba; Hochmann, Jean-Remy

2012-06-01

Sensorimotor representations in the brain encode the sensory and motor aspects of one's own bodily activity. It is highly debated whether sensorimotor representations are the core basis for the representation of action-related knowledge and, in particular, action words, such as verbs. In this review, we will address this question by bringing to bear insights from the study of brain-damaged patients exhibiting language disorders and from the study of the mechanisms for language acquisition in infants. Cognitive neuropsychology studies have assessed how damage to representations supporting action production impacts patients' ability to process action-related words. While correlations between verbal and nonverbal (motor) impairments are very common in patients, damage to the representations for action production can leave the ability to understand action-words unaffected; likewise, actions can still be produced successfully in cases of impaired action-word understanding. Studies with infants have evaluated the relevance of sensorimotor information when infants learn to map a novel word onto an action that they are performing or perceiving. These results demonstrate that sensorimotor information is insufficient to fully account for the complexity of verb learning: in this process, infants seem to privilege abstract constructs such as goal, intentionality and causality, as well as syntactic constraints, over the perceptual and motor dimensions of an action. Altogether, the empirical data suggest that, while not crucial for verb learning and understanding, sensorimotor processes can contribute to solving the problem of symbol grounding and/or serve as a primary mechanism in social cognition, to learn about others' goals and intentions. By assessing the relevance of sensorimotor representations in the way action-related words are acquired and represented, we aim to provide a useful set of criteria for testing specific predictions made by different theories of concepts

Application of automatic tube current modulation with 64-detector CT in infant brain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Jianming; Xu Wenbiao; Luo Yuanli; Liu Hongsheng; Zhou Ning

2010-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the effect of automatic tube modulation on imaging quality and lesion revealed in infant brain. Methods: The infant patients of 200 cases were divided into four groups according to the values of SD (2.5, 2.75, 3.0, 4.0), 50 cases in each group. They were performed with the automatic tube current modulation scanning in brain. The imaging quality and radiation dose were analyzed. Results: When the values of SD were 2.5, 2.75, 3.0 and 4.0, the high values of CTDI vol were 60.0, 49.8, 42.9 and 25.8 mGy, respectively. The effective doses were (3.27±1.01), (2.78±0.85), (2.40±0.74) and (1.49±0.45) mSv·mGy -1 ·cm -1 , respectively. There was significant difference among those groups (F=48.99, P<0.05). The excellent imaging qualities were 100%, 96%, 70% and 20%, 12 cases were neonate in SD 2.5 group. In SD 2.75 group, the imaging quality of neonate (2 cases) were all fine. In SD 3.0 group, the imaging quality was not ideal for the ages less than 1 year. In SD 4.0 group, when the infants aged over 2 years and 6 months, or with the larger head circumference, their imaging quality were all excellent. Conclusions: The individual application of ATCM could obtain the best balance among imaging quality, radiation dose and diagnostic quality. The SD 2.5, 2.75, 3.0 and 4.0 might be suitable to infants of newborn, 1 month to 1 year old, 1 to 3 years, the larger head circumference and part of the reviewed cases. (authors)

Adult Attachment Styles Associated with Brain Activity in Response to Infant Faces in Nulliparous Women: An Event-Related Potentials Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Yuanxiao; Ran, Guangming; Chen, Xu; Ma, Haijing; Hu, Na

2017-01-01

Adult attachment style is a key for understanding emotion regulation and feelings of security in human interactions as well as for the construction of the caregiving system. The caregiving system is a group of representations about affiliative behaviors, which is guided by the caregiver's sensitivity and empathy, and is mature in young adulthood. Appropriate perception and interpretation of infant emotions is a crucial component of the formation of a secure attachment relationship between infant and caregiver. As attachment styles influence the ways in which people perceive emotional information, we examined how different attachment styles associated with brain response to the perception of infant facial expressions in nulliparous females with secure, anxious, and avoidant attachment styles. The event-related potentials of 65 nulliparous females were assessed during a facial recognition task with joy, neutral, and crying infant faces. The results showed that anxiously attached females exhibited larger N170 amplitudes than those with avoidant attachment in response to all infant faces. Regarding the P300 component, securely attached females showed larger amplitudes to all infant faces in comparison with avoidantly attached females. Moreover, anxiously attached females exhibited greater amplitudes than avoidantly attached females to only crying infant faces. In conclusion, the current results provide evidence that attachment style differences are associated with brain responses to the perception of infant faces. Furthermore, these findings further separate the psychological mechanisms underlying the caregiving behavior of those with anxious and avoidant attachment from secure attachment.

Adult Attachment Styles Associated with Brain Activity in Response to Infant Faces in Nulliparous Women: An Event-Related Potentials Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xu Chen

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Adult attachment style is a key for understanding emotion regulation and feelings of security in human interactions as well as for the construction of the caregiving system. The caregiving system is a group of representations about affiliative behaviors, which is guided by the caregiver’s sensitivity and empathy, and is mature in young adulthood. Appropriate perception and interpretation of infant emotions is a crucial component of the formation of a secure attachment relationship between infant and caregiver. As attachment styles influence the ways in which people perceive emotional information, we examined how different attachment styles associated with brain response to the perception of infant facial expressions in nulliparous females with secure, anxious, and avoidant attachment styles. The event-related potentials of 65 nulliparous females were assessed during a facial recognition task with joy, neutral, and crying infant faces. The results showed that anxiously attached females exhibited larger N170 amplitudes than those with avoidant attachment in response to all infant faces. Regarding the P300 component, securely attached females showed larger amplitudes to all infant faces in comparison with avoidantly attached females. Moreover, anxiously attached females exhibited greater amplitudes than avoidantly attached females to only crying infant faces. In conclusion, the current results provide evidence that attachment style differences are associated with brain responses to the perception of infant faces. Furthermore, these findings further separate the psychological mechanisms underlying the caregiving behavior of those with anxious and avoidant attachment from secure attachment.

From early stress to 12-month development in very preterm infants: Preliminary findings on epigenetic mechanisms and brain growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Fumagalli, Monica; Provenzi, Livio; De Carli, Pietro; Dessimone, Francesca; Sirgiovanni, Ida; Giorda, Roberto; Cinnante, Claudia; Squarcina, Letizia; Pozzoli, Uberto; Triulzi, Fabio; Brambilla, Paolo; Borgatti, Renato; Mosca, Fabio; Montirosso, Rosario

2018-01-01

Very preterm (VPT) infants admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are at risk for altered brain growth and less-than-optimal socio-emotional development. Recent research suggests that early NICU-related stress contributes to socio-emotional impairments in VPT infants at 3 months through epigenetic regulation (i.e., DNA methylation) of the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4). In the present longitudinal study we assessed: (a) the effects of NICU-related stress and SLC6A4 methylation variations from birth to discharge on brain development at term equivalent age (TEA); (b) the association between brain volume at TEA and socio-emotional development (i.e., Personal-Social scale of Griffith Mental Development Scales, GMDS) at 12 months corrected age (CA). Twenty-four infants had complete data at 12-month-age. SLC6A4 methylation was measured at a specific CpG previously associated with NICU-related stress and socio-emotional stress. Findings confirmed that higher NICU-related stress associated with greater increase of SLC6A4 methylation at NICU discharge. Moreover, higher SLC6A4 discharge methylation was associated with reduced anterior temporal lobe (ATL) volume at TEA, which in turn was significantly associated with less-than-optimal GMDS Personal-Social scale score at 12 months CA. The reduced ATL volume at TEA mediated the pathway linking stress-related increase in SLC6A4 methylation at NICU discharge and socio-emotional development at 12 months CA. These findings suggest that early adversity-related epigenetic changes might contribute to the long-lasting programming of socio-emotional development in VPT infants through epigenetic regulation and structural modifications of the developing brain.

The apparent diffusion coefficient of water in gray and white matter of the infant brain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Toft, P B; Leth, H; Peitersen, Birgit

1996-01-01

PURPOSE: The purpose was to obtain normal values of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in the infant brain and to compare ADC maps with T1- and T2-weighted images. METHOD: Diffusion was measured in nine infants with an ECG-gated SE sequence compensated for first-order motion. One axial slice...... it appeared on T1- or T2-weighted images. In gray and white matter, the mean ADC ranged from 0.95 x 10(-9) to 1.76 x 10(-9) m2/s. In the frontal and occipital white matter, in the genu corporis callosi, and in the lentiform nucleus, the ADC decreased with increasing age. The cortex/white matter ratio...... of the ADC increased with age and approached 1 at the age of 30 weeks. CONCLUSION: ADC maps add information to the T1 and T2 images about the size and course of unmyelinated as well as myelinated tracts in the immature brain....

Using Event-Related Potentials to Study Perinatal Nutrition and Brain Development in Infants of Diabetic Mothers

OpenAIRE

deRegnier, Raye-Ann; Long, Jeffrey D.; Georgieff, Michael K.; Nelson, Charles A.

2007-01-01

Proper prenatal and postnatal nutrition is essential for optimal brain development and function. The early use of event-related potentials enables neuroscientists to study the development of cognitive function from birth and to evaluate the role of specific nutrients in development. Perinatal iron deficiency occurs in severely affected infants of diabetic mothers. In animal models, severe perinatal iron deficiency targets the explicit memory system of the brain. Cross-sectional ERP studies ha...

Effect of therapeutic touch on brain activation of preterm infants in response to sensory punctate stimulus: a near-infrared spectroscopy-based study.

Science.gov (United States)

Honda, Noritsugu; Ohgi, Shohei; Wada, Norihisa; Loo, Kek Khee; Higashimoto, Yuji; Fukuda, Kanji

2013-05-01

The purpose of this study was to determine whether therapeutic touch in preterm infants can ameliorate their sensory punctate stimulus response in terms of brain activation measured by near-infrared spectroscopy. The study included 10 preterm infants at 34-40 weeks' corrected age. Oxyhaemoglobin (Oxy-Hb) concentration, heart rate (HR), arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) and body movements were recorded during low-intensity sensory punctate stimulation for 1 s with and without therapeutic touch by a neonatal development specialist nurse. Each stimulation was followed by a resting phase of 30 s. All measurements were performed with the infants asleep in the prone position. sensory punctate stimulus exposure significantly increased the oxy-Hb concentration but did not affect HR, SaO2 and body movements. The infants receiving therapeutic touch had significantly decreased oxy-Hb concentrations over time. Therapeutic touch in preterm infants can ameliorate their sensory punctate stimulus response in terms of brain activation, indicated by increased cerebral oxygenation. Therefore, therapeutic touch may have a protective effect on the autoregulation of cerebral blood flow during sensory punctate stimulus in neonates.

Neonatal physiological correlates of near-term brain development on MRI and DTI in very-low-birth-weight preterm infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Rose, Jessica; Vassar, Rachel; Cahill-Rowley, Katelyn; Stecher Guzman, Ximena; Hintz, Susan R; Stevenson, David K; Barnea-Goraly, Naama

2014-01-01

Structural brain abnormalities identified at near-term age have been recognized as potential predictors of neurodevelopment in children born preterm. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between neonatal physiological risk factors and early brain structure in very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) preterm infants using structural MRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) at near-term age. Structural brain MRI, diffusion-weighted scans, and neonatal physiological risk factors were analyzed in a cross-sectional sample of 102 VLBW preterm infants (BW ≤ 1500 g, gestational age (GA) ≤ 32 weeks), who were admitted to the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford NICU and recruited to participate prior to routine near-term brain MRI conducted at 36.6 ± 1.8 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA) from 2010 to 2011; 66/102 also underwent a diffusion-weighted scan. Brain abnormalities were assessed qualitatively on structural MRI, and white matter (WM) microstructure was analyzed quantitatively on DTI in six subcortical regions defined by DiffeoMap neonatal brain atlas. Specific regions of interest included the genu and splenium of the corpus callosum, anterior and posterior limbs of the internal capsule, the thalamus, and the globus pallidus. Regional fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were calculated using DTI data and examined in relation to neonatal physiological risk factors including gestational age (GA), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), and sepsis, as well as serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), glucose, albumin, and total bilirubin. Brain abnormalities were observed on structural MRI in 38/102 infants including 35% of females and 40% of males. Infants with brain abnormalities observed on MRI had higher incidence of BPD (42% vs. 25%) and sepsis (21% vs. 6%) and higher mean and peak serum CRP levels, respectively, (0.64 vs. 0.34 mg/dL, p = .008; 1.57 vs. 0.67�

Mother-Infant Face-to-Face Interaction: The Communicative Value of Infant-Directed Talking and Singing.

Science.gov (United States)

Arias, Diana; Peña, Marcela

Across culture, healthy infants show a high interest in infant-directed (ID) talking and singing. Despite ID talking and ID singing being very similar in physical properties, infants differentially respond to each of them. The mechanisms underpinning these different responses are still under discussion. This study explored the behavioral (n = 26) and brain (n = 14) responses from 6- to 8-month-old infants to ID talking and ID singing during a face-to-face mother-infant interaction with their own mother. Behavioral response was analyzed from offline video coding, and brain response was estimated from the analysis of electrophysiological recordings. We found that during ID talking, infants displayed a significantly higher number of visual contacts, vocalizations, and body movements than during ID singing. Moreover, only during ID talking were the number of visual contacts and vocalizations positively correlated with the number of questions and pauses in the mother's speech. Our results suggest that ID talking provides infants with specific cues that allow them not only to react to mother stimulation, but also to act toward them, displaying a rudimentary version of turn-taking behavior. Brain activity partially supported that interpretation. The relevance of our results for bonding is discussed. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Brain reorganization as a function of walking experience in 12 month-old infants: Implications for the development of manual laterality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniela eCorbetta

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Hand preference in infancy is marked by many developmental shifts in hand use and arm coupling as infants reach for and manipulate objects. Research has linked these early shifts in hand use to the emergence of fundamental postural-locomotor milestones. Specifically, it was found that bimanual reaching declines when infants learn to sit; increases if infants begin to scoot in a sitting posture; declines when infants begin to crawl on hands-and-knees; and increases again when infants start walking upright. Why such pattern fluctuations during periods of postural-locomotor learning? One proposed hypothesis is that arm use practiced for the specific purpose of controlling posture and achieving locomotion transfers to reaching via brain functional reorganization. There has been scientific support for functional cortical reorganization and change in neural connectivity in response to motor practice in adults and animals, and as a function of crawling experience in human infants. In this research, we examined whether changes in neural connectivity also occurred as infants coupled their arms when learning to walk and whether such coupling mapped onto reaching laterality. EEG coherence data were collected from 43 12-month-olds infants with varied levels of walking experience. EEG was recorded during quiet, attentive baseline. Walking proficiency was laboratory assessed and reaching responses were captured using small toys presented at midline while infants were sitting. Results revealed greater EEG coherence at homologous prefrontal/central scalp locations for the novice walkers compared to the pre-walkers or more experienced walkers. In addition, reaching laterality was low in pre-walkers and early walkers, but high in experienced walkers. These results are consistent with the interpretation that arm coupling practiced during early walking transferred to reaching via brain functional reorganization, leading to the observed developmental changes in

Tomographic criteria of gliomas in the brain stem in infants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Machado Junior, M.A.; Bracchi, M.; D'Incerti, L.; Passerini, A.

1994-01-01

The relationship between Computed Tomography Imaging, histopathological and prognostic data is evaluated by reviewing 37 cases of brain stem neoplasm in infants. The results indicate a presence of a cystic lesion with solid mural nodule as the single prognostic criteria of a greater survival rate. Such finding frequently corresponds to Pilocytic Astrocytomas. No correlations between contrast enhancement and prognostic was found. The association between the prognostic value to the densitometric characteristics of the lesions was not possible. It was concluded that the evaluations of the extension of such lesion is fundamental. Therefore, Magnetic Resonance Imaging has more value than computed tomography. (M.A.C.)

Assessment of brain maturation in the preterm infants using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and enhanced T2 star weighted angiography (ESWAN)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ling, Xueying; Tang, Wen; Liu, Guosheng; Huang, Li; Li, Bingxiao; Li, Xiaofei; Liu, Sirun; Xu, Jing

2013-01-01

Purpose: To assess the brain maturation of preterm infants using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and enhanced T2 star weighted angiography (ESWAN). Materials and methods: Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), DTI and ESWAN were performed in 60 preterm infants and 21 term controls. 60 preterm infants were subgrouped to two groups according to the age at imaging: before and at term-equivalent age (TEA). Fractional anisotropy (FA), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) map from DTI, T 2 * and R 2 * maps from ESWAN were post-processed at an off-line workstation. The values of FA, ADC, T 2 * and R 2 * from the posterior limb of internal capsule (PLIC), frontal white matter (FWM), occipital white matter (OWM) and lentiform nuclei (LN) were determined. These parameters were compared between preterm and term infants. Correlations of DTI and ESWAN parameters with the gestational age, postmenstrual age and postnatal age were analyzed. Results: ADCs of FWM, OWM and LN, and T 2 * values of the PLIC and LN were higher in the preterm infants at TEA compared with the term controls. The correlations were existed between the postmenstrual age and the values of FA, ADC, T 2 *, R 2 * from the PLIC, values of ADC, T 2 *, R 2 * from the LN, T 2 * value from the OWM. The correlations were also found between the postnatal age and the values of FA, ADC, T 2 * from the PLIC, and T 2 * value from the LN. Conclusion: The maturity of preterm brain around TEA was different from that of term controls and appeared to be independent of the prematurity at birth. T 2 * was one of valuable indices to evaluate brain maturation in preterm infants

Assessment of brain maturation in the preterm infants using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and enhanced T2 star weighted angiography (ESWAN)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ling, Xueying, E-mail: lingxuey@163.com [Department of Medical Imaging Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou (China); Tang, Wen [Department of Medical Imaging Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou (China); Liu, Guosheng [Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou (China); Huang, Li [Department of Medical Imaging Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou (China); Li, Bingxiao [Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou (China); Li, Xiaofei; Liu, Sirun [Department of Medical Imaging Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou (China); Xu, Jing [Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou (China)

2013-09-15

Purpose: To assess the brain maturation of preterm infants using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and enhanced T2 star weighted angiography (ESWAN). Materials and methods: Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), DTI and ESWAN were performed in 60 preterm infants and 21 term controls. 60 preterm infants were subgrouped to two groups according to the age at imaging: before and at term-equivalent age (TEA). Fractional anisotropy (FA), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) map from DTI, T{sub 2}* and R{sub 2}* maps from ESWAN were post-processed at an off-line workstation. The values of FA, ADC, T{sub 2}* and R{sub 2}* from the posterior limb of internal capsule (PLIC), frontal white matter (FWM), occipital white matter (OWM) and lentiform nuclei (LN) were determined. These parameters were compared between preterm and term infants. Correlations of DTI and ESWAN parameters with the gestational age, postmenstrual age and postnatal age were analyzed. Results: ADCs of FWM, OWM and LN, and T{sub 2}* values of the PLIC and LN were higher in the preterm infants at TEA compared with the term controls. The correlations were existed between the postmenstrual age and the values of FA, ADC, T{sub 2}*, R{sub 2}* from the PLIC, values of ADC, T{sub 2}*, R{sub 2}* from the LN, T{sub 2}* value from the OWM. The correlations were also found between the postnatal age and the values of FA, ADC, T{sub 2}* from the PLIC, and T{sub 2}* value from the LN. Conclusion: The maturity of preterm brain around TEA was different from that of term controls and appeared to be independent of the prematurity at birth. T{sub 2}* was one of valuable indices to evaluate brain maturation in preterm infants.

Integration of sparse multi-modality representation and geometrical constraint for isointense infant brain segmentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Li; Shi, Feng; Li, Gang; Lin, Weili; Gilmore, John H; Shen, Dinggang

2013-01-01

Segmentation of infant brain MR images is challenging due to insufficient image quality, severe partial volume effect, and ongoing maturation and myelination process. During the first year of life, the signal contrast between white matter (WM) and gray matter (GM) in MR images undergoes inverse changes. In particular, the inversion of WM/GM signal contrast appears around 6-8 months of age, where brain tissues appear isointense and hence exhibit extremely low tissue contrast, posing significant challenges for automated segmentation. In this paper, we propose a novel segmentation method to address the above-mentioned challenge based on the sparse representation of the complementary tissue distribution information from T1, T2 and diffusion-weighted images. Specifically, we first derive an initial segmentation from a library of aligned multi-modality images with ground-truth segmentations by using sparse representation in a patch-based fashion. The segmentation is further refined by the integration of the geometrical constraint information. The proposed method was evaluated on 22 6-month-old training subjects using leave-one-out cross-validation, as well as 10 additional infant testing subjects, showing superior results in comparison to other state-of-the-art methods.

Creating a Magnetic Imaging System for Diagnosing Infant Brain Activity Based on NI PXI and LabVIEW

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher G. Atwood

2006-11-01

Full Text Available Developing a noninvasive magnetic imaging system to spatially and temporally map the magnetic fields generated by brain activity in infants at severe risk of developing cerebral palsy and epilepsy, so that medical doctors can intervene at an early stage.

A numerical analysis of a semi-dry coupling configuration in photoacoustic computed tomography for infant brain imaging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Najme Meimani

2017-09-01

Full Text Available In the application of photoacoustic human infant brain imaging, debubbled ultrasound gel or water is commonly used as a couplant for ultrasonic transducers due to their acoustic properties. The main challenge in using such a couplant is its discomfort for the patient. In this study, we explore the feasibility of a semi-dry coupling configuration to be used in photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT systems. The coupling system includes an inflatable container consisting of a thin layer of Aqualene with ultrasound gel or water inside of it. Finite element method (FEM is used for static and dynamic structural analysis of the proposed configuration to be used in PACT for infant brain imaging. The outcome of the analysis is an optimum thickness of Aqualene in order to meet the weight tolerance requirement with the least attenuation and best impedance match to recommend for an experimental setting.

Neonatal physiological correlates of near-term brain development on MRI and DTI in very-low-birth-weight preterm infants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jessica Rose, PhD

2014-01-01

Results suggest that at near-term age, thalamus WM microstructure may be particularly vulnerable to certain neonatal risk factors. Interactions between albumin, bilirubin, phototherapy, and brain development warrant further investigation. Identification of physiological risk factors associated with selective vulnerability of certain brain regions at near-term age may clarify the etiology of neurodevelopmental impairment and inform neuroprotective treatment for VLBW preterm infants.

Volumetric analysis of the normal infant brain and in intrauterine growth retardation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Toft, P B; Leth, H; Ring, P B

1995-01-01

and the volumes were determined by encircling each structure of interest on every slice. Segmentation into grey matter, white matter and CSF was done by semi-automatic discriminant analysis. Growth charts for the cerebrum, cerebellum, corpora striata, thalami, ventricles, and grey and white matter are provided...... for infants with appropriate birth weight. The striatal (P = 0.02) and thalamic (P matter to white matter (G/W-ratio) increased (P = 0.01). In the neonatal patients, brain volumes were independently associated...... growth retardation reduces grey matter volume more than white matter....

Brain functional near infrared spectroscopy in human infants : cerebral cortical haemodynamics coupled to neuronal activation in response to sensory stimulation

OpenAIRE

Bartocci, Marco

2006-01-01

The assessment of cortical activation in the neonatal brain is crucial in the study of brain development, as it provides precious information for how the newborn infant processes external or internal stimuli. Thus far functional studies of neonates aimed to assess cortical responses to certain external stimuli are very few, due to the lack of suitable techniques to monitor brain activity of the newborn. Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) has been found to be suitable for func...

Altered Brain Functional Activity in Infants with Congenital Bilateral Severe Sensorineural Hearing Loss: A Resting-State Functional MRI Study under Sedation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuang Xia

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Early hearing deprivation could affect the development of auditory, language, and vision ability. Insufficient or no stimulation of the auditory cortex during the sensitive periods of plasticity could affect the function of hearing, language, and vision development. Twenty-three infants with congenital severe sensorineural hearing loss (CSSHL and 17 age and sex matched normal hearing subjects were recruited. The amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (ALFF and regional homogeneity (ReHo of the auditory, language, and vision related brain areas were compared between deaf infants and normal subjects. Compared with normal hearing subjects, decreased ALFF and ReHo were observed in auditory and language-related cortex. Increased ALFF and ReHo were observed in vision related cortex, which suggest that hearing and language function were impaired and vision function was enhanced due to the loss of hearing. ALFF of left Brodmann area 45 (BA45 was negatively correlated with deaf duration in infants with CSSHL. ALFF of right BA39 was positively correlated with deaf duration in infants with CSSHL. In conclusion, ALFF and ReHo can reflect the abnormal brain function in language, auditory, and visual information processing in infants with CSSHL. This demonstrates that the development of auditory, language, and vision processing function has been affected by congenital severe sensorineural hearing loss before 4 years of age.

Neurologic Outcomes in Very Preterm Infants Undergoing Surgery.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

2012-01-31

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between surgery in very preterm infants and brain structure at term equivalent and 2-year neurodevelopmental outcome. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 227 infants born at <30 weeks gestation or at a birth weight of <1250 g were prospectively enrolled into a longitudinal observational cohort for magnetic resonance imaging and developmental follow-up. The infants were categorized retrospectively into either a nonsurgical group (n=178) or a surgical group (n=30). Nineteen infants were excluded because of incomplete or unsuitable data. The surgical and nonsurgical groups were compared in terms of clinical demographic data, white matter injury, and brain volume at term. Neurodevelopmental outcome was assessed at age 2 years. RESULTS: Compared with the nonsurgical group, the infants in the surgical group were smaller and more growth-restricted at birth, received more respiratory support and oxygen therapy, and had longer hospital stays. They also had smaller brain volumes, particularly smaller deep nuclear gray matter volumes. Infants who underwent bowel surgery had greater white matter injury. Mental Developmental Index scores were lower in the surgical group, whereas Psychomotor Developmental Index scores did not differ between the groups. The Mental Developmental Index difference became nonsignificant after adjustment for confounding variables. CONCLUSION: Preterm infants exposed to surgery and anesthesia had greater white matter injury and smaller total brain volumes, particularly smaller deep nuclear gray matter volumes. Surgical exposure in the preterm infant should alert the clinician to an increased risk for adverse cognitive outcome.

Integrating neurocritical care approaches into neonatology: should all infants be treated equitably?

Science.gov (United States)

Mann, P C; Gospe, S M; Steinman, K J; Wilfond, B S

2015-12-01

To improve the neurologic outcomes for infants with brain injury, neonatal providers are increasingly implementing neurocritical care approaches into clinical practice. Term infants with brain injury have been principal beneficiaries of neurologically-integrated care models to date, as evidenced by the widespread adoption of therapeutic hypothermia protocols for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Innovative therapeutic and diagnostic support for very low birth weight infants with brain injury has lagged behind. Given that concern for significant future neurodevelopmental impairment can lead to decisions to withdraw life supportive care at any gestational age, providing families with accurate prognostic information is essential for all infants. Current variable application of multidisciplinary neurocritical care approaches to infants at different gestational ages may be ethically problematic and reflect distinct perceptions of brain injury for infants born extremely premature.

Brain lesions in preterm infants: initial diagnosis and follow-up

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Argyropoulou, Maria I. [University of Ioannina, Department of Radiology, Medical School, Ioannina (Greece)

2010-06-15

Children surviving premature birth present with a wide spectrum of motor, sensory and cognitive disabilities, ranging from slight motor deficits, school difficulties and behavioural problems to cerebral palsy and mental retardation. The anatomic and functional substrate of these problems can be investigated using a variety of imaging techniques. Cranial US coupled with colour Doppler is a well-established method for the initial diagnosis of intraventricular haemorrhage, parenchymal haemorrhagic infarct and periventricular leukomalacia. MRI is useful for the follow-up study of brain maturation. Conventional T1- and T2-weighted sequences, magnetization transfer and diffusion tensor imaging coupled with sophisticated tools of tissue segmentation and analysis at a voxel level offer substantial anatomic and functional information on pathological conditions that define the prognosis of preterm infants. (orig.)

MRI Differences Associated with Intrauterine Growth Restriction in Preterm Infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruno, Christie J; Bengani, Shreyans; Gomes, William A; Brewer, Mariana; Vega, Melissa; Xie, Xianhong; Kim, Mimi; Fuloria, Mamta

2017-01-01

Preterm infants are at risk for neurodevelopmental impairment. Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) further increases this risk. Brain imaging studies are often utilized at or near term-equivalent age to determine later prognosis. To evaluate the association between intrauterine growth and regional brain volume on MRI scans performed in preterm infants at or near term-equivalent age. This is a retrospective case-control study of 24 infants born at gestational age ≤30 weeks and cared for in a large, inner-city, academic neonatal intensive-care unit from 2012 to 2013. Each IUGR infant was matched with 1-2 appropriate for gestational age (AGA) infants who served as controls. Predischarge MRI scans routinely obtained at ≥36 weeks' adjusted age were analyzed for regional brain volumetric differences. We examined the association between IUGR and thalamic, basal ganglion, and cerebellar brain volumes in these preterm infants. Compared to AGA infants, IUGR infants had a smaller thalamus (7.88 vs. 5.87 mL, p = 0.001) and basal ganglion (8.87 vs. 6.92 mL, p = 0.002) volumes. There was no difference in cerebellar volumes between the two study groups. Linear regression analyses revealed similar trends in the associations between IUGR and brain volumes after adjusting for sex, gestational age at birth, and postconceptual age and weight at MRI. Thalamus and basal ganglion volumes are reduced in growth-restricted preterm infants. These differences may preferentially impact neurodevelopmental outcomes. Further research is needed to explore these relationships. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Decoding Pedophilia: Increased Anterior Insula Response to Infant Animal Pictures.

Science.gov (United States)

Ponseti, Jorge; Bruhn, Daniel; Nolting, Julia; Gerwinn, Hannah; Pohl, Alexander; Stirn, Aglaja; Granert, Oliver; Laufs, Helmut; Deuschl, Günther; Wolff, Stephan; Jansen, Olav; Siebner, Hartwig; Briken, Peer; Mohnke, Sebastian; Amelung, Till; Kneer, Jonas; Schiffer, Boris; Walter, Henrik; Kruger, Tillmann H C

2017-01-01

Previous research found increased brain responses of men with sexual interest in children (i.e., pedophiles) not only to pictures of naked children but also to pictures of child faces. This opens the possibly that pedophilia is linked (in addition to or instead of an aberrant sexual system) to an over-active nurturing system. To test this hypothesis we exposed pedophiles and healthy controls to pictures of infant and adult animals during functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. By using pictures of infant animals (instead of human infants), we aimed to elicit nurturing processing without triggering sexual processing. We hypothesized that elevated brain responses to nurturing stimuli will be found - in addition to other brain areas - in the anterior insula of pedophiles because this area was repeatedly found to be activated when adults see pictures of babies. Behavioral ratings confirmed that pictures of infant or adult animals were not perceived as sexually arousing neither by the pedophilic participants nor by the heathy controls. Statistical analysis was applied to the whole brain as well as to the anterior insula as region of interest. Only in pedophiles did infants relative to adult animals increase brain activity in the anterior insula, supplementary motor cortex, and dorsolateral prefrontal areas. Within-group analysis revealed an increased brain response to infant animals in the left anterior insular cortex of the pedophilic participants. Currently, pedophilia is considered the consequence of disturbed sexual or executive brain processing, but details are far from known. The present findings raise the question whether there is also an over-responsive nurturing system in pedophilia.

Perspectives from the symposium: The role of nutrition in infant and toddler brain and behavioral development.

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Rosales, Francisco J; Zeisel, Steven H

2008-06-01

This symposium examined current trends in neuroscience and developmental psychology as they apply to assessing the effects of nutrients on brain and behavioral development of 0-6-year-olds. Although the spectrum of nutrients with brain effects has not changed much in the last 25 years, there has been an explosion in new knowledge about the genetics, structure and function of the brain. This has helped to link the brain mechanistic pathway by which these nutrients act with cognitive functions. A clear example of this is linking of brain structural changes due to hypoglycemia versus hyperglycemia with cognitive functions by using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess changes in brain-region volumes in combination with cognitive test of intelligence, memory and processing speed. Another example is the use of event-related potential (ERP) studies to show that infants of diabetic mothers have impairments in memory from birth through 8 months of age that are consistent with alterations in mechanistic pathways of memory observed in animal models of perinatal iron deficiency. However, gaps remain in the understanding of how nutrients and neurotrophic factors interact with each other in optimizing brain development and function.

BrainNetCNN: Convolutional neural networks for brain networks; towards predicting neurodevelopment.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawahara, Jeremy; Brown, Colin J; Miller, Steven P; Booth, Brian G; Chau, Vann; Grunau, Ruth E; Zwicker, Jill G; Hamarneh, Ghassan

2017-02-01

We propose BrainNetCNN, a convolutional neural network (CNN) framework to predict clinical neurodevelopmental outcomes from brain networks. In contrast to the spatially local convolutions done in traditional image-based CNNs, our BrainNetCNN is composed of novel edge-to-edge, edge-to-node and node-to-graph convolutional filters that leverage the topological locality of structural brain networks. We apply the BrainNetCNN framework to predict cognitive and motor developmental outcome scores from structural brain networks of infants born preterm. Diffusion tensor images (DTI) of preterm infants, acquired between 27 and 46 weeks gestational age, were used to construct a dataset of structural brain connectivity networks. We first demonstrate the predictive capabilities of BrainNetCNN on synthetic phantom networks with simulated injury patterns and added noise. BrainNetCNN outperforms a fully connected neural-network with the same number of model parameters on both phantoms with focal and diffuse injury patterns. We then apply our method to the task of joint prediction of Bayley-III cognitive and motor scores, assessed at 18 months of age, adjusted for prematurity. We show that our BrainNetCNN framework outperforms a variety of other methods on the same data. Furthermore, BrainNetCNN is able to identify an infant's postmenstrual age to within about 2 weeks. Finally, we explore the high-level features learned by BrainNetCNN by visualizing the importance of each connection in the brain with respect to predicting the outcome scores. These findings are then discussed in the context of the anatomy and function of the developing preterm infant brain. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Exploratory Metabolomic Analyses Reveal Compounds Correlated with Lutein Concentration in Frontal Cortex, Hippocampus, and Occipital Cortex of Human Infant Brain.

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Jacqueline C Lieblein-Boff

Full Text Available Lutein is a dietary carotenoid well known for its role as an antioxidant in the macula, and recent reports implicate a role for lutein in cognitive function. Lutein is the dominant carotenoid in both pediatric and geriatric brain tissue. In addition, cognitive function in older adults correlated with macular and postmortem brain lutein concentrations. Furthermore, lutein was found to preferentially accumulate in the infant brain in comparison to other carotenoids that are predominant in diet. While lutein is consistently related to cognitive function, the mechanisms by which lutein may influence cognition are not clear. In an effort to identify potential mechanisms through which lutein might influence neurodevelopment, an exploratory study relating metabolite signatures and lutein was completed. Post-mortem metabolomic analyses were performed on human infant brain tissues in three regions important for learning and memory: the frontal cortex, hippocampus, and occipital cortex. Metabolomic profiles were compared to lutein concentration, and correlations were identified and reported here. A total of 1276 correlations were carried out across all brain regions. Of 427 metabolites analyzed, 257 were metabolites of known identity. Unidentified metabolite correlations (510 were excluded. In addition, moderate correlations with xenobiotic relationships (2 or those driven by single outliers (3 were excluded from further study. Lutein concentrations correlated with lipid pathway metabolites, energy pathway metabolites, brain osmolytes, amino acid neurotransmitters, and the antioxidant homocarnosine. These correlations were often brain region-specific. Revealing relationships between lutein and metabolic pathways may help identify potential candidates on which to complete further analyses and may shed light on important roles of lutein in the human brain during development.

Decoding Pedophilia: Increased Anterior Insula Response to Infant Animal Pictures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jorge Ponseti

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Previous research found increased brain responses of men with sexual interest in children (i.e., pedophiles not only to pictures of naked children but also to pictures of child faces. This opens the possibly that pedophilia is linked (in addition to or instead of an aberrant sexual system to an over-active nurturing system. To test this hypothesis we exposed pedophiles and healthy controls to pictures of infant and adult animals during functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. By using pictures of infant animals (instead of human infants, we aimed to elicit nurturing processing without triggering sexual processing. We hypothesized that elevated brain responses to nurturing stimuli will be found – in addition to other brain areas – in the anterior insula of pedophiles because this area was repeatedly found to be activated when adults see pictures of babies. Behavioral ratings confirmed that pictures of infant or adult animals were not perceived as sexually arousing neither by the pedophilic participants nor by the heathy controls. Statistical analysis was applied to the whole brain as well as to the anterior insula as region of interest. Only in pedophiles did infants relative to adult animals increase brain activity in the anterior insula, supplementary motor cortex, and dorsolateral prefrontal areas. Within-group analysis revealed an increased brain response to infant animals in the left anterior insular cortex of the pedophilic participants. Currently, pedophilia is considered the consequence of disturbed sexual or executive brain processing, but details are far from known. The present findings raise the question whether there is also an over-responsive nurturing system in pedophilia.

Improving the treatment of infant pain

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Moultrie, Fiona; Slater, Rebeccah; Hartley, Caroline

2017-01-01

Purpose of review Pain management presents a major challenge in neonatal care. Newborn infants who require medical treatment can undergo frequent invasive procedures during a critical period of neurodevelopment. However, adequate analgesic provision is infrequently and inconsistently provided for acute noxious procedures because of limited and conflicting evidence regarding analgesic efficacy and safety of most commonly used pharmacological agents. Here, we review recent advances in the measurement of infant pain and discuss clinical trials that assess the efficacy of pharmacological analgesia in infants. Recent findings Recently developed measures of noxious-evoked brain activity are sensitive to analgesic modulation, providing an objective quantitative outcome measure that can be used in clinical trials of analgesics. Summary Noxious stimulation evokes changes in activity across all levels of the infant nervous system, including reflex activity, altered brain activity and behaviour, and long-lasting changes in infant physiological stability. A multimodal approach is needed if we are to identify efficacious and well tolerated analgesic treatments. Well designed clinical trials are urgently required to improve analgesic provision in the infant population. PMID:28375883

Neuroprotection in Preterm Infants

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R. Berger

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Preterm infants born before the 30th week of pregnancy are especially at risk of perinatal brain damage which is usually a result of cerebral ischemia or an ascending intrauterine infection. Prevention of preterm birth and early intervention given signs of imminent intrauterine infection can reduce the incidence of perinatal cerebral injury. It has been shown that administering magnesium intravenously to women at imminent risk of a preterm birth leads to a significant reduction in the likelihood of the infant developing cerebral palsy and motor skill dysfunction. It has also been demonstrated that delayed clamping of the umbilical cord after birth reduces the rate of brain hemorrhage among preterm infants by up to 50%. In addition, mesenchymal stem cells seem to have significant neuroprotective potential in animal experiments, as they increase the rate of regeneration of the damaged cerebral area. Clinical tests of these types of therapeutic intervention measures appear to be imminent. In the last trimester of pregnancy, the serum concentrations of estradiol and progesterone increase significantly. Preterm infants are removed abruptly from this estradiol and progesterone rich environment. It has been demonstrated in animal experiments that estradiol and progesterone protect the immature brain from hypoxic-ischemic lesions. However, this neuroprotective strategy has unfortunately not yet been subject to sufficient clinical investigation.

Growth and development of very low birth weight infants aged 18-24 months at Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health.

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Sangtawesin, Varaporn; Singarj, Yupayao; Kanjanapattanakul, Wiboon

2011-08-01

The number of very low birth weight (VLBW) births is increasing worldwide. Despite better care in recent years, they have a high incidence of delayed growth and development. There are no previous studies regarding the growth and development of these infants at Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health (QSNICH). To study growth and developmental outcome of VLBW infants, aged 18-24 months who were discharged from QSNICH. VLBW infants who were discharged from QSNICH during the year 2007 were recruited in the study. Patients with chromosomal abnormalities, major congenital anomalies, definite congenital infections and positive maternal anti-HIV tests were excluded. At the corrected age of 18-24 months, the parents were called upon to bring their infants for complete physical examination and developmental evaluation on 2 occasions, two months apart. There were 111 cases of VLBW infants who were discharged from QSNICH during the year 2007. Fifty-four patients were eligible for the present study. Thirty cases (55.56%) were contacted for the first examination. During this examination, there were 3 cases (10%) with low head circumference, 1 case (3.33%) with poor weight gain, 5 cases (16.67%) with visual defect, 1 case (3.33%) with moderately severe hearing loss, 1 case (3.33%) with cerebral palsy and 7 cases (23.33%) with delayed development. Twenty-one cases could be recalled for a second evaluation. Two of the 5 cases had delayed language development. There were no cases with hydrocephalous, blindness or profound hearing loss. VLBW infants at QSNICH had much better survival during recent years. Most of these survivors had normal growth and development. Those with delayed growth and development need aggressive intervention and long-term follow-up for enhancement of quality of their lives.

125 Brain Games for Babies: Simple Games To Promote Early Brain Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Silberg, Jackie

Scientists believe that the stimulation that infants and young children receive determines which synapses form in the brain. This book presents 125 games for infants from birth to 12 months and is designed to nurture brain development. The book is organized chronologically in 3-month increments. Each game description includes information from…

Differential effects of intrauterine growth restriction on brain structure and development in preterm infants: a magnetic resonance imaging study.

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Padilla, Nelly; Falcón, Carles; Sanz-Cortés, Magdalena; Figueras, Francesc; Bargallo, Núria; Crispi, Fátima; Eixarch, Elisenda; Arranz, Angela; Botet, Francesc; Gratacós, Eduard

2011-03-25

Previous evidence suggests that preterm newborns with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) have specific neurostructural and neurodevelopmental anomalies, but it is unknown whether these effects persist in early childhood. We studied a sample of 18 preterm IUGR, 15 preterm AGA - born between 26 and 34 weeks of gestational age (GA) - and 15 healthy born-term infants. Infants were scanned at 12 months corrected age (CA), in a 3T scanner, without sedation. Analyses were made by automated lobar volumetry and voxel-based morphometry (VBM). The neurodevelopmental outcome was assessed in all subjects at 18 months CA with the Bayley Scale for Infant and Toddler Development, third edition. IUGR infants had reduced relative volumes for the insular and temporal lobes. According to VBM, IUGR infants had bilateral reduced gray matter (GM) in the temporal, parietal, frontal, and insular regions compared with the other groups. IUGR infants had increased white matter (WM) in temporal regions compared to the AGA group and in frontal, parietal, occipital, and insular regions compared to the term group. They also showed decreased WM in the cerebellum and a non-significant trend in the hippocampus compared to term infants. IUGR infants had reduced neurodevelopmental scores, which were positively correlated with GM in various regions. These data suggest that the IUGR induces a distinct brain pattern of structural changes that persist at 1 year of life and are associated with specific developmental difficulties. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Delineation of early brain development from fetuses to infants with diffusion MRI and beyond.

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Ouyang, Minhui; Dubois, Jessica; Yu, Qinlin; Mukherjee, Pratik; Huang, Hao

2018-04-12

Dynamic macrostructural and microstructural changes take place from the mid-fetal stage to 2 years after birth. Delineating brain structural changes during this early developmental period provides new insights into the complicated processes of both typical brain development and the pathological mechanisms underlying various psychiatric and neurological disorders including autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and schizophrenia. Decades of histological studies have identified strong spatial and functional gradients of maturation in human brain gray and white matter. The recent improvements in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, especially diffusion MRI (dMRI), relaxometry imaging, and magnetization transfer imaging (MTI) have provided unprecedented opportunities to non-invasively quantify and map the early developmental changes at whole brain and regional levels. Here, we review the recent advances in understanding early brain structural development during the second half of gestation and the first two postnatal years using modern MR techniques. Specifically, we review studies that delineate the emergence and microstructural maturation of white matter tracts, as well as dynamic mapping of inhomogeneous cortical microstructural organization unique to fetuses and infants. These imaging studies converge into maturational curves of MRI measurements that are distinctive across different white matter tracts and cortical regions. Furthermore, contemporary models offering biophysical interpretations of the dMRI-derived measurements are illustrated to infer the underlying microstructural changes. Collectively, this review summarizes findings that contribute to charting spatiotemporally heterogeneous gray and white matter structural development, offering MRI-based biomarkers of typical brain development and setting the stage for understanding aberrant brain development in neurodevelopmental disorders. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Application of 3.0T magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging in the evaluation on the development of normal brain white matter in infants and young children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen-li XU

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Objective　To calculate the radios of peak area of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy metabolites in brain white matter of normal infants and young children, to observe the features of metabolite spectra, and to explore the relations between their ratio with age. Methods　The peak areas of metabolites, including N-acetyl aspartate (NAA, choline (Cho, creatine (Cr, and their ratio of NAA/Cho, NAA/Cr, Cho/Cr, in paraventricular white matter of 180 normal infants and young children with different ages as evaluated by multi-voxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Results　In paraventricular white matter, spectrum of NAA increased, and that of Cho decreased gradually, while both of them were stabilized at 2 years old. Cr was increased obviously within 3 months, and stabilized after 4 months. Significant differences were found in ratio of different metabolites in paraventricular white matter in different ages (P<0.05. The ratios of NAA/Cho and NAA/Cr in paraventricular white mater were positively correlated with age (r=0.741, r=0.625, while that of Cho/Cr was negatively correlated with age (r=–0.552, P<0.05. Conclusion　The ratios of different metabolites are different in brain white matter in infants of different ages. Metabolites concentrations in brain white matter are correlated to some extent with age, which may provide a diagnostic criterion for evaluation of normal brain development and abnormal brain metabolism. DOI: 10.11855/j.issn.0577-7402.2013.12.05

MR elastography of hydrocephalus

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Pattison, Adam J.; Lollis, S. Scott; Perrinez, Phillip R.; Weaver, John B.; Paulsen, Keith D.

2009-02-01

Hydrocephalus occurs due to a blockage in the transmission of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in either the ventricles or subarachnoid space. Characteristics of this condition include increased intracranial pressure, which can result in neurologic deterioration [1]. Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is an imaging technique that estimates the mechanical properties of tissue in vivo. While some investigations of brain tissue have been performed using MRE [2,3,4,5], the effects due to changes in interstitial pressure and fluid content on the mechanical properties of the brain remain unknown. The purpose of this work is to assess the potential of MRE to differentiate between the reconstructed properties of normal and hydrocephalic brains. MRE data was acquired in 18 female feline subjects, 12 of which received kaolin injections resulting in an acute form of hydrocephalus. In each animal, four MRE scans were performed during the process including one pre-injection and three post-injection scans. The elastic parameters were obtained using a subzone-based reconstruction algorithm that solves Navier's equations for linearly elastic materials [6]. The remaining cats were used as controls, injected with saline instead of kaolin. To determine the state of hydrocephalus, ventricular volume was estimated from segmenting anatomical images. The mean ventricular volume of hydrocephalic cats significantly increased (P ~ 0.5) for the control cats. Also, there was an observable increase in the recorded elastic shear modulus of brain tissue in the normal and hydrocephalic acquisitions. Results suggest that MRE is able to detect changes in the mechanical properties of brain tissue resulting from kaolin-induced hydrocephalus, indicating the need for further study.

Brain-oriented care in the NICU: a case study.

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Bader, Lisa

2014-01-01

With the advances of technology and treatment in the field of neonatal care, researchers can now study how the brains of preterm infants are different from full-term infants. The differences are significant, and the outcomes are poor overall for premature infants as a whole. Caregivers at the bedside must know that every interaction with the preterm infant affects brain development-it is critical to the developmental outcome of the infant. The idea of neuroprotection is not new to the medical field but is a fairly new idea to the NICU. Neuroprotection encompasses all interventions that promote normal development of the brain. The concept of brain-oriented care is a necessary extension of developmental care in the NICU. By following the journey of 26-week preterm twin infants through a case study, one can better understand the necessity of brain-oriented care at the bedside.

Normalization of similarity-based individual brain networks from gray matter MRI and its association with neurodevelopment in infants with intrauterine growth restriction.

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Batalle, Dafnis; Muñoz-Moreno, Emma; Figueras, Francesc; Bargallo, Nuria; Eixarch, Elisenda; Gratacos, Eduard

2013-12-01

Obtaining individual biomarkers for the prediction of altered neurological outcome is a challenge of modern medicine and neuroscience. Connectomics based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) stands as a good candidate to exhaustively extract information from MRI by integrating the information obtained in a few network features that can be used as individual biomarkers of neurological outcome. However, this approach typically requires the use of diffusion and/or functional MRI to extract individual brain networks, which require high acquisition times and present an extreme sensitivity to motion artifacts, critical problems when scanning fetuses and infants. Extraction of individual networks based on morphological similarity from gray matter is a new approach that benefits from the power of graph theory analysis to describe gray matter morphology as a large-scale morphological network from a typical clinical anatomic acquisition such as T1-weighted MRI. In the present paper we propose a methodology to normalize these large-scale morphological networks to a brain network with standardized size based on a parcellation scheme. The proposed methodology was applied to reconstruct individual brain networks of 63 one-year-old infants, 41 infants with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and 22 controls, showing altered network features in the IUGR group, and their association with neurodevelopmental outcome at two years of age by means of ordinal regression analysis of the network features obtained with Bayley Scale for Infant and Toddler Development, third edition. Although it must be more widely assessed, this methodology stands as a good candidate for the development of biomarkers for altered neurodevelopment in the pediatric population. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Ventricle Size Measurements in Infants by Pediatric Emergency Medicine Physicians.

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Halm, Brunhild M; Leone, Tina A; Chaudoin, Lindsey T; McKinley, Kenneth W; Ruzal-Shapiro, Carrie; Franke, Adrian A; Tsze, Daniel S

2018-06-05

The identification of hydrocephalus in infants by pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) physicians using cranial point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has not been evaluated. We aimed to conduct a pilot/proof-of-concept study to evaluate whether PEM physicians can identify hydrocephalus (anterior horn width >5 mm) in 15 infants (mean 69 ± 42 days old) from the neonatal intensive care unit using POCUS. Our exploratory aims were to determine the test characteristics of cranial POCUS performed by PEM physicians for diagnosing hydrocephalus and the interrater reliability between measurements made by the PEM physicians and the radiologist. Depending on the availability, 1 or 2 PEM physicians performed a cranial POCUS through the open anterior fontanel for each infant after a 30-minute didactic lecture to determine the size of the left and right ventricles by measuring the anterior horn width at the foramen of Monroe in coronal view. Within 1 week, an ultrasound (US) technologist performed a cranial US and a radiologist determined the ventricle sizes from the US images; these measurements were the criterion standard. A radiologist determined 12 of the 30 ventricles as hydrocephalic. The sensitivity and specificity of the PEM physicians performed cranial POCUS was 66.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 34.9%-90.1%) and 94.4% (95% CI, 72.7%-99.9%), whereas the positive and negative predictive values were 88.9% (95% CI, 53.3%-98.2%) and 81.0% (95% CI, 65.5%-90.5%), respectively. The interrater reliability between the PEM physician's and radiologist's measurements was r = 0.91. The entire POCUS examinations performed by the PEM physicians took an average of 1.5 minutes. The time between the cranial POCUS and the radiology US was, on average, 4 days. While the PEM physicians in our study were able to determine the absence of hydrocephalus in infants with high specificity using cranial POCUS, there was insufficient evidence to support the use of this modality for identifying

Attachment Figure's Regulation of Infant Brain and Behavior.

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Sullivan, Regina M

2017-01-01

Altricial infants (i.e., requiring parental care for survival), such as humans and rats, form an attachment to their caregiver and receive the nurturing and protections needed for survival. Learning has a strong role in attachment, as is illustrated by strong attachment formed to non-biological caregivers of either sex. Here we summarize and integrate results from animal and human infant attachment research that highlights the important role of social buffering (social presence) of the stress response by the attachment figure and its effect on infant processing of threat and fear through modulation of the amygdala. Indeed, this work suggests the caregiver switches off amygdala function in rodents, although recent human research suggests a similar process in humans and nonhuman primates. This cross-species analysis helps provide insight and unique understanding of attachment and its role in the neurobiology of infant behavior within attachment.

Cerebral oximetry in preterm infants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Greisen, Gorm; Andresen, Bjørn; Plomgaard, Anne Mette

2016-01-01

Preterm birth constitutes a major cause of death before 5 years of age and it is a major cause of neurodevelopmental impairment across the world. Preterm infants are most unstable during the transition between fetal and newborn life during the first days of life and most brain damage occurs...... in this period. The brain of the preterm infant is accessible for tissue oximetry by near-infrared spectroscopy. Cerebral oximetry has the potential to improve the long-term outcome by helping to tailor the support of respiration and circulation to the individual infant's needs, but the evidence is still lacking....... The goals for research include testing the benefit and harms of cerebral oximetry in large-scale randomized trials, improved definition of the hypoxic threshold, better understanding the effects of intensive care on cerebral oxygenation, as well as improved precision of oximeters and calibration among...

Embryonal Central Nervous System Neoplasms Arising in Infants: A Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium Study

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McLendon, Roger E.; Adekunle, Adesina; Rajaram, Veena; Kocak, Mehmet; Blaney, Susan M.

2013-01-01

Context Medulloblastomas (MBs) and atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors (AT/RTs) can be difficult to distinguish; however, histologic characterization is prognostically important. Objective To determine histologic and phenotypic markers associated with utility progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in children under 3 years of age with MBs and AT/RTs. Design We undertook a histologic and immunophenotypic study of MBs and AT/RTs arising in infants treated on a Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium study. The 41 girls and 55 boys (aged 2 to 36 months at enrollment) exhibited 42 MBs, 26 AT/RTs and 28 other tumors. Median follow-up was 17.2 months from diagnosis (range: 1.4–93 months). Results Infants with AT/RT exhibited shorter PFS and OS when compared to infants with MBs (P=.0003 and P=.0005, respectively). A lack of nuclear BAF47 immunohistochemical reactivity (IHC) proved reliable in identifying AT/RTs. Among MBs, our data demonstrate that anaplasia correlated with OTX2 reactivity and both OTX2 and moderate to severe anaplasia correlated with PFS but not OS. “Nodularity” may be a positive prognostic factor. Conclusion Distinguishing AT/RT from MBs is clinically important. The diagnoses of AT/RT and MB can be reliably made from H&E stains in the majority of cases. However certain rare small cell variants of AT/RT can be confused with MB. IHC for BAF47 is clinically useful in diagnosing AT/RTs, particularly certain small cell AT/RTs. Among MBs, “nodularity”, absent or mild anaplasia, and lack of OTX2 expression may be important prognostic factors for improved PFS and OS in infants. PMID:21809989

Brain Drain: A Child's Brain on Poverty. Poverty Fact Sheet

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Damron, Neil

2015-01-01

"Brain Drain: A Child's Brain on Poverty," released in March 2015 and prepared by intern Neil Damron, explores the brain's basic anatomy and recent research findings suggesting that poverty affects the brain development of infants and young children and the potential lifelong effects of the changes. The sheet draws from a variety of…

T2 Relaxometry MRI Predicts Cerebral Palsy in Preterm Infants.

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Chen, L-W; Wang, S-T; Huang, C-C; Tu, Y-F; Tsai, Y-S

2018-01-18

T2-relaxometry brain MR imaging enables objective measurement of brain maturation based on the water-macromolecule ratio in white matter, but the outcome correlation is not established in preterm infants. Our study aimed to predict neurodevelopment with T2-relaxation values of brain MR imaging among preterm infants. From January 1, 2012, to May 31, 2015, preterm infants who underwent both T2-relaxometry brain MR imaging and neurodevelopmental follow-up were retrospectively reviewed. T2-relaxation values were measured over the periventricular white matter, including sections through the frontal horns, midbody of the lateral ventricles, and centrum semiovale. Periventricular T2 relaxometry in relation to corrected age was analyzed with restricted cubic spline regression. Prediction of cerebral palsy was examined with the receiver operating characteristic curve. Thirty-eight preterm infants were enrolled for analysis. Twenty patients (52.6%) had neurodevelopmental abnormalities, including 8 (21%) with developmental delay without cerebral palsy and 12 (31.6%) with cerebral palsy. The periventricular T2-relaxation values in relation to age were curvilinear in preterm infants with normal development, linear in those with developmental delay without cerebral palsy, and flat in those with cerebral palsy. When MR imaging was performed at >1 month corrected age, cerebral palsy could be predicted with T2 relaxometry of the periventricular white matter on sections through the midbody of the lateral ventricles (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.738; cutoff value of >217.4 with 63.6% sensitivity and 100.0% specificity). T2-relaxometry brain MR imaging could provide prognostic prediction of neurodevelopmental outcomes in premature infants. Age-dependent and area-selective interpretation in preterm brains should be emphasized. © 2018 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

Placement of Ommaya reservoir following endoscopic third ventriculostomy in pediatric hydrocephalic patients: a critical reappraisal.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Bo; Roth, Jonathan; Udayakumaran, Suhas; Beni-Adani, Liana; Constantini, Shlomi

2011-05-01

Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) has become standard for obstructive hydrocephalus. Even a successful ETV can obstruct, leading to recurrence of symptoms and even death. A possible solution to this problem is leaving an Ommaya reservoir (OR) following the ETV. OR can be tapped in an emergency and for diagnostic purposes. No specific complications have been attributed to OR in this setting. We present our experience with OR in children undergoing ETV for hydrocephalus. A retrospective study was conducted in hydrocephalic children that underwent ETV with OR insertion over 13 years (1997-2010) from a single institution. Data were collected from charts and follow-ups. Twelve patients (from 200 patients who had an ETV) underwent placement of OR with ETV. OR was reserved for a subgroup of patients in whom we anticipated complications-in children that presented with acute hydrocephalus and were in deteriorating condition, for pathologies believed to have a low predicted ETV success rate, or when the surgeon felt that the ETV procedure was suboptimal. OR was tapped in eight patients. Complications occurred in four patients: two cases of subdural effusion, one case of chronic subdural hematoma, and one CSF leak. Four ORs were removed due to complications, and four were converted to shunts. OR should be considered in selected patients undergoing ETV. Despite its obvious advantages, OR may be associated with a relatively high risk of extraaxial fluid collections. This association requires further investigation.

The early development of brain white matter: a review of imaging studies in fetuses, newborns and infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Dubois, J; Dehaene-Lambertz, G; Kulikova, S; Poupon, C; Hüppi, P S; Hertz-Pannier, L

2014-09-12

Studying how the healthy human brain develops is important to understand early pathological mechanisms and to assess the influence of fetal or perinatal events on later life. Brain development relies on complex and intermingled mechanisms especially during gestation and first post-natal months, with intense interactions between genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors. Although the baby's brain is organized early on, it is not a miniature adult brain: regional brain changes are asynchronous and protracted, i.e. sensory-motor regions develop early and quickly, whereas associative regions develop later and slowly over decades. Concurrently, the infant/child gradually achieves new performances, but how brain maturation relates to changes in behavior is poorly understood, requiring non-invasive in vivo imaging studies such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Two main processes of early white matter development are reviewed: (1) establishment of connections between brain regions within functional networks, leading to adult-like organization during the last trimester of gestation, (2) maturation (myelination) of these connections during infancy to provide efficient transfers of information. Current knowledge from post-mortem descriptions and in vivo MRI studies is summed up, focusing on T1- and T2-weighted imaging, diffusion tensor imaging, and quantitative mapping of T1/T2 relaxation times, myelin water fraction and magnetization transfer ratio. Copyright © 2014 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Neurobehaviour between birth and 40 weeks' gestation in infants born parental psychological wellbeing: predictors of brain development and child outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Spittle, Alicia J; Thompson, Deanne K; Brown, Nisha C; Treyvaud, Karli; Cheong, Jeanie L Y; Lee, Katherine J; Pace, Carmen C; Olsen, Joy; Allinson, Leesa G; Morgan, Angela T; Seal, Marc; Eeles, Abbey; Judd, Fiona; Doyle, Lex W; Anderson, Peter J

2014-04-24

Infants born long term neurodevelopmental problems compared with term born peers. The predictive value of neurobehavioural examinations at term equivalent age in very preterm infants has been reported for subsequent impairment. Yet there is little knowledge surrounding earlier neurobehavioural development in preterm infants prior to term equivalent age, and how it relates to perinatal factors, cerebral structure, and later developmental outcomes. In addition, maternal psychological wellbeing has been associated with child development. Given the high rate of psychological distress reported by parents of preterm children, it is vital we understand maternal and paternal wellbeing in the early weeks and months after preterm birth and how this influences the parent-child relationship and children's outcomes. Therefore this study aims to examine how 1) early neurobehaviour and 2) parental mental health relate to developmental outcomes for infants born preterm compared with infants born at term. This prospective cohort study will describe the neurobehaviour of 150 infants born at term equivalent age, and explore how early neurobehavioural deficits relate to brain growth or injury determined by magnetic resonance imaging, perinatal factors, parental mental health and later developmental outcomes measured using standardised assessment tools at term, one and two years' corrected age. A control group of 150 healthy term-born infants will also be recruited for comparison of outcomes. To examine the effects of parental mental health on developmental outcomes, both parents of preterm and term-born infants will complete standardised questionnaires related to symptoms of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress at regular intervals from the first week of their child's birth until their child's second birthday. The parent-child relationship will be assessed at one and two years' corrected age. Detailing the trajectory of infant neurobehaviour and parental psychological

The maternal brain and its plasticity in humans

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Pilyoung; Strathearn, Lane; Swain, James E.

2015-01-01

Early mother-infant relationships play important roles in infants’ optimal development. New mothers undergo neurobiological changes that support developing mother-infant relationships regardless of great individual differences in those relationships. In this article, we review the neural plasticity in human mothers’ brains based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies. First, we review the neural circuits that are involved in establishing and maintaining mother-infant relationships. Second, we discuss early postpartum factors (e.g., birth and feeding methods, hormones, and parental sensitivity) that are associated with individual differences in maternal brain neuroplasticity. Third, we discuss abnormal changes in the maternal brain related to psychopathology (i.e., postpartum depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, substance abuse) and potential brain remodeling associated with interventions. Last, we highlight potentially important future research directions to better understand normative changes in the maternal brain and risks for abnormal changes that may disrupt early mother-infant relationships. PMID:26268151

The functional neuroanatomy of maternal love: mother's response to infant's attachment behaviors.

Science.gov (United States)

Noriuchi, Madoka; Kikuchi, Yoshiaki; Senoo, Atsushi

2008-02-15

Maternal love, which may be the core of maternal behavior, is essential for the mother-infant attachment relationship and is important for the infant's development and mental health. However, little has been known about these neural mechanisms in human mothers. We examined patterns of maternal brain activation in response to infant cues using video clips. We performed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measurements while 13 mothers viewed video clips, with no sound, of their own infant and other infants of approximately 16 months of age who demonstrated two different attachment behaviors (smiling at the infant's mother and crying for her). We found that a limited number of the mother's brain areas were specifically involved in recognition of the mother's own infant, namely orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), periaqueductal gray, anterior insula, and dorsal and ventrolateral parts of putamen. Additionally, we found the strong and specific mother's brain response for the mother's own infant's distress. The differential neural activation pattern was found in the dorsal region of OFC, caudate nucleus, right inferior frontal gyrus, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (PFC), anterior cingulate, posterior cingulate, thalamus, substantia nigra, posterior superior temporal sulcus, and PFC. Our results showed the highly elaborate neural mechanism mediating maternal love and diverse and complex maternal behaviors for vigilant protectiveness.

Neuro-developmental outcome at 18 months in premature infants with diffuse excessive high signal intensity on MR imaging of the brain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hart, Anthony; Whitby, Elspeth; Paley, Martyn; Wilkinson, Stuart; Smith, Michael; Alladi, Sathya

2011-01-01

Diffuse excessive high signal intensity (DEHSI) may represent damage to the white matter in preterm infants, but may be best studied alongside quantitative markers. Limited published data exists on its neuro-developmental implications. The purpose of this study was to assess whether preterm children with DEHSI at term-corrected age have abnormal neuro-developmental outcome. This was a prospective observational study of 67 preterm infants with MRI of the brain around term-equivalent age, including diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). Images were reported as being normal, overtly abnormal or to show DEHSI. A single observer placed six regions of interest in the periventricular white matter and calculated the apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC). DEHSI was defined as (1) high signal on T2-weighted images alone, (2) high signal with raised ADC values or (3) raised ADC values independent of visual appearances. The neuro-development was assessed around 18 months' corrected age using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (3rd Edition). Standard t tests compared outcome scores between imaging groups. No statistically significant difference in neuro-developmental outcome scores was seen between participants with normal MRI and DEHSI, regardless of which definition was used. Preterm children with DEHSI have similar neuro-developmental outcome to those with normal brain MRI, even if the definition includes objective markers alongside visual appearances. (orig.)

The ω-3-poly-unsaturated fatty acids and the function of the brain and retina in infants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lauritzen, Lotte; Damsgaard, Camilla Trab; Andersen, Anders Daniel

2007-01-01

The central nervous system of human infants has a uniquely high content of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6¿-3), which is accreted during the brain growth spurt that occurs during the first year of life. Based on results from randomized controlled trials on visual acuity it is presently agreed...... LNA could meet the ¿-3 PUFA requirements. Moreover, the potential long-term implications of the early improvements in visual function are not known. ¿-3 PUFA intake in the first year of life is also believed to affect infant cognitive development, although this question remains unresolved. Breast......-developmental outcomes, mirroring the results of observational studies. Some of these studies indicate possible negative effects of ¿-3 LCPUFA, e.g. on language development, but the interpretation is complicated by lack of knowledge of the long-term predictive role of the employed early tests on cognitive development...

Examination of the Pattern of Growth of Cerebral Tissue Volumes From Hospital Discharge to Early Childhood in Very Preterm Infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Monson, Brian B; Anderson, Peter J; Matthews, Lillian G; Neil, Jeffrey J; Kapur, Kush; Cheong, Jeanie L Y; Doyle, Lex W; Thompson, Deanne K; Inder, Terrie E

2016-08-01

Smaller cerebral volumes at hospital discharge in very preterm (VPT) infants are associated with poor neurobehavioral outcomes. Brain growth from the newborn period to middle childhood has not been explored because longitudinal data have been lacking. To examine the pattern of growth of cerebral tissue volumes from hospital discharge to childhood in VPT infants and to determine perinatal risk factors for impaired brain growth and associations with neurobehavioral outcomes at 7 years. Prospective cohort study of VPT infants (childhood and outcomes in VPT infants. Low brain volumes observed in VPT infants are exaggerated at 7 years. Low brain volume in infancy is associated with long-term functional outcomes, emphasizing the persisting influence of early brain development on subsequent growth and outcomes.

White Matter Injury and General Movements in High-Risk Preterm Infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Peyton, C; Yang, E; Msall, M E; Adde, L; Støen, R; Fjørtoft, T; Bos, A F; Einspieler, C; Zhou, Y; Schreiber, M D; Marks, J D; Drobyshevsky, A

2017-01-01

Very preterm infants (birth weight, cognitive and motor impairment, including cerebral palsy. These adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes are associated with white matter abnormalities on MR imaging at term-equivalent age. Cerebral palsy has been predicted by analysis of spontaneous movements in the infant termed "General Movement Assessment." The goal of this study was to determine the utility of General Movement Assessment in predicting adverse cognitive, language, and motor outcomes in very preterm infants and to identify brain imaging markers associated with both adverse outcomes and aberrant general movements. In this prospective study of 47 preterm infants of 24-30 weeks' gestation, brain MR imaging was performed at term-equivalent age. Infants underwent T1- and T2-weighted imaging for volumetric analysis and DTI. General movements were assessed at 10-15 weeks' postterm age, and neurodevelopmental outcomes were evaluated at 2 years by using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development III. Nine infants had aberrant general movements and were more likely to have adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes, compared with infants with normal movements. In infants with aberrant movements, Tract-Based Spatial Statistics analysis identified significantly lower fractional anisotropy in widespread white matter tracts, including the corpus callosum, inferior longitudinal and fronto-occipital fasciculi, internal capsule, and optic radiation. The subset of infants having both aberrant movements and abnormal neurodevelopmental outcomes in cognitive, language, and motor skills had significantly lower fractional anisotropy in specific brain regions. Aberrant general movements at 10-15 weeks' postterm are associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes and specific white matter microstructure abnormalities for cognitive, language, and motor delays. © 2017 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

Benefits of Docosahexaenoic Acid, Folic Acid, Vitamin D and Iodine on Foetal and Infant Brain Development and Function Following Maternal Supplementation during Pregnancy and Lactation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nancy L. Morse

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Scientific literature is increasingly reporting on dietary deficiencies in many populations of some nutrients critical for foetal and infant brain development and function. Purpose: To highlight the potential benefits of maternal supplementation with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA and other important complimentary nutrients, including vitamin D, folic acid and iodine during pregnancy and/or breast feeding for foetal and/or infant brain development and/or function. Methods: English language systematic reviews, meta-analyses, randomised controlled trials, cohort studies, cross-sectional and case-control studies were obtained through searches on MEDLINE and the Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials from January 2000 through to February 2012 and reference lists of retrieved articles. Reports were selected if they included benefits and harms of maternal supplementation of DHA, vitamin D, folic acid or iodine supplementation during pregnancy and/or lactation. Results: Maternal DHA intake during pregnancy and/or lactation can prolong high risk pregnancies, increase birth weight, head circumference and birth length, and can enhance visual acuity, hand and eye co-ordination, attention, problem solving and information processing. Vitamin D helps maintain pregnancy and promotes normal skeletal and brain development. Folic acid is necessary for normal foetal spine, brain and skull development. Iodine is essential for thyroid hormone production necessary for normal brain and nervous system development during gestation that impacts childhood function. Conclusion: Maternal supplementation within recommended safe intakes in populations with dietary deficiencies may prevent many brain and central nervous system malfunctions and even enhance brain development and function in their offspring.

Emotional Incongruence of Facial Expression and Voice Tone Investigated with Event-Related Brain Potentials of Infants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kota Arai

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Human emotions are perceived from multi-modal information including facial expression and voice tone. We aimed to investigate development of neural mechanism for cross-modal perception of emotions. We presented congruent and incongruent combinations of facial expression (happy and voice tone (happy or angry, and measured EEG to analyze event-related brain potentials for 8-10 month-old infants and adults. Ten repetitions of 10 trials were presented in random order for each participant. Half of them performed 20% congruent (happy face with happy voice and 80% incongruent (happy face with angry voice trials, and the others performed 80% congruent and 20% incongruent trials. We employed the oddball paradigm, but did not instruct participants to count a target. The odd-ball (infrequent stimulus increased the amplitude of P2 and delayed its latency for infants in comparison with the frequent stimulus. When the odd-ball stimulus was also emotionally incongruent, P2 amplitude was more increased and its latency was more delayed than for the odd-ball and emotionally congruent stimulus. However, we did not find difference of P2 amplitude or latency for adults between conditions. These results suggested that the 8–10 month-old infants already have a neural basis for detecting emotional incongruence of facial expression and voice tone.

[An autopsy case of brain candidiasis in premature infant: morphology and intraparenchymal distribution of Candida foci].

Science.gov (United States)

Yamaguchi, K; Goto, N

1993-07-01

An autopsy case of brain candidiasis occurring in a premature infant is presented, and the morphology and intraparenchymal distribution of Candida foci are described in detail with the aid of serial sections of the affected brain. The patient was a boy, who was born after 25 weeks of gestation and died on day 15. Candida foci were composed of two infectious forms of Candida (yeasts and pseudohyphae) and various inflammatory reactions of the host. They were widely disseminated in the brain parenchyma, leptomeninges and ventricular system. In view of their morphology, they were classified into the acute and chronic inflammatory types. The acute type foci, characterized by microabscess of infiltration of neutrophils, were large and localized predominantly in the cerebral white matter, fiber tracts, central grey matter of the midbrain, reticular formation, floor of fourth ventricle and subependymal germinal layer; most of the acute type foci were found in the watershed zones where the blood supply was considered to be poorer than the other parts of the brain parenchyma. In contrast, the chronic type foci, characterized by nodular proliferation of astrocytes, were small and localized in the grey matter (the cerebral cortex, basal ganglia and brainstem nuclei) and the leptomeninges. This study suggests that Candida infection to the brain may occur by different two kinds of way correlating with the proper vasoarchitecture of brain. In addition, it is recommended to make a close examination of the maternal vagina, placenta and umbilical cord after delivery to detect the risk of Candida infection.

Educating the Human Brain. Human Brain Development Series

Science.gov (United States)

Posner, Michael I.; Rothbart, Mary K.

2006-01-01

"Educating the Human Brain" is the product of a quarter century of research. This book provides an empirical account of the early development of attention and self regulation in infants and young children. It examines the brain areas involved in regulatory networks, their connectivity, and how their development is influenced by genes and…

Validation of an MRI Brain Injury and Growth Scoring System in Very Preterm Infants Scanned at 29- to 35-Week Postmenstrual Age.

Science.gov (United States)

George, J M; Fiori, S; Fripp, J; Pannek, K; Bursle, J; Moldrich, R X; Guzzetta, A; Coulthard, A; Ware, R S; Rose, S E; Colditz, P B; Boyd, R N

2017-07-01

The diagnostic and prognostic potential of brain MR imaging before term-equivalent age is limited until valid MR imaging scoring systems are available. This study aimed to validate an MR imaging scoring system of brain injury and impaired growth for use at 29 to 35 weeks postmenstrual age in infants born at Toddler Development, 3rd ed. (Bayley III), and the Neuro-Sensory Motor Developmental Assessment. Early MR imaging global, WM, and deep gray matter scores were negatively associated with Bayley III motor (regression coefficient for global score β = -1.31; 95% CI, -2.39 to -0.23; P = .02), cognitive (β = -1.52; 95% CI, -2.39 to -0.65; P < .01) and the Neuro-Sensory Motor Developmental Assessment outcomes (β = -1.73; 95% CI, -3.19 to -0.28; P = .02). Early MR imaging cerebellar scores were negatively associated with the Neuro-Sensory Motor Developmental Assessment (β = -5.99; 95% CI, -11.82 to -0.16; P = .04). Results were reconfirmed at term-equivalent-age MR imaging. This clinically accessible MR imaging scoring system is valid for use at 29 to 35 weeks postmenstrual age in infants born very preterm. It enables identification of infants at risk of adverse outcomes before the current standard of term-equivalent age. © 2017 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

Magnetic resonance imaging at term and neuromotor outcome in preterm infants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Valkama, A.M.; Paeaekkoe, E.L.E.; Vainionpaeae, L.K.; Lanning, F.P.; Ilkko, E.A.; Koivisto, M.E

2000-07-01

In order to evaluate the value of neonatal brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for prediction neuro motor outcome in very low birthweight (VLBW) preterm infants, 51 such infants with gestational age less than 34 wk underwent brain MRI at term age. Myelination, parenchymal lesions (haemorrhage, leukomalacia, infarction, reduction of white matter), parenchymal lesions without subependymal haemorrhage, ventricular/brain ratios and widths of the extra cerebral spaces were assessed. The MRI findings were compared with cranial ultrasound (US) performed at term. Infants' neuro motor development was followed up until 18 mo corrected age. Parenchymal lesions seen in MRI at term predicted cerebral palsy (CP) with 100 % sensitivity and 79 % specificity, the corresponding figures for US being 67 % and 85 %, respectively. Parenchymal lesions in MRI, excluding subependymal haemorrhages, predicted CP with a sensitivity of 82 % and specificity of 97 %, the corresponding figures for US being 58 % and 100 % respectively. Delayed myelination, ventricular/brain ratios and widths of the extra cerebral spaces failed to predict CP. Term age is a good time for neuroradiological examinations in prematurely born high-risk infants. Parenchymal lesions seen in MRI are reliable predictors for CP.

Complications of ventriculoperitoneal shunt in hydrocephalic children

African Journals Online (AJOL)

on the right inguinal and lumber regions were found. His laboratory ... bowel loops with air–fluid levels and left renal agenesis. The peritoneal ... computed tomography of the brain to assess change in ventricular size .... Laparoscopic versus.

Atlas-free surface reconstruction of the cortical grey-white interface in infants.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

François Leroy

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The segmentation of the cortical interface between grey and white matter in magnetic resonance images (MRI is highly challenging during the first post-natal year. First, the heterogeneous brain maturation creates important intensity fluctuations across regions. Second, the cortical ribbon is highly folded creating complex shapes. Finally, the low tissue contrast and partial volume effects hamper cortex edge detection in parts of the brain. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We present an atlas-free method for segmenting the grey-white matter interface of infant brains in T2-weighted (T2w images. We used a broad characterization of tissue using features based not only on local contrast but also on geometric properties. Furthermore, inaccuracies in localization were reduced by the convergence of two evolving surfaces located on each side of the inner cortical surface. Our method has been applied to eleven brains of one- to four-month-old infants. Both quantitative validations against manual segmentations and sulcal landmarks demonstrated good performance for infants younger than two months old. Inaccuracies in surface reconstruction increased with age in specific brain regions where the tissue contrast decreased with maturation, such as in the central region. CONCLUSIONS: We presented a new segmentation method which achieved good to very good performance at the grey-white matter interface depending on the infant age. This method should reduce manual intervention and could be applied to pathological brains since it does not require any brain atlas.

White Matter Injury and General Movements in High-Risk Preterm Infants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Peyton, C.; Yang, E.; Msall, M. E.; Adde, L.; Stoen, R.; Fjortoft, T.; Bos, Arie; Einspieler, C.; Zhou, Y; Schreiber, M. D.; Marks, J. D.; Drobyshevsky, A.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Very preterm infants (birth weight, MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective study of 47 preterm infants of 24-30 weeks' gestation, brain MR imaging was performed at term-equivalent age. Infants underwent T1- and T2-weighted imaging for volumetric analysis and DTI. General

Neuroimaging biomarkers of preterm brain injury: toward developing the preterm connectome

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Panigrahy, Ashok [Children' s Hospital Los Angeles, Department of Radiology, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Children' s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, Department of Pediatric Radiology, Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Wisnowski, Jessica L. [Children' s Hospital Los Angeles, Department of Radiology, Los Angeles, CA (United States); University of Southern California, Brain and Creativity Institute, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Furtado, Andre [Children' s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, Department of Pediatric Radiology, Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Lepore, Natasha [Children' s Hospital Los Angeles, Department of Radiology, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Paquette, Lisa [Children' s Hospital Los Angeles, Center for Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Bluml, Stefan [Children' s Hospital Los Angeles, Department of Radiology, Los Angeles, CA (United States); University of Southern California, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Los Angeles, CA (United States)

2012-01-15

For typically developing infants, the last trimester of fetal development extending into the first post-natal months is a period of rapid brain development. Infants who are born premature face significant risk of brain injury (e.g., intraventricular or germinal matrix hemorrhage and periventricular leukomalacia) from complications in the perinatal period and also potential long-term neurodevelopmental disabilities because these early injuries can interrupt normal brain maturation. Neuroimaging has played an important role in the diagnosis and management of the preterm infant. Both cranial US and conventional MRI techniques are useful in diagnostic and prognostic evaluation of preterm brain development and injury. Cranial US is highly sensitive for intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and provides prognostic information regarding cerebral palsy. Data are limited regarding the utility of MRI as a routine screening instrument for brain injury for all preterm infants. However, MRI might provide diagnostic or prognostic information regarding PVL and other types of preterm brain injury in the setting of specific clinical indications and risk factors. Further development of advanced MR techniques like volumetric MR imaging, diffusion tensor imaging, metabolic imaging (MR spectroscopy) and functional connectivity are necessary to provide additional insight into the molecular, cellular and systems processes that underlie brain development and outcome in the preterm infant. The adult concept of the ''connectome'' is also relevant in understanding brain networks that underlie the preterm brain. Knowledge of the preterm connectome will provide a framework for understanding preterm brain function and dysfunction, and potentially even a roadmap for brain plasticity. By combining conventional imaging techniques with more advanced techniques, neuroimaging findings will likely be used not only as diagnostic and prognostic tools, but also as biomarkers for long

Neuroimaging biomarkers of preterm brain injury: toward developing the preterm connectome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panigrahy, Ashok; Wisnowski, Jessica L.; Furtado, Andre; Lepore, Natasha; Paquette, Lisa; Bluml, Stefan

2012-01-01

For typically developing infants, the last trimester of fetal development extending into the first post-natal months is a period of rapid brain development. Infants who are born premature face significant risk of brain injury (e.g., intraventricular or germinal matrix hemorrhage and periventricular leukomalacia) from complications in the perinatal period and also potential long-term neurodevelopmental disabilities because these early injuries can interrupt normal brain maturation. Neuroimaging has played an important role in the diagnosis and management of the preterm infant. Both cranial US and conventional MRI techniques are useful in diagnostic and prognostic evaluation of preterm brain development and injury. Cranial US is highly sensitive for intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and provides prognostic information regarding cerebral palsy. Data are limited regarding the utility of MRI as a routine screening instrument for brain injury for all preterm infants. However, MRI might provide diagnostic or prognostic information regarding PVL and other types of preterm brain injury in the setting of specific clinical indications and risk factors. Further development of advanced MR techniques like volumetric MR imaging, diffusion tensor imaging, metabolic imaging (MR spectroscopy) and functional connectivity are necessary to provide additional insight into the molecular, cellular and systems processes that underlie brain development and outcome in the preterm infant. The adult concept of the ''connectome'' is also relevant in understanding brain networks that underlie the preterm brain. Knowledge of the preterm connectome will provide a framework for understanding preterm brain function and dysfunction, and potentially even a roadmap for brain plasticity. By combining conventional imaging techniques with more advanced techniques, neuroimaging findings will likely be used not only as diagnostic and prognostic tools, but also as biomarkers for long-term neurodevelopmental

Unobtrusive sleep state measurements in preterm infants - A review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Werth, J.V.S.W.; Atallah, L.; Andriessen, P.; Long, X.; Zwartkruis-Pelgrim, E.; Aarts, R.M.

2017-01-01

Sleep is important for the development of preterm infants. During sleep, neural connections are formed and the development of brain regions is triggered. In general, various rudimentary sleep states can be identified in the preterm infant, namely active sleep (AS), quiet sleep (QS) and intermediate

Nutritional recommendations for the late-preterm infant and the preterm infant after hospital discharge.

Science.gov (United States)

Lapillonne, Alexandre; O'Connor, Deborah L; Wang, Danhua; Rigo, Jacques

2013-03-01

Early nutritional support of preterm infants is critical to life-long health and well being. Numerous studies have demonstrated that preterm infants are at increased risk of mortality and morbidity, including disturbances in brain development. To date, much attention has focused on enhancing the nutritional support of very low and extremely low birth weight infants to improve survival and quality of life. In most countries, preterm infants are sent home before their expected date of term birth for economic or other reasons. It is debatable whether these newborns require special nutritional regimens or discharge formulas. Furthermore, guidelines that specify how to feed very preterm infants after hospital discharge are scarce and conflicting. On the other hand, the late-preterm infant presents a challenge to health care providers immediately after birth when decisions must be made about how and where to care for these newborns. Considering these infants as well babies may place them at a disadvantage. Late-preterm infants have unique and often-unrecognized medical vulnerabilities and nutritional needs that predispose them to greater rates of morbidity and hospital readmissions. Poor or inadequate feeding during hospitalization may be one of the main reasons why late-preterm infants have difficulty gaining weight right after birth. Providing optimal nutritional support to late premature infants may improve survival and quality of life as it does for very preterm infants. In this work, we present a review of the literature and provide separate recommendations for the care and feeding of late-preterm infants and very preterm infants after discharge. We identify gaps in current knowledge as well as priorities for future research. Copyright © 2013 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Intrapartum FHR monitoring and neonatal CT brain scan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, Yoshiki; Ukita, Masahiko; Nakada, Eizo

1982-01-01

The effect of fetal distress on the neonatal brain was investigated by neonatal CT brain scan, FHR monitoring and mode of delivery. This study involved 11 cases of full term vertex delivery in which FHR was recorded by fetal direct ECG during the second stage labor. All infants weighed 2,500 g or more. FHR monitoring was evaluated by Hon's classification. Neonatal brain edema was evaluated by cranial CT histgraphic analysis (Nakada's method). 1) Subdural hemorrhage was noted in 6 of 7 infants delivered by vacuum extraction or fundal pressure (Kristeller's method). 2) Intracranial hemorrhage was demonstrated in all of 3 infants with 5-min. Apgar score 7 or less. 3) Two cases with prolonged bradycardia and no variability had intraventricular or intracerebral hemorrhage which resulted in severe central nervous system damage. 4) The degree of neonatal brain edema correlated with 5-min. Apgar score. 5) One case with prolonged bradycardia and no variability resulted in severe neonatal brain edema. Four cases with variable deceleration and increased variability resulted in mild neonatal brain edema. Two cases with late deceleration and decreased variability resulted in no neonatal brain edema. (author)

The composition of polyunsaturated fatty acids in erythrocytes of lactating mothers and their infants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, M.H.; Nielsen, P.K.; Michaelsen, K.F.

2006-01-01

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) in breastmilk, specifically docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are important for infant brain development. Accretion of DHA in the infant brain is dependent on DHA-status, intake and metabolism. The aim of this study was to describe changes in maternal...... and infant erythrocyte (RBC) DHA-status during the first four months of lactation. We examined 17 mothers and their term infants at 1, 2 and 4 months of age. Milk samples and RBC from the mothers and infants were obtained and analysed for fatty acid composition. Comparative analysis of the results showed...... that the content of DHA in maternal RBC-phosphatidylcholine (PE) decreased over the four month period and this was not accompanied by a decrease in DHA in infant RBC-PE (P = 0.005). The ratio of n-6 PUFA to n-3 PUFA increased over time in maternal RBC-PE, but not in infant RBC-PE (P

The clinical use of near infrared spectroscopy-monitored cerebral oxygen saturation and extraction in the preterm infant

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lemmers, P.M.A.

2010-01-01

Survival of extremely preterm infants has greatly improved over the last decades. Despite this, perinatal brain damage with adverse neurodevelopmental outcome is still affecting a considerable number of these infants. Although the etiology of brain damage is multifactorial and even partly unknown,

Sudden infant death syndrome, childhood thrombosis, and presence of genetic risk factors for thrombosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, T B; Nørgaard-Pedersen, B; Banner, Jytte

2000-01-01

in the child. This prompted us to investigate these genetic markers of thromboembolic disease in 121 cases of sudden infant death syndrome and in relevant controls, in the expectation of a more frequent occurrence of these markers if thrombosis is an etiological factor in sudden infant death syndrome......Sudden infant death syndrome or "cot death" has until the late eighties been a significant cause of death in children between the ages of 1 month and 1 year. Approximately two per 1000 children born alive dies of sudden infant death syndrome each year in Western Europe, North America, and Australia....... The vulnerability of the infant brain stem to ischemia has been suggested to be a conceivable cause of sudden infant death syndrome. This is compatible with a hypothesis that genetic risk factors for cerebral thrombosis could cause microinfarction in the brain stem during the first month of life, affecting vital...

Congenital hydrocephalus following X-irradiation of pregnant rats on an early gestational day

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeuchi, I.K.; Takeuchi, Y.K.

1986-01-01

When pregnant rats were X-irradiated at a dose of 100 R on gestational day 9.5, a considerable number of postnatally-viable hydrocephalic offspring resulted, all of which were accompanied with bilateral micro- or anophthalmia. Histological studies revealed that the cerebral aqueduct of the congenital hydrocephalic brain was severely stenosed, and the subcommissural organ was reduced in size and displaced at some distance from the anterior end of the cerebral aqueduct. From embryological studies, it was considered that the maldevelopment of the subcommissural organ in the X-irradiated fetus might cause a reduction in the amount of its secretions which function as a cushion preventing complete closure of the cerebral aqueduct during fetal life, resulting in stenosis of the cerebral aqueduct

Maternal Attachment Representation and Neurophysiological Processing during the Perception of Infants' Emotional Expressions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rainer Leyh

Full Text Available The perception of infant emotions is an integral part of sensitive caregiving within the mother-child relationship, a maternal ability which develops in mothers during their own attachment history. In this study we address the association between maternal attachment representation and brain activity underlying the perception of infant emotions. Event related potentials (ERPs of 32 primiparous mothers were assessed during a three stimulus oddball task presenting negative, positive and neutral emotion expressions of infants as target, deviant or standard stimuli. Attachment representation was assessed with the Adult Attachment Interview during pregnancy. Securely attached mothers recognized emotions of infants more accurately than insecurely attached mothers. ERPs yielded amplified N170 amplitudes for insecure mothers when focusing on negative infant emotions. Secure mothers showed enlarged P3 amplitudes to target emotion expressions of infants compared to insecure mothers, especially within conditions with frequent negative infant emotions. In these conditions, P3 latencies were prolonged in insecure mothers. In summary, maternal attachment representation was found associated with brain activity during the perception of infant emotions. This further clarifies psychological mechanisms contributing to maternal sensitivity.

Learning-based deformable image registration for infant MR images in the first year of life.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Shunbo; Wei, Lifang; Gao, Yaozong; Guo, Yanrong; Wu, Guorong; Shen, Dinggang

2017-01-01

Many brain development studies have been devoted to investigate dynamic structural and functional changes in the first year of life. To quantitatively measure brain development in such a dynamic period, accurate image registration for different infant subjects with possible large age gap is of high demand. Although many state-of-the-art image registration methods have been proposed for young and elderly brain images, very few registration methods work for infant brain images acquired in the first year of life, because of (a) large anatomical changes due to fast brain development and (b) dynamic appearance changes due to white-matter myelination. To address these two difficulties, we propose a learning-based registration method to not only align the anatomical structures but also alleviate the appearance differences between two arbitrary infant MR images (with large age gap) by leveraging the regression forest to predict both the initial displacement vector and appearance changes. Specifically, in the training stage, two regression models are trained separately, with (a) one model learning the relationship between local image appearance (of one development phase) and its displacement toward the template (of another development phase) and (b) another model learning the local appearance changes between the two brain development phases. Then, in the testing stage, to register a new infant image to the template, we first predict both its voxel-wise displacement and appearance changes by the two learned regression models. Since such initializations can alleviate significant appearance and shape differences between new infant image and the template, it is easy to just use a conventional registration method to refine the remaining registration. We apply our proposed registration method to align 24 infant subjects at five different time points (i.e., 2-week-old, 3-month-old, 6-month-old, 9-month-old, and 12-month-old), and achieve more accurate and robust registration

Feasibility of using fMRI to study mothers responding to infant cries.

Science.gov (United States)

Lorberbaum, J P; Newman, J D; Dubno, J R; Horwitz, A R; Nahas, Z; Teneback, C C; Bloomer, C W; Bohning, D E; Vincent, D; Johnson, M R; Emmanuel, N; Brawman-Mintzer, O; Book, S W; Lydiard, R B; Ballenger, J C; George, M S

1999-01-01

While parenting is a universal human behavior, its neuroanatomic basis is currently unknown. Animal data suggest that the cingulate may play an important function in mammalian parenting behavior. For example, in rodents cingulate lesions impair maternal behavior. Here, in an attempt to understand the brain basis of human maternal behavior, we had mothers listen to recorded infant cries and white noise control sounds while they underwent functional MRI (fMRI) of the brain. We hypothesized that mothers would show significantly greater cingulate activity during the cries compared to the control sounds. Of 7 subjects scanned, 4 had fMRI data suitable for analysis. When fMRI data were averaged for these 4 subjects, the anterior cingulate and right medial prefrontal cortex were the only brain regions showing statistically increased activity with the cries compared to white noise control sounds (cluster analysis with one-tailed z-map threshold of P parent-infant bond and (2) examine whether markers of this bond, such as maternal brain response to infant crying, can predict maternal style (i.e., child neglect), offspring temperament, or offspring depression or anxiety.

Leptomeningeal neurons are a common finding in infants and are increased in sudden infant death syndrome

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rickert, Christian H.; Gross, Oliver; Nolte, Kay W.; Vennemann, Mechtild; Bajanowski, Thomas; Brinkmann, Bernd

Developmental abnormalities of the brain, in particular, the brainstem potentially affecting centers for breathing, circulation and sleep regulation, are thought to be involved in the etiology of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). In order to investigate whether leptomeningeal neurons could serve

Mapping the critical gestational age at birth that alters brain development in preterm-born infants using multi-modal MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Dan; Chang, Linda; Akazawa, Kentaro; Oishi, Kumiko; Skranes, Jon; Ernst, Thomas; Oishi, Kenichi

2017-04-01

Preterm birth adversely affects postnatal brain development. In order to investigate the critical gestational age at birth (GAB) that alters the developmental trajectory of gray and white matter structures in the brain, we investigated diffusion tensor and quantitative T2 mapping data in 43 term-born and 43 preterm-born infants. A novel multivariate linear model-the change point model, was applied to detect change points in fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, and T2 relaxation time. Change points captured the "critical" GAB value associated with a change in the linear relation between GAB and MRI measures. The analysis was performed in 126 regions across the whole brain using an atlas-based image quantification approach to investigate the spatial pattern of the critical GAB. Our results demonstrate that the critical GABs are region- and modality-specific, generally following a central-to-peripheral and bottom-to-top order of structural development. This study may offer unique insights into the postnatal neurological development associated with differential degrees of preterm birth. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A young infant with musicogenic epilepsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Kuang-Lin; Wang, Huei-Shyong; Kao, Pan-Fu

2003-05-01

Musicogenic epilepsy is a relatively rare form of epilepsy. In its pure form, it is characterized by epileptic seizures that are provoked exclusively by listening to music. The usual type of seizure is partial complex or generalized tonic-clonic. Precipitating factors are quite specific, such as listening to only one composition or the actual playing of music on an instrument. However, simple sound also can be a trigger. We report a 6-month-old infant with musicogenic epilepsy. She manifested right-sided focal seizures with occasional generalization. The seizures were frequently triggered by loud music, especially that by the Beatles. The interictal electroencephalography results were normal. Ictal spikes were present throughout the left temporal area during continuous electroencephalograpic monitoring. Brain magnetic resonance imaging results were normal, whereas single-photon emission computed tomography of the brain revealed hypoperfusion of the left temporal area. The young age and epileptogenic left temporal lobe lesion in this patient with musicogenic epilepsy were unusual characteristics. Theoretically, three levels of integration are involved in music processing in the brain. The involved integration of this infant's brain may be the sensory level rather than the emotional level. Nevertheless, the personal musicality and musical style of the Beatles might play an important role in this patient's epilepsy.

Why lutein is important for the eye and the brain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramirez Maria

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids that accumulate in the macula. The macula is a yellow spot near the center of the retina that is responsible of high resolution vision. Macular pigment acts as a natural blue light filter and protects the eye from damage. Macular pigment optical density (MPOD increases with lutein administration and is related to visual function and to the prevention of age-related macular degeneration. MOPD can be measured non-invasively and has been related to better cognitive performance. Moreover, compositional analyses of centenarian brains have shown that lutein is the main carotenoid in the brain although not in plasma, indicating a preferential accumulation in neural tissues, and that carotenoids status is correlated with some functional outcomes. Carotenoids are present in human milk with higher concentration in colostrum than in transitional and mature milk. Formula fed-infants have less plasma lutein concentration than breast fed infants. Analyses of brain from infants who died during the first year of life showed that lutein is also the predominant carotenoid of brain. Studies in non-human primates revealed that carotenoids are determinant in the formation of the retinal epithelia. In vitro studies showed that lutein stimulates the differentiation of human stem cells to neural progenitor cells. All this findings together, mostly the presence of lutein in breast milk, plasma concentration in breast-fed infants vs. formula fed infants, preferential accumulation in the brain and evidences of influence on the retina and the functionality of the brain signal the importance of the role of lutein and zeaxanthin on visual maturation and brain development.

Prognostic accuracy of electroencephalograms in preterm infants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fogtmann, Emilie Pi; Plomgaard, Anne Mette; Greisen, Gorm

2017-01-01

CONTEXT: Brain injury is common in preterm infants, and predictors of neurodevelopmental outcome are relevant. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prognostic test accuracy of the background activity of the EEG recorded as amplitude-integrated EEG (aEEG) or conventional EEG early in life in preterm infants...... for predicting neurodevelopmental outcome. DATA SOURCES: The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature. STUDY SELECTION: We included observational studies that had obtained an aEEG or EEG within 7 days of life in preterm infants and reported...... neurodevelopmental outcomes 1 to 10 years later. DATA EXTRACTION: Two reviewers independently performed data extraction with regard to participants, prognostic testing, and outcomes. RESULTS: Thirteen observational studies with a total of 1181 infants were included. A metaanalysis was performed based on 3 studies...

Hearing faces: how the infant brain matches the face it sees with the speech it hears.

Science.gov (United States)

Bristow, Davina; Dehaene-Lambertz, Ghislaine; Mattout, Jeremie; Soares, Catherine; Gliga, Teodora; Baillet, Sylvain; Mangin, Jean-François

2009-05-01

Speech is not a purely auditory signal. From around 2 months of age, infants are able to correctly match the vowel they hear with the appropriate articulating face. However, there is no behavioral evidence of integrated audiovisual perception until 4 months of age, at the earliest, when an illusory percept can be created by the fusion of the auditory stimulus and of the facial cues (McGurk effect). To understand how infants initially match the articulatory movements they see with the sounds they hear, we recorded high-density ERPs in response to auditory vowels that followed a congruent or incongruent silently articulating face in 10-week-old infants. In a first experiment, we determined that auditory-visual integration occurs during the early stages of perception as in adults. The mismatch response was similar in timing and in topography whether the preceding vowels were presented visually or aurally. In the second experiment, we studied audiovisual integration in the linguistic (vowel perception) and nonlinguistic (gender perception) domain. We observed a mismatch response for both types of change at similar latencies. Their topographies were significantly different demonstrating that cross-modal integration of these features is computed in parallel by two different networks. Indeed, brain source modeling revealed that phoneme and gender computations were lateralized toward the left and toward the right hemisphere, respectively, suggesting that each hemisphere possesses an early processing bias. We also observed repetition suppression in temporal regions and repetition enhancement in frontal regions. These results underscore how complex and structured is the human cortical organization which sustains communication from the first weeks of life on.

Change-point analysis data of neonatal diffusion tensor MRI in preterm and term-born infants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dan Wu

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The data presented in this article are related to the research article entitled “Mapping the Critical Gestational Age at Birth that Alters Brain Development in Preterm-born Infants using Multi-Modal MRI” (Wu et al., 2017 [1]. Brain immaturity at birth poses critical neurological risks in the preterm-born infants. We used a novel change-point model to analyze the critical gestational age at birth (GAB that could affect postnatal development, based on diffusion tensor MRI (DTI acquired from 43 preterm and 43 term-born infants in 126 brain regions. In the corresponding research article, we presented change-point analysis of fractional anisotropy (FA and mean diffusivities (MD measurements in these infants. In this article, we offered the relative changes of axonal and radial diffusivities (AD and RD in relation to the change of FA and FA-based change-points, and we also provided the AD- and RD-based change-point results.

Infant intersubjectivity: research, theory, and clinical applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Trevarthen, C; Aitken, K J

2001-01-01

We review research evidence on the emergence and development of active "self-and-other" awareness in infancy, and examine the importance of its motives and emotions to mental health practice with children. This relates to how communication begins and develops in infancy, how it influences the individual subject's movement, perception, and learning, and how the infant's biologically grounded self-regulation of internal state and self-conscious purposefulness is sustained through active engagement with sympathetic others. Mutual self-other-consciousness is found to play the lead role in developing a child's cooperative intelligence for cultural learning and language. A variety of preconceptions have animated rival research traditions investigating infant communication and cognition. We distinguish the concept of "intersubjectivity", and outline the history of its use in developmental research. The transforming body and brain of a human individual grows in active engagement with an environment of human factors--organic at first, then psychological or inter-mental. Adaptive, human-responsive processes are generated first by interneuronal activity within the developing brain as formation of the human embryo is regulated in a support-system of maternal tissues. Neural structures are further elaborated with the benefit of intra-uterine stimuli in the foetus, then supported in the rapidly growing forebrain and cerebellum of the young child by experience of the intuitive responses of parents and other human companions. We focus particularly on intrinsic patterns and processes in pre-natal and post-natal brain maturation that anticipate psychosocial support in infancy. The operation of an intrinsic motive formation (IMF) that developed in the core of the brain before birth is evident in the tightly integrated intermodal sensory-motor coordination of a newborn infant's orienting to stimuli and preferential learning of human signals, by the temporal coherence and intrinsic

Regional Brain Biometrics at Term-Equivalent Age and Developmental Outcome in Extremely Low-Birth-Weight Infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Melbourne, Launice; Murnick, Jonathan; Chang, Taeun; Glass, Penny; Massaro, An N

2015-10-01

This study aims to evaluate individual regional brain biometrics and their association with developmental outcome in extremely low-birth-weight (ELBW) infants. This is a retrospective study evaluating term-equivalent magnetic resonance imaging (TE-MRI) from 27 ELBW infants with known developmental outcomes beyond 12 months corrected age. Regional biometric measurements were performed by a pediatric neuroradiologist blinded to outcome data. Measures included biparietal width, transcerebellar diameter (TCD), deep gray matter area (DGMA), ventricular dilatation, corpus callosum, and interhemispheric distance. The relationship between regional biometrics and Bayley-II developmental scores were evaluated with linear regression models. The study cohort had an average±standard deviation birth weight of 684±150 g, gestational age of 24.6±2 weeks and 48% males. DGMA was significantly associated with both cognitive and motor outcomes. Significant associations were also observed between TCD and corpus callosum splenium with cognitive and motor outcomes, respectively. Other biometric measures were not associated with outcome (p>0.05). DGMAbiometrics reflecting impaired deep gray matter, callosal, and cerebellar size is associated with worse early childhood cognitive and motor outcomes. DGMA may be the most robust single biometric measure to predict adverse developmental outcome in preterm survivors. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Description of 13 Infants Born During October 2015-January 2016 With Congenital Zika Virus Infection Without Microcephaly at Birth - Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Linden, Vanessa; Pessoa, André; Dobyns, William; Barkovich, A James; Júnior, Hélio van der Linden; Filho, Epitacio Leite Rolim; Ribeiro, Erlane Marques; Leal, Mariana de Carvalho; Coimbra, Pablo Picasso de Araújo; Aragão, Maria de Fátima Viana Vasco; Verçosa, Islane; Ventura, Camila; Ramos, Regina Coeli; Cruz, Danielle Di Cavalcanti Sousa; Cordeiro, Marli Tenório; Mota, Vivian Maria Ribeiro; Dott, Mary; Hillard, Christina; Moore, Cynthia A

2016-12-02

Congenital Zika virus infection can cause microcephaly and severe brain abnormalities (1). Congenital Zika syndrome comprises a spectrum of clinical features (2); however, as is the case with most newly recognized teratogens, the earliest documented clinical presentation is expected to be the most severe. Initial descriptions of the effects of in utero Zika virus infection centered prominently on the finding of congenital microcephaly (3). To assess the possibility of clinical presentations that do not include congenital microcephaly, a retrospective assessment of 13 infants from the Brazilian states of Pernambuco and Ceará with normal head size at birth and laboratory evidence of congenital Zika virus infection was conducted. All infants had brain abnormalities on neuroimaging consistent with congenital Zika syndrome, including decreased brain volume, ventriculomegaly, subcortical calcifications, and cortical malformations. The earliest evaluation occurred on the second day of life. Among all infants, head growth was documented to have decelerated as early as 5 months of age, and 11 infants had microcephaly. These findings provide evidence that among infants with prenatal exposure to Zika virus, the absence of microcephaly at birth does not exclude congenital Zika virus infection or the presence of Zika-related brain and other abnormalities. These findings support the recommendation for comprehensive medical and developmental follow-up of infants exposed to Zika virus prenatally. Early neuroimaging might identify brain abnormalities related to congenital Zika infection even among infants with a normal head circumference (4).

Computed tomography of the head of new born premature infants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohno, Tsutomu; Mizobe, Naoki; Takehiro, Hideo

1983-01-01

Evaluation of the extracerebral space on CT resulted as follows: The existence of the etracerebral space in the parieto-occipital region (PO-ECS) was physiological findings characteristic to premature infants. Its incidence was higher and the width of the space was greater, in those of premature infants. Generally PO-ECS disappeared around 40 weeks of gestation, while it tended to remaine beyond 40 weeks in premature infants born after less than 30 weeks of pregnancy. The appearance and disappearance of the PO-ECS may present some approach to learning the development of the brain in premature infants. (Ueda, J.)

Does β-APP staining of the brain in infant bed-sharing deaths differentiate these cases from sudden infant death syndrome?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Lisbeth Lund; Banner, Jytte; Byard, Roger W

2014-01-01

between bed-sharers and non-bed-sharers with a male to female ratio of 1:1 in the first group and 2:1 in the latter. Of 48 Australian and 76 Danish SIDS infants, β-APP staining was present in 116 (94%) cases. The eight negative cases were all from the Danish cohort. This study has shown that the amount...... with sleeping situation (shared vs. alone) showing a significantly higher amount of β-APP staining in the non-bed-sharing, than in the bed-sharing infants (Mann-Whitney, Australia: p = 0.0128, Denmark: p = 0.0014, Combined: p = 0.0031). There was also a marked but non-significant difference in sex distribution...... of β-APP staining was significantly higher in infants who were sleeping alone compared to those who were bed-sharing with one or more adults, in both an Australian and Danish cohort of SIDS infants. Whether this results from differences in the speed with which these infants die, differences in lethal...

Clinical use of cerebral oximetry in extremely preterm infants is feasible

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hyttel-Sørensen, Simon; Austin, Topun; van Bel, Frank

2013-01-01

The research programme Safeguarding the Brains of our smallest Children (SafeBoosC) aims to test the benefits and harms of cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) oximetry in infants born before 28 weeks of gestation. In a phase II trial, infants will be randomised to visible cerebral NIRS...

Clinical use of cerebral oximetry in extremely preterm infants is feasible

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hyttel-Sørensen, Simon; Austin, Topun; van Bel, Frank

2013-01-01

The research programme Safeguarding the Brains of our smallest Children (SafeBoosC) aims to test the benefits and harms of cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) oximetry in infants born before 28 weeks of gestation. In a phase II trial, infants will be randomised to visible cerebral NIRS oxi...

Lumbar cisternography in evaluation of hydrocephalus in the preterm infant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donn, S.M.; Roloff, D.W.; Keyes, J.W. Jr.

1983-01-01

Radionuclide lumbar cisternography using indium 111-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (111In-DTPA) and a mobile gamma-camera with a converging collimator was utilized as a bedside procedure to evaluate CSF dynamics and the patency of the cerebral ventricular system in 30 preterm infants with hydrocephalus. Serial images of the brain were obtained at 0, 1, 2, 6, 24, and 48 hours after instillation of the isotope in the lumbar subarachnoid space. Three distinct patterns were seen. Infants with posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus displayed prompt ventricular filling but markedly delayed emptying with minimal flow over the cerebral convexities. Infants with ventriculomegaly secondary to suspected brain atrophy or periventricular leukomalacia demonstrated a pattern of prompt ventricular filling, delayed emptying, but with flow present over the convexities. An infant with noncommunicating hydrocephalus secondary to an Arnold-Chiari malformation showed a pattern of complete obstruction with no ventricular filling. Radionuclide lumbar cisternography appears to be a safe, well-tolerated procedure which produces images of sufficient resolution to provide valuable information about CSF dynamics, delineating basal cisternae, ventricles, and subarachnoid flow paths

''Intraventricular'' hemorrhage and cystic periventricular leukomalacia in preterm infants: how are they related?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kusters, C.D.J.; Chen, M.L.; Follett, P.L.; Dammann, O.

2009-01-01

Intraventricular hemorrhage and cystic periventricular leukomalacia are often co-occurring characteristics of brain damage in preterm infants. Using data from 1016 infants born before 30 completed weeks' gestational age, we sought to clarify the relationship between severe intraventricular

The effect of color priming on infant brain and behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilcox, Teresa; Hirshkowitz, Amy; Hawkins, Laura; Boas, David A

2014-01-15

Behavioral studies have identified select experiences that can prime infants to attend to color information as the basis for individuating objects prior to the time they do so spontaneously. For example, viewing pretest events in which the color of an object predicts the function in which it will engage leads 9-month-olds (who typically do not attend to color differences) to demonstrate increased sensitivity to color information in a subsequent individuation task (Wilcox and Chapa, 2004). In contrast, viewing pretest events in which the color of an object predicts distinct object motions, but the motions are not functionally relevant, does not produce color priming. The purpose of the present research was to identify the cortical underpinnings of these behavioral effects. Infants aged 8 and 9 months viewed function or motion pretest events and then their capacity to individuate-by-color was assessed in an object individuation task. Behavioral and neuroimaging data were collected. Two main findings emerged. First, as predicted, the infants who viewed the function but not the motion pretest events showed prolonged looking to the test event, a behavioral indicator of object individuation. In addition, they evidenced increased activation in anterior temporal cortex, thought to be a cortical signature of object individuation. A second and unexpected finding was that viewing either type of pretest events led to increased activation in the posterior temporal cortex, as compared to infants who did not see pretest events, revealing that prior exposure to the motion pretest events does influence infants' processing of the test event, even though it is not evident in the behavioral results. The cognitive processes involved, and the cortical structures that mediate these processes, are discussed. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Present practice of diagnostic imaging in the newborn infants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akamatsu, Hiroshi

1994-01-01

The present practice of diagnostic imaging in our NICU (which includes premature unit) was studied, surveying the total 637 admitted newborn infants during the year of 1992. The total number of diagnostic imaging performed other than scout radiography was 939. The number of ultrasonography of the heart and the brain, and brain CT was 752 or 80.0% of the total. These were done more frequently in the cases of very low birth weight infants. In our NICU, ultrasonography including pulse-doppler method, is performed for diagnosis of structural and functional abnormality of the cardiopulmonary systems and also for finding intracranial lesion, on the basis of finding in plain chest films. In spite of various limitation, we are performing, as the necessity commands, fluoroscopic contrast study, angiography, scintigraphy and MRI for the low birth weight (≥1,500g) and mature infants. Some of the actual cases in which diagnostic imaging was helpful were presented. Recently, upon admittance to the NICU for the specific abnormality of the newborn and premature infants, orginally, asymptomatic diseases are often found and diagnosed. This should be the results of progress in diagnostic imaging in recent years. (author)

Effect of Carotenoid Supplemented Formula on Carotenoid Bioaccumulation in Tissues of Infant Rhesus Macaques: A Pilot Study Focused on Lutein

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sookyoung Jeon

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Lutein is the predominant carotenoid in the developing primate brain and retina, and may have important functional roles. However, its bioaccumulation pattern during early development is not understood. In this pilot study, we investigated whether carotenoid supplementation of infant formula enhanced lutein tissue deposition in infant rhesus macaques. Monkeys were initially breastfed; from 1 to 3 months of age they were fed either a formula supplemented with lutein, zeaxanthin, β-carotene and lycopene, or a control formula with low levels of these carotenoids, for 4 months (n = 2/group. All samples were analyzed by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC. Final serum lutein in the supplemented group was 5 times higher than in the unsupplemented group. All brain regions examined showed a selective increase in lutein deposition in the supplemented infants. Lutein differentially accumulated across brain regions, with highest amounts in occipital cortex in both groups. β-carotene accumulated, but zeaxanthin and lycopene were undetectable in any brain region. Supplemented infants had higher lutein concentrations in peripheral retina but not in macular retina. Among adipose sites, abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue exhibited the highest lutein level and was 3-fold higher in the supplemented infants. The supplemented formula enhanced carotenoid deposition in several other tissues. In rhesus infants, increased intake of carotenoids from formula enhanced their deposition in serum and numerous tissues and selectively increased lutein in multiple brain regions.

Traumatic brain lesions in newborns

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nícollas Nunes Rabelo

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The neonatal period is a highly vulnerable time for an infant. The high neonatal morbidity and mortality rates attest to the fragility of life during this period. The incidence of birth trauma is 0.8%, varying from 0.2-2 per 1,000 births. The aim of this study is to describe brain traumas, and their mechanism, anatomy considerations, and physiopathology of the newborn traumatic brain injury. Methods A literature review using the PubMed data base, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Science Direct, The Cochrane Database, Google Scholar, and clinical trials. Selected papers from 1922 to 2016 were studied. We selected 109 papers, through key-words, with inclusion and exclusion criteria. Discussion This paper discusses the risk factors for birth trauma, the anatomy of the occipito-anterior and vertex presentation, and traumatic brain lesions. Conclusion Birth-related traumatic brain injury may cause serious complications in newborn infants. Its successful management includes special training, teamwork, and an individual approach.

Iron overload in very low birth weight infants: Serum Ferritin and adverse outcomes

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Barrett, M

2011-11-01

Adequate iron isessential for growth and haematpoiesis. Oral iron supplementation is the standard of care in VLBW infants. Post mortem evidence has confirmed significant iron overload. Excessive free iron has been associated with free radical formation and brain injury in term infants.

Neonatal Morphine Exposure in Very Preterm Infants – Cerebral Development and Outcomes

Science.gov (United States)

Steinhorn, Rachel; McPherson, Chris; Anderson, Peter J; Neil, Jeffrey; Doyle, Lex W; Inder, Terrie

2015-01-01

Objective To investigate the association of morphine exposure in very preterm infants with cerebral volumes and neurodevelopmental outcome from birth through middle childhood. Study design Observational study of very preterm infants in the Victorian Infant Brain Study cohort. 230 infants born neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of the Royal Women’s Hospital. 57 (25%) infants received morphine analgesia during their NICU stay at the attending physician’s discretion. Primary outcomes were regional brain volumes at term and 7 years; neurobehavioral performance at term; and cognitive, motor, emotional, behavioral, communication, and executive function scores at age 2 and 7 years. Linear regressions were used to compare outcomes between participants who did and did not receive morphine. Results At term, preterm infants who received morphine had similar rates of grey matter injury to no-morphine infants, but a trend towards smaller cortical volumes in the orbitofrontal (pleft=0.002, pright=0.01) and subgenual (pleft=0.01) regions. At seven years, cortical volumes did not differ between groups. At 2 years, morphine-exposed children were more likely to show behavioral dysregulation (p=0.007) than no-morphine children, but at seven years no detrimental impacts of morphine on neurobehavioral outcome were observed. Conclusions Low-dose morphine analgesia received during neonatal intensive care was associated with early alterations in cerebral structure and short-term neurobehavioral problems that did not persist into childhood. PMID:25919729

Measuring Neural Entrainment to Beat and Meter in Infants: Effects of Music Background

Science.gov (United States)

Cirelli, Laura K.; Spinelli, Christina; Nozaradan, Sylvie; Trainor, Laurel J.

2016-01-01

Caregivers often engage in musical interactions with their infants. For example, parents across cultures sing lullabies and playsongs to their infants from birth. Behavioral studies indicate that infants not only extract beat information, but also group these beats into metrical hierarchies by as early as 6 months of age. However, it is not known how this is accomplished in the infant brain. An EEG frequency-tagging approach has been used successfully with adults to measure neural entrainment to auditory rhythms. The current study is the first to use this technique with infants in order to investigate how infants' brains encode rhythms. Furthermore, we examine how infant and parent music background is associated with individual differences in rhythm encoding. In Experiment 1, EEG was recorded while 7-month-old infants listened to an ambiguous rhythmic pattern that could be perceived to be in two different meters. In Experiment 2, EEG was recorded while 15-month-old infants listened to a rhythmic pattern with an unambiguous meter. In both age groups, information about music background (parent music training, infant music classes, hours of music listening) was collected. Both age groups showed clear EEG responses frequency-locked to the rhythms, at frequencies corresponding to both beat and meter. For the younger infants (Experiment 1), the amplitudes at duple meter frequencies were selectively enhanced for infants enrolled in music classes compared to those who had not engaged in such classes. For the older infants (Experiment 2), amplitudes at beat and meter frequencies were larger for infants with musically-trained compared to musically-untrained parents. These results suggest that the frequency-tagging method is sensitive to individual differences in beat and meter processing in infancy and could be used to track developmental changes. PMID:27252619

Evaluation by computed tomography in premature and newborn infants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuckein, D.

1981-01-01

By means of cranio-cerebral computed tomography hypoxic brain damage of varying degrees and different types may be demonstrated in premature infants and high-risk newborns. Paraventricular leucomalacia of varying extent up to porencephalic defects are found, as well as cortical infarctions, hemorrhage into brain tissue or ventricles, cerebral atrophy, developing hydrocephalus and congenital anomalies. (orig.) [de

Caffeine Augments Anesthesia Neurotoxicity in the Fetal Macaque Brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Noguchi, Kevin K; Johnson, Stephen A; Manzella, Francesca M; Masuoka, Kobe L; Williams, Sasha L; Martin, Lauren D; Dissen, Gregory A; Ikonomidou, Chrysanthy; Schenning, Katie J; Olney, John W; Brambrink, Ansgar M

2018-03-28

Caffeine is the most frequently used medication in premature infants. It is the respiratory stimulant of choice for apnea associated with prematurity and has been called the silver bullet in neonatology because of many proven benefits and few known risks. Research has revealed that sedative/anesthetic drugs trigger apoptotic death of neurons and oligodendrocytes in developing mammalian brains. Here we evaluated the influence of caffeine on the neurotoxicity of anesthesia in developing nonhuman primate brains. Fetal macaques (n = 7-8/group), at a neurodevelopmental age comparable to premature human infants, were exposed in utero for 5 hours to no drug (control), isoflurane, or isoflurane + caffeine and examined for evidence of apoptosis. Isoflurane exposure increased apoptosis 3.3 fold for neurons and 3.4 fold for oligodendrocytes compared to control brains. Isoflurane + caffeine caused neuronal apoptosis to increase 8.0 fold compared to control levels but did not augment oligoapoptosis. Neuronal death was particularly pronounced in the basal ganglia and cerebellum. Higher blood levels of caffeine within the range considered therapeutic and safe for human infants correlated with increased neuroapoptosis. Caffeine markedly augments neurotoxicity of isoflurane in the fetal macaque brain and challenges the assumption that caffeine is safe for premature infants.

Infant visual attention and object recognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Reynolds, Greg D

2015-05-15

This paper explores the role visual attention plays in the recognition of objects in infancy. Research and theory on the development of infant attention and recognition memory are reviewed in three major sections. The first section reviews some of the major findings and theory emerging from a rich tradition of behavioral research utilizing preferential looking tasks to examine visual attention and recognition memory in infancy. The second section examines research utilizing neural measures of attention and object recognition in infancy as well as research on brain-behavior relations in the early development of attention and recognition memory. The third section addresses potential areas of the brain involved in infant object recognition and visual attention. An integrated synthesis of some of the existing models of the development of visual attention is presented which may account for the observed changes in behavioral and neural measures of visual attention and object recognition that occur across infancy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Brain MR imaging in child abuse

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Sato, Y.; Ellerbroek, C.J.; Alexander, R.; Kao, S.C.S.; Yuh, W.T.C.; Smith, W.L.

1988-01-01

Intracranial injuries represent the most severe manifestation of child abuse. CT of the brain is the current standard for evaluation of these infants; however, MR imaging offers several potential advantages. MR imaging and CT were performed in ten infants who suffered intracranial trauma owing to child abuse. CT was slightly better at demonstrating subarachnoid hemorrhage and had definite advantages for defining fractures. MR imaging was superior in the demonstration of subacute extraaxial hemorrhage, deep brain injuries owing to shearing effects from shaking, and anoxic injuries. MR imaging has a definite complementary role in the evaluation of acute intracranial trauma in child abuse victims

Neonatal Brain Tissue Classification with Morphological Adaptation and Unified Segmentation

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Richard eBeare

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Measuring the distribution of brain tissue types (tissue classification in neonates is necessary for studying typical and atypical brain development, such as that associated with preterm birth, and may provide biomarkers for neurodevelopmental outcomes. Compared with magnetic resonance images of adults, neonatal images present specific challenges that require the development of specialized, population-specific methods. This paper introduces MANTiS (Morphologically Adaptive Neonatal Tissue Segmentation, which extends the unified segmentation approach to tissue classification implemented in Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM software to neonates. MANTiS utilizes a combination of unified segmentation, template adaptation via morphological segmentation tools and topological filtering, to segment the neonatal brain into eight tissue classes: cortical gray matter, white matter, deep nuclear gray matter, cerebellum, brainstem, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF, hippocampus and amygdala. We evaluated the performance of MANTiS using two independent datasets. The first dataset, provided by the NeoBrainS12 challenge, consisted of coronal T2-weighted images of preterm infants (born ≤30 weeks’ gestation acquired at 30 weeks’ corrected gestational age (n= 5, coronal T2-weighted images of preterm infants acquired at 40 weeks’ corrected gestational age (n= 5 and axial T2-weighted images of preterm infants acquired at 40 weeks’ corrected gestational age (n= 5. The second dataset, provided by the Washington University NeuroDevelopmental Research (WUNDeR group, consisted of T2-weighted images of preterm infants (born <30 weeks’ gestation acquired shortly after birth (n= 12, preterm infants acquired at term-equivalent age (n= 12, and healthy term-born infants (born ≥38 weeks’ gestation acquired within the first nine days of life (n= 12. For the NeoBrainS12 dataset, mean Dice scores comparing MANTiS with manual segmentations were all above 0.7, except for

Infants learn better from left to right: a directional bias in infants' sequence learning.

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Bulf, Hermann; de Hevia, Maria Dolores; Gariboldi, Valeria; Macchi Cassia, Viola

2017-05-26

A wealth of studies show that human adults map ordered information onto a directional spatial continuum. We asked whether mapping ordinal information into a directional space constitutes an early predisposition, already functional prior to the acquisition of symbolic knowledge and language. While it is known that preverbal infants represent numerical order along a left-to-right spatial continuum, no studies have investigated yet whether infants, like adults, organize any kind of ordinal information onto a directional space. We investigated whether 7-month-olds' ability to learn high-order rule-like patterns from visual sequences of geometric shapes was affected by the spatial orientation of the sequences (left-to-right vs. right-to-left). Results showed that infants readily learn rule-like patterns when visual sequences were presented from left to right, but not when presented from right to left. This result provides evidence that spatial orientation critically determines preverbal infants' ability to perceive and learn ordered information in visual sequences, opening to the idea that a left-to-right spatially organized mental representation of ordered dimensions might be rooted in biologically-determined constraints on human brain development.

A Case of Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma Located at Brain Stem in a Child.

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Kim, Jinho; Kim, Young Zoon

2016-10-01

Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is an extranodal Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that is confined to the brain, eyes, and/or leptomeninges without evidence of a systemic primary tumor. Although the tumor can affect all age groups, it is rare in childhood; thus, its incidence and prognosis in children have not been well defined and the best treatment strategy remains unclear. A nine-year old presented at our department with complaints of diplopia, dizziness, dysarthria, and right side hemiparesis. Magnetic resonance image suggested a diffuse brain stem glioma with infiltration into the right cerebellar peduncle. The patient was surgically treated by craniotomy and frameless stereotactic-guided biopsy, and unexpectedly, the histopathology of the mass was consistent with diffuse large B cell lymphoma, and immunohistochemical staining revealed positivity for CD20 and CD79a. Accordingly, we performed a staging work-up for systemic lymphoma, but no evidence of lymphoma elsewhere in the body was obtained. In addition, she had a negative serologic finding for human immunodeficient virus, which confirmed the histopathological diagnosis of PCNSL. She was treated by radiosurgery at 12 Gy and subsequent adjuvant combination chemotherapy based on high dose methotrexate. Unfortunately, 10 months after the tissue-based diagnosis, she succumbed due to an acute hydrocephalic crisis.

Family Nurture Intervention in preterm infants alters frontal cortical functional connectivity assessed by EEG coherence.

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Myers, M M; Grieve, P G; Stark, R I; Isler, J R; Hofer, M A; Yang, J; Ludwig, R J; Welch, M G

2015-07-01

To assess the impact of Family Nurture Intervention (FNI) on cortical function in preterm infants at term age. Family Nurture Intervention is a NICU-based intervention designed to establish emotional connection between mothers and preterm infants. Infants born at 26-34 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA) were divided into two groups, standard care (SC, N = 49) and FNI (FNI, N = 56). Infants had EEG recordings of ~one hour duration with 124 lead nets between 37 and 44 weeks PMA. Coherence was measured between all pairs of electrodes in ten frequency bands. Data were summarised both within and between 12 regions during two sleep states (active, quiet). Coherence levels were negatively correlated with PMA age in both groups. As compared to SC infants, FNI infants showed significantly lower levels of EEG coherence (1-18 Hz) largely within and between frontal regions. Coherence in FNI infants was decreased in regions where we previously found robust increases in EEG power. As coherence decreases with age, results suggest that FNI may accelerate brain maturation particularly in frontal brain regions, which have been shown in research by others to be involved in regulation of attention, cognition and emotion regulation; domains deficient in preterm infants. ©2015 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Considering ethical dilemmas related to brain death in newborns

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Ilias Chatziioannidis

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Brain death (BD, as the irreversible and permanent loss of cerebral and brainstem function, is relatively uncommon among newborns who need life support. It is considered the result of an acute and irreversible central nervous system insult. Asphyxia, severe intracranial hemorrhage and infection are the most common causes of  BD in children. BD diagnosis is usually based on clinical criteria. Dilemmas about life prolonging treatment for severely compromised infants – as brain dead infants are – has become challenging since neonatal intensive care unit (NICU care has developed, quality of life and resource issues are nowadays continuously underlined. Caring for premature babies is expensive and costs have risen especially since an increased number of infants with handicaps survives. Intensivists’ main duty is first to save lives and then to interrupt treatment in certain conditions like detrimental brain damage. The objective of this article is to present ethical decisions regarding brain dead newborns in order to balance between organ donation necessities and withholding/withdrawing treatment, with respect to the important role of infants’ parents in the process.

Changes in brain magnetic resonance imaging patterns for preterm infants after introduction of a magnetic resonance-compatible incubator coil system: 5-year experience at a single institution.

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Cho, Hyun-Hae; Kim, In-One; Cheon, Jung-Eun; Choi, Young Hun; Lee, So Mi; Kim, Woo Sun

2016-09-01

To evaluate the changes in using patterns of brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in preterm infants after introduction of a MR-compatible incubator coil system. Brain MRIs for preterm infants with the MR-compatible incubator coil from March 2010 to July 2014 (n=154, group A) were compared with MRIs prior to the introduction of the incubator coil, from March 2005 to February 2010 (n=65, group B). Clinical data, MRI findings, acquisition time, and incidence of adverse events during the study were retrospectively reviewed. For the qualitative analysis of the examinations, the presence of motion artefact, spatial resolution, and overall image quality were assessed. Signal uniformity of each sequence was evaluated for a quantitative comparison. Comparing with group B, Group A was significantly younger (36+3 vs. 38+3 weeks, pimage acquisition time was significantly shorter in group A (21.4±4.5 vs. 25.4±5.5min, pimage quality with decreased signal variation than group B (all pimage quality. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

NEONATAL MORBIDITY AND EARLY OUTCOME OF VERY PRETERM INFANTS

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Heljić Suada

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Although the mortality rate for preterm infants and the gestational age-specific mortality rate have dramatically improved over the last 3 to 4 decades, infants born preterm remain vulnerable to many complications, including respiratory distress syndrome, chronic lung disease, necrotizing enterocolitis, a compromised immune system, cardiovascular disorders, hearing and vision problems, and brain lesions.The aim is to determine mortality and morbidity rates and selected outcome variables for preterm infant’s < 30 weeks’ gestation, who were admitted to the NICU. Patients and methods: This study enrolled 102 infants with gestational age less than 30 weeks’ gestation, hospitalized in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Pediatric Hospital, Clinical University Center Sarajevo, from Jan. 2010 to Dec. 2010. Parameters taken at admission were: birth weight, gestational age, Apgar score, excess base and CRIB score. Early outcome is considered as a survival at discharge or common preterm morbidities presented during hospitalizationResults: The mean BW of evaluated preterm infants was 1086 ± 250 g, the mean GA27.89 ± 1.97, Apgar score 5.41 ± 1.76, excess base at admission 6.39 ± 1.74 and mean CRIB score 3.72 ± 3.16. The overall survival rate was 70.5%. Selected outcomes at discharge were: RDS with 70.5% infants treated with natural surfactant, PDA treated with NSAIDS (23.5%, brain injury ( ≥ grade 3 IVH or PVL 16.6%, NEC Bell stages II or III 9.8%, BPD 25/72 (33.3% of infants who survived to 36 weeks postmenstrual age. In 38 (37.2% infants, episodes of infections were noticed (one or more episodes in 25 infants, half of them were caused by Gram positive bacteria, most frequent coagulasa negative staphylococci. Klebsiella pneumoniae was the mostfrequent organism among Gram negative bacteria. One patient had invasive candidiasis caused by Candida albicans. In 5 infants (4.9% early onset of sepsis was documented. Conclusion: Very preterm

Editorial brain malformation surveillance in the Zika era

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Trevathan, Edwin

2016-01-01

The current surveillance systems for congenital microcephaly are necessary to monitor the impact of Zika virus (ZIKV) on the developing human brain, as well as the ZIKV prevention efforts. However, these congenital microcephaly surveillance systems are insufficient. Abnormalities of neuronal differentiation, development and migration may occur among infants with normal head circumference who have intrauterine exposure to ZIKV. Therefore, surveillance for congenital microcephaly does not ascertain many of the infants seriously impacted by congenital ZIKV infection. Furthermore, many infants with normal head circumference and with malformations of the brain cortex do not have clinical manifestations of their congenital malformations until several months to many years after birth, when they present with clinical manifestations such as seizures/epilepsy, developmental delays with or without developmental regression, and/or motor impairment. In response to the ZIKV threat, public health surveillance systems must be enhanced to ascertain a wide variety of congenital brain malformations, as well as their clinical manifestations that lead to diagnostic brain imaging. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 106:869–874, 2016. © 2016 The Authors Birth Defects Research Part A: Clinical and Molecular Teratology Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. PMID:27891785

Birth Defects Among Fetuses and Infants of US Women With Evidence of Possible Zika Virus Infection During Pregnancy.

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Honein, Margaret A; Dawson, April L; Petersen, Emily E; Jones, Abbey M; Lee, Ellen H; Yazdy, Mahsa M; Ahmad, Nina; Macdonald, Jennifer; Evert, Nicole; Bingham, Andrea; Ellington, Sascha R; Shapiro-Mendoza, Carrie K; Oduyebo, Titilope; Fine, Anne D; Brown, Catherine M; Sommer, Jamie N; Gupta, Jyoti; Cavicchia, Philip; Slavinski, Sally; White, Jennifer L; Owen, S Michele; Petersen, Lyle R; Boyle, Coleen; Meaney-Delman, Dana; Jamieson, Denise J

2017-01-03

Understanding the risk of birth defects associated with Zika virus infection during pregnancy may help guide communication, prevention, and planning efforts. In the absence of Zika virus, microcephaly occurs in approximately 7 per 10 000 live births. To estimate the preliminary proportion of fetuses or infants with birth defects after maternal Zika virus infection by trimester of infection and maternal symptoms. Completed pregnancies with maternal, fetal, or infant laboratory evidence of possible recent Zika virus infection and outcomes reported in the continental United States and Hawaii from January 15 to September 22, 2016, in the US Zika Pregnancy Registry, a collaboration between the CDC and state and local health departments. Laboratory evidence of possible recent Zika virus infection in a maternal, placental, fetal, or infant sample. Birth defects potentially Zika associated: brain abnormalities with or without microcephaly, neural tube defects and other early brain malformations, eye abnormalities, and other central nervous system consequences. Among 442 completed pregnancies in women (median age, 28 years; range, 15-50 years) with laboratory evidence of possible recent Zika virus infection, birth defects potentially related to Zika virus were identified in 26 (6%; 95% CI, 4%-8%) fetuses or infants. There were 21 infants with birth defects among 395 live births and 5 fetuses with birth defects among 47 pregnancy losses. Birth defects were reported for 16 of 271 (6%; 95% CI, 4%-9%) pregnant asymptomatic women and 10 of 167 (6%; 95% CI, 3%-11%) symptomatic pregnant women. Of the 26 affected fetuses or infants, 4 had microcephaly and no reported neuroimaging, 14 had microcephaly and brain abnormalities, and 4 had brain abnormalities without microcephaly; reported brain abnormalities included intracranial calcifications, corpus callosum abnormalities, abnormal cortical formation, cerebral atrophy, ventriculomegaly, hydrocephaly, and cerebellar abnormalities

The Emergence of Network Inefficiencies in Infants With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

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Lewis, John D; Evans, Alan C; Pruett, John R; Botteron, Kelly N; McKinstry, Robert C; Zwaigenbaum, Lonnie; Estes, Annette M; Collins, D Louis; Kostopoulos, Penelope; Gerig, Guido; Dager, Stephen R; Paterson, Sarah; Schultz, Robert T; Styner, Martin A; Hazlett, Heather C; Piven, Joseph

2017-08-01

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder defined by behavioral features that emerge during the first years of life. Research indicates that abnormalities in brain connectivity are associated with these behavioral features. However, the inclusion of individuals past the age of onset of the defining behaviors complicates interpretation of the observed abnormalities: they may be cascade effects of earlier neuropathology and behavioral abnormalities. Our recent study of network efficiency in a cohort of 24-month-olds at high and low familial risk for ASD reduced this confound; we reported reduced network efficiencies in toddlers classified with ASD. The current study maps the emergence of these inefficiencies in the first year of life. This study uses data from 260 infants at 6 and 12 months of age, including 116 infants with longitudinal data. As in our earlier study, we use diffusion data to obtain measures of the length and strength of connections between brain regions to compute network efficiency. We assess group differences in efficiency within linear mixed-effects models determined by the Akaike information criterion. Inefficiencies in high-risk infants later classified with ASD were detected from 6 months onward in regions involved in low-level sensory processing. In addition, within the high-risk infants, these inefficiencies predicted 24-month symptom severity. These results suggest that infants with ASD, even before 6 months of age, have deficits in connectivity related to low-level processing, which contribute to a developmental cascade affecting brain organization and eventually higher-level cognitive processes and social behavior. Copyright © 2017 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Probabilistic maps of the white matter tracts with known associated functions on the neonatal brain atlas: Application to evaluate longitudinal developmental trajectories in term-born and preterm-born infants.

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Akazawa, Kentaro; Chang, Linda; Yamakawa, Robyn; Hayama, Sara; Buchthal, Steven; Alicata, Daniel; Andres, Tamara; Castillo, Deborrah; Oishi, Kumiko; Skranes, Jon; Ernst, Thomas; Oishi, Kenichi

2016-03-01

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has been widely used to investigate the development of the neonatal and infant brain, and deviations related to various diseases or medical conditions like preterm birth. In this study, we created a probabilistic map of fiber pathways with known associated functions, on a published neonatal multimodal atlas. The pathways-of-interest include the superficial white matter (SWM) fibers just beneath the specific cytoarchitectonically defined cortical areas, which were difficult to evaluate with existing DTI analysis methods. The Jülich cytoarchitectonic atlas was applied to define cortical areas related to specific brain functions, and the Dynamic Programming (DP) method was applied to delineate the white matter pathways traversing through the SWM. Probabilistic maps were created for pathways related to motor, somatosensory, auditory, visual, and limbic functions, as well as major white matter tracts, such as the corpus callosum, the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, and the middle cerebellar peduncle, by delineating these structures in eleven healthy term-born neonates. In order to characterize maturation-related changes in diffusivity measures of these pathways, the probabilistic maps were then applied to DTIs of 49 healthy infants who were longitudinally scanned at three time-points, approximately five weeks apart. First, we investigated the normal developmental pattern based on 19 term-born infants. Next, we analyzed 30 preterm-born infants to identify developmental patterns related to preterm birth. Last, we investigated the difference in diffusion measures between these groups to evaluate the effects of preterm birth on the development of these functional pathways. Term-born and preterm-born infants both demonstrated a time-dependent decrease in diffusivity, indicating postnatal maturation in these pathways, with laterality seen in the corticospinal tract and the optic radiation. The comparison between term- and preterm

Normal ventricular size and changes with age in pediatric groups on computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakada, Yoshitaka; Nose, Tadao; Enomoto, Takao; Maki, Yutaka

1980-01-01

The purpose of this report is to determine the normal value of the ventricular size on CT, snd analyze its changes with age in normal pediatric group. Materials and Methods: We searched through our 240 normal pediatric CT film files, aged 4 months to 14 years. Scans were performed on Hitachi CT-II scanner, using 10 mm collimation. Results: 1. The width of the third ventricle showed the same value in all pediatric groups, the mean value of its being 4.8 mm (SD 1.3 mm). 2. Bicaudate cerebroventricular indexes of the anterior horns of lateral ventricles (interecarlate distance/transverse diameter of the brain x100) were 15.3 in infants under one year, 13.8 in the age of one year and 12.7 in the children over two years. The indexes were almost the same in old age group over the age of three years. 3. The upper limit of the normal inverse cella media index (minium width of cella media/transverse diameter of the brain x100) was 31. Therefore the cases with the index above this range can be diagnosed as hydrocephalic. 4. The shape of the anterior horns of lateral ventricles was Y-shaped in infants under one year. II-shaped (paralied shaped) in the age of 1 - 12 years, and again it was Y-shaped in the group over 12 years. 5. In the age group under one year, the temporal horns of the lateral ventricles were visualized in about 60% cases, while the figure decreased to 20% in the older group. (author)

Asymmetry of cerebral glucose metabolism in very low-birth-weight infants without structural abnormalities.

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Jae Hyun Park

Full Text Available Thirty-six VLBW infants who underwent F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (F-18 FDG brain PET and MRI were prospectively enrolled, while infants with evidence of parenchymal brain injury on MRI were excluded. The regional glucose metabolic ratio and asymmetry index were calculated. The asymmetry index more than 10% (right > left asymmetry or less than -10% (left > right asymmetry were defined as abnormal. Regional cerebral glucose metabolism were compared between right and left cerebral hemispheres, and between the following subgroups: multiple gestations, premature rupture of membrane, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and low-grade intraventricular hemorrhage.In the individual analysis, 21 (58.3% of 36 VLBW infants exhibited asymmetric cerebral glucose metabolism. Fifteen infants (41.7% exhibited right > left asymmetry, while six (16.7% exhibited left > right asymmetry. In the regional analysis, right > left asymmetry was more extensive than left > right asymmetry. The metabolic ratio in the right frontal, temporal, and occipital cortices and right thalamus were significantly higher than those in the corresponding left regions. In the subgroup analyses, the cerebral glucose metabolism in infants with multiple gestations, premature rupture of membrane, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, or low-grade intraventricular hemorrhage were significantly lower than those in infants without these.VLBW infants without structural abnormalities have asymmetry of cerebral glucose metabolism. Decreased cerebral glucose metabolism are noted in infants with neurodevelopmental risk factors. F-18 FDG PET could show microstructural abnormalities not detected by MRI in VLBW infants.

Fractal-dimension analysis detects cerebral changes in preterm infants with and without intrauterine growth restriction.

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Esteban, Francisco J; Padilla, Nelly; Sanz-Cortés, Magdalena; de Miras, Juan Ruiz; Bargalló, Núria; Villoslada, Pablo; Gratacós, Eduard

2010-12-01

In the search for a useful parameter to detect and quantify subtle brain abnormalities in infants with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), we hypothesised that the analysis of the structural complexity of grey matter (GM) and white matter (WM) using the fractal dimension (FD), a measurement of the topological complexity of an object, could be established as a useful tool for quantitative studies of infant brain morphology. We studied a sample of 18 singleton IUGR premature infants, (12.72 months corrected age (CA), range: 12 months-14 months), 15 preterm infants matched one-to-one for gestational age (GA) at delivery (12.6 months; range: 12 months-14 months), and 15 neonates born at term (12.4 months; range: 11 months-14 months). The neurodevelopmental outcome was assessed in all subjects at 18 months CA according to the Bayley Scale for Infant and Toddler Development - Third edition (BSID-III). For MRI acquisition and processing, the infants were scanned at 12 months CA, in a TIM TRIO 3T scanner, sleeping naturally. Images were pre-processed using the SPM5 toolbox, the GM and WM segmented under the VBM5 toolbox, and the box-counting method was applied for FD calculation of normal and skeletonized segmented images. The results showed a significant decrease of the FD of the brain GM and WM in the IUGR group when compared to the preterm or at-term controls. We also identified a significant linear tendency of both GM and WM FD from IUGR to preterm and term groups. Finally, multiple linear analyses between the FD of the GM or WM and the neurodevelopmental scales showed a significant regression of the language and motor scales with the FD of the GM. In conclusion, a decreased FD of the GM and WM in IUGR infants could be a sensitive indicator for the investigation of structural brain abnormalities in the IUGR population at 12 months of age, which can also be related to functional disorders. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sleep confers a benefit for retention of statistical language learning in 6.5month old infants.

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Simon, Katharine N S; Werchan, Denise; Goldstein, Michael R; Sweeney, Lucia; Bootzin, Richard R; Nadel, Lynn; Gómez, Rebecca L

2017-04-01

Infants show robust ability to track transitional probabilities within language and can use this information to extract words from continuous speech. The degree to which infants remember these words across a delay is unknown. Given well-established benefits of sleep on long-term memory retention in adults, we examine whether sleep similarly facilitates memory in 6.5month olds. Infants listened to an artificial language for 7minutes, followed by a period of sleep or wakefulness. After a time-matched delay for sleep and wakefulness dyads, we measured retention using the head-turn-preference procedure. Infants who slept retained memory for the extracted words that was prone to interference during the test. Infants who remained awake showed no retention. Within the nap group, retention correlated with three electrophysiological measures (1) absolute theta across the brain, (2) absolute alpha across the brain, and (3) greater fronto-central slow wave activity (SWA). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Metabolic alterations and neurodevelopmental outcome of infants with transposition of the great arteries.

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Park, I Sook; Yoon, S Young; Min, J Yeon; Kim, Y Hwue; Ko, J Kok; Kim, K Soo; Seo, D Man; Lee, J Hee

2006-01-01

Abnormal neurodevelopment has been reported for infants who were born with transposition of the great arteries (TGA) and underwent arterial switch operation (ASO). This study evaluates the cerebral metabolism of TGA infants at birth and before ASO and neurodevelopment 1 year after ASO. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) was performed on 16 full-term TGA brains before ASO within 3-6 days after birth. The brain metabolite ratios of [NAA/Cr], [Cho/Cr], and [mI/Cr] evaluated measured. Ten infants were evaluated at 1 year using the Bayley Scales of Infants Development II (BSED II). Cerebral metabolism of infants with TGA was altered in parietal white matter (PWM) and occipital gray matter (OGM) at birth before ASO. One year after ASO, [Cho/Cr] in PWM remained altered, but all metabolic ratios in OGM were normal. The results of BSID II at 1 year showed delayed mental and psychomotor development. This delayed neurodevelopmental outcome may reflect consequences of the altered cerebral metabolism in PWM measured by 1H-MRS. It is speculated that the abnormal hemodynamics due to TGA in utero may be responsible for the impaired cerebral metabolism and the subsequent neurodevelopmental deficit.

Network analysis of perception-action coupling in infants

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Naama eRotem-Kohavi

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The functional networks that support action observation are of great interest in understanding the development of social cognition and motor learning. How infants learn to represent and understand the world around them remains one of the most intriguing questions in developmental cognitive neuroscience. Recently, mathematical measures derived from graph theory have been used to study connectivity networks in the developing brain. Thus far, this type of analysis in infancy has only been applied to the resting state. In this study, we recorded electroencephalography (EEG from infants (ages 4-11 months of age and adults while they observed three types of actions: a reaching for an object, b walking and c object motion. Graph theory based analysis was applied to these data to evaluate changes in brain networks. Global metrics that provide measures of the structural properties of the network (characteristic path, density, global efficiency, and modularity were calculated for each group and for each condition. We found statistically significant differences in measures for the observation of walking condition only. Specifically, in comparison to adults, infants showed increased density and global efficiency in combination with decreased modularity during observation of an action that is not within their motor repertoire (i.e. independent walking, suggesting a less structured organization. There were no group differences in global metric measures for observation of object motion or for observation of actions that are within the repertoire of infants (i.e. reaching. These preliminary results suggest that infants and adults may share a basic functional network for action observation that is sculpted by experience. Motor experience may lead to a shift towards a more efficient functional network.

Categorical ERP Repetition Effects for Human and Furniture Items in 7-Month-Old Infants

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Peykarjou, Stefanie; Wissner, Julia; Pauen, Sabina

2017-01-01

Behavioural and recent neural evidence indicates that young infants discriminate broad stimulus categories. However, little is known about the categorical perception of humans represented as full bodies with heads and their discrimination from inanimate objects. This study compares infants' brain processing of human and furniture pictures, probing…

CT findings of central nervous system in congenital syphilis infant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Cheng; Yang Xinghui; Wang Man

2005-01-01

Objective: To investigate the CT features of the central nervous system in congenital syphilis infant. Methods: CT findings of central nervous system in 11 infants with clinically proved congenital syphilis were analyzed retrospectively. Results: CT findings in 10 syphilis neonates were diffuse hypodense lesions in the white matter, with subarachnoid and intra-encephalic hemorrhage in 3 and 1 cases, respectively. One 2-month-old syphilis infant case and 5 cases of follow-up after 45 days to 6 months of treatment demonstrated bilateral widened sulci and cistern with enlarged ventricles in 3 of them. Conclusion: CT findings of the central nervous system in congenital syphilis infant are similar to those of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in neonates, and extra-encephalic hydrocephalus or brain hypogenesis ensues later on. (authors)

Heterogeneity of cerebral vasoreactivity in preterm infants supported by mechanical ventilation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pryds, O.; Greisen, G.; Lou, H.; Friis-Hansen, B.

1989-01-01

The reaction of cerebral blood flow to acute changes in arterial carbon dioxide pressure (PaCO2) and mean arterial blood pressure was determined in 57 preterm infants supported by mechanical ventilation (mean gestational age 30.1 weeks) during the first 48 hours of life. All infants had normal brain sonograms at the time of the investigation. In each infant, global cerebral blood flow was determined by xenon-133 clearance two to five times within a few hours at different levels of PaCO2. Changes in PaCO2 followed adjustments of the ventilator settings. Arterial oxygen pressure was intended to be kept constant, and mean arterial blood pressure fluctuated spontaneously between measurements. The data were analyzed by stepwise multiple regression, with changes in global cerebral blood flow, PaCO2, mean arterial blood pressure, and postnatal age or intracranial hemorrhage used as variables. In infants with persistently normal brain sonograms, the global cerebral blood flow-carbon dioxide reactivity was markedly lower during the first day of life (mean 11.2% to 11.8%/kPa PaCO2) compared with the second day of life (mean 32.6/kPa PaCO2), and pressure-flow autoregulation was preserved. Similarly, global cerebral blood flow-carbon dioxide reactivity and pressure-flow autoregulation were present in infants in whom mild intracranial hemorrhage developed after the study. In contrast, global cerebral blood flow reactivity to changes in PaCO2 and mean arterial blood pressure was absent in infants in whom ultrasonographic signs of severe intracranial hemorrhage subsequently developed. These infants also had about 20% lower global cerebral blood flow before hemorrhage, in comparison with infants whose sonograms were normal, a finding that suggests functional disturbances of cerebral blood flow regulation

Neural systems and hormones mediating attraction to infant and child faces

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Lizhu eLuo

2015-07-01

Full Text Available We find infant faces highly attractive as a result of specific features which Konrad Lorenz termed Kindchenschema or baby schema, and this is considered to be an important adaptive trait for promoting protective and caregiving behaviors in adults, thereby increasing the chances of infant survival. This review first examines the behavioral support for this effect and physical and behavioral factors which can influence it. It next reviews the increasing number of neuroimaging and electrophysiological studies investigating the neural circuitry underlying this baby schema effect in both parents and non-parents of both sexes. Next it considers potential hormonal contributions to the baby schema effect in both sexes and then neural effects associated with reduced responses to infant cues in post-partum depression, anxiety and drug taking. Overall the findings reviewed reveal a very extensive neural circuitry involved in our perception of cutenessin infant faces with enhanced activation compared to adult faces being found in brain regions involved in face perception, attention, emotion, empathy, memory, reward and attachment, theory of mind and also control of motor responses.Both mothers and fathers also show evidence for enhanced responses in these same neural systems when viewing their own as opposed to another child. Furthermore, responses to infant cues in many of these neural systems are reduced in mothers with post-partum depression or anxiety or have taken addictive drugs throughout pregnancy. In general reproductively active women tend to rate infant faces as cuter than men, which may reflect both heightened attention to relevant cues and a stronger activation in their brain reward circuitry. Perception of infant cuteness may also be influenced by reproductive hormones with the hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin being most strongly associated to date with increased attention andattractionto infant cues in both sexes.

Simulation of hydrocephalus condition in infant head

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Wijayanti, Erna; Arif, Idam

2014-03-01

Hydrocephalus is a condition of an excessive of cerebrospinal fluid in brain. In this paper, we try to simulate the behavior of hydrocephalus conditions in infant head by using a hydro-elastic model which is combined with orthotropic elastic skull and with the addition of suture that divide the skull into two lobes. The model then gives predictions for the case of stenosis aqueduct by varying the cerebral aqueduct diameter, time constant and brain elastic modulus. The hydrocephalus condition which is shown by the significant value of ventricle displacement, as the result shows, is occurred when the aqueduct is as resistant as brain parenchyma for the flow of cerebrospinal fluid. The decrement of brain elastic modulus causes brain parenchyma displacement value approach ventricle displacement value. The smaller of time constant value causes the smaller value of ventricle displacement.

Transport, monitoring, and successful brain MR imaging in unsedated neonates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mathur, Amit M.; Neil, Jeffrey J.; McKinstry, Robert C.; Inder, Terrie E.

2008-01-01

Neonatal cerebral MR imaging is a sensitive technique for evaluating brain injury in the term and preterm infant. In term encephalopathic infants, MR imaging reliably detects not only the pattern of brain injury but might also provide clues about the timing of injury. In premature infants, MR imaging has surpassed US in the detection of white matter injury, a common lesion in this population. Concerns remain about the safety and transport of sedated neonates for MR examination to radiology suites, which are usually located at a distance from neonatal intensive care units. We present our own institutional experience and guidelines used to optimize the performance of cerebral MR examinations in neonates without sedation or anesthesia. (orig.)

Perinatal brain damage : The term infant

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hagberg, Henrik; David Edwards, A.; Groenendaal, Floris

2016-01-01

Perinatal brain injury at term is common and often manifests with neonatal encephalopathy including seizures. The most common aetiologies are hypoxic–ischaemic encephalopathy, intracranial haemorrhage and neonatal stroke. Besides clinical and biochemical assessment the diagnostic evaluation rely

Individual differences in object permanence performance at 8 months: locomotor experience and brain electrical activity.

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Bell, M A; Fox, N A

1997-12-01

This work was designed to investigate individual differences in hands-and-knees crawling and frontal brain electrical activity with respect to object permanence performance in 76 eight-month-old infants. Four groups of infants (one prelocomotor and 3 with varying lengths of hands-and-knees crawling experience) were tested on an object permanence scale in a research design similar to that used by Kermoian and Campos (1988). In addition, baseline EEG was recorded and used as an indicator of brain development, as in the Bell and Fox (1992) longitudinal study. Individual differences in frontal and occipital EEG power and in locomotor experience were associated with performance on the object permanence task. Infants successful at A-not-B exhibited greater frontal EEG power and greater occipital EEG power than unsuccessful infants. In contrast to Kermoian and Campos (1988), who noted that long-term crawling experience was associated with higher performance on an object permanence scale, infants in this study with any amount of hands and knees crawling experience performed at a higher level on the object permanence scale than prelocomotor infants. There was no interaction among brain electrical activity, locomotor experience, and object permanence performance. These data highlight the value of electrophysiological research and the need for a brain-behavior model of object permanence performance that incorporates both electrophysiological and behavioral factors.

Abnormal infant neurodevelopment predicts schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

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Fish, Barbara; Kendler, Kenneth S

2005-06-01

The aim of this study was to detect infants who carry a schizophrenic genotype and study the development of schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SZSD) from birth. In the 1940s, Bender described uneven maturation in childhood schizophrenics and in 1952 found this in the infant histories of 6 schizophrenic children. We tested a possible index for defective neural integration in infants termed "pandysmaturation" (PDM). This required retarded cranial growth plus retarded and erratic gross motor development on a single exam. Twelve offspring of hospitalized schizophrenic mothers and 12 infants in a "Well Baby Clinic," were examined 10 times between birth and 2 years of age. Psychiatric interviews and psychological testing were done at 10, 15, and 22 years of age, plus follow-up at 27-35 years of age. Six infants had PDM at 2, 6, or 13 months of age. Five individuals have been blindly diagnosed (by KSK) as having lifetime SZSD; all 5 had PDM before 8 months. Chi-square one-tailed tests confirmed the predictions: (1) PDM was related to subsequent SZSD (chi(2) = 11.43; p < 0.0005); (2) schizophrenic mothers had more infants with PDM than nonschizophrenic mothers (chi(2) = 3.28; p < 0.05); and (3) schizophrenic mothers had more SZSD offspring than nonschizophrenic mothers (chi(2) = 6.39; p < 0.0125). These first behavioral observations of aberrant neurodevelopment in pre- SZSD infants support the evidence of early neurodevelopmental disorder seen in studies of brain pathology in SZSD adults.

Hydrocephalus in mice following X-irradiation at early gestational stage. Possibly due to persistent deceleration of cell proliferation

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Aolad, H.M.; Inouye, Minoru; Darmanto, W.; Hayasaka, Shizu; Murata, Yoshiharu [Nagoya Univ. (Japan). Research Inst. of Environmental Medicine

2000-09-01

The pathogenesis of X-ray-induced congenital hydrocephalus was studied. Pregnant mice were irradiated at 1.4 Gy on gestational day 7 (G7). Four hours after irradiation, extensive cell death was evident in the neuroepithelium and underlying mesoderm of the head region, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-immunoreactive cells almost disappeared. Embryos with thinner lamina terminalis of the telecephalon, when compared with that of the control, were found in the irradiated group on G9. As early as G11 in some irradiated embryos the telencephalic wall was thinner and lateral ventricles were larger than those of the control. The choroid invagination from the lamina terminalis began on G11 in the control brain, but not in the affected brain. During the following development, fetuses with readily apparent hydrocephalus were consistently found among irradiated fetuses. In these brains the brain mantle was thinner, the corpus striatum and thalamic regions were smaller, and lateral ventricles were larger than those of the control. Even on G11 and G13 the frequencies of PCNA-positive cells in the brain mantle and other brain regions were lower in the hydrocephalic brain than those of the control, suggesting a decelerated proliferation of successive cell generations following exposure to X-rays. The cerebral aqueduct was open in the hydrocephalic brain during the fetal period when the lateral ventricles were dilated. The head was vaulted after birth but the cerebral aqueduct was not completely occluded even in these animals. These findings suggested that cell death in the neuroepithelium followed by a persistent deceleration of neural cell proliferation, resulting in the hypoplasia of brain parenchyma with compensatory ventricular dilatation, is important for the establishment of hydrocephalus. (author)

Hydrocephalus in mice following X-irradiation at early gestational stage. Possibly due to persistent deceleration of cell proliferation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aolad, H.M.; Inouye, Minoru; Darmanto, W.; Hayasaka, Shizu; Murata, Yoshiharu

2000-01-01

The pathogenesis of X-ray-induced congenital hydrocephalus was studied. Pregnant mice were irradiated at 1.4 Gy on gestational day 7 (G7). Four hours after irradiation, extensive cell death was evident in the neuroepithelium and underlying mesoderm of the head region, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-immunoreactive cells almost disappeared. Embryos with thinner lamina terminalis of the telecephalon, when compared with that of the control, were found in the irradiated group on G9. As early as G11 in some irradiated embryos the telencephalic wall was thinner and lateral ventricles were larger than those of the control. The choroid invagination from the lamina terminalis began on G11 in the control brain, but not in the affected brain. During the following development, fetuses with readily apparent hydrocephalus were consistently found among irradiated fetuses. In these brains the brain mantle was thinner, the corpus striatum and thalamic regions were smaller, and lateral ventricles were larger than those of the control. Even on G11 and G13 the frequencies of PCNA-positive cells in the brain mantle and other brain regions were lower in the hydrocephalic brain than those of the control, suggesting a decelerated proliferation of successive cell generations following exposure to X-rays. The cerebral aqueduct was open in the hydrocephalic brain during the fetal period when the lateral ventricles were dilated. The head was vaulted after birth but the cerebral aqueduct was not completely occluded even in these animals. These findings suggested that cell death in the neuroepithelium followed by a persistent deceleration of neural cell proliferation, resulting in the hypoplasia of brain parenchyma with compensatory ventricular dilatation, is important for the establishment of hydrocephalus. (author)

"Did you call me?" 5-month-old infants own name guides their attention.

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Eugenio Parise

2010-12-01

Full Text Available An infant's own name is a unique social cue. Infants are sensitive to their own name by 4 months of age, but whether they use their names as a social cue is unknown. Electroencephalogram (EEG was measured as infants heard their own name or stranger's names and while looking at novel objects. Event related brain potentials (ERPs in response to names revealed that infants differentiate their own name from stranger names from the first phoneme. The amplitude of the ERPs to objects indicated that infants attended more to objects after hearing their own names compared to another name. Thus, by 5 months of age infants not only detect their name, but also use it as a social cue to guide their attention to events and objects in the world.

"Did you call me?" 5-month-old infants own name guides their attention.

Science.gov (United States)

Parise, Eugenio; Friederici, Angela D; Striano, Tricia

2010-12-03

An infant's own name is a unique social cue. Infants are sensitive to their own name by 4 months of age, but whether they use their names as a social cue is unknown. Electroencephalogram (EEG) was measured as infants heard their own name or stranger's names and while looking at novel objects. Event related brain potentials (ERPs) in response to names revealed that infants differentiate their own name from stranger names from the first phoneme. The amplitude of the ERPs to objects indicated that infants attended more to objects after hearing their own names compared to another name. Thus, by 5 months of age infants not only detect their name, but also use it as a social cue to guide their attention to events and objects in the world.

As tears go by : Baby tears trigger more brain activity than adult tears in nulliparous women

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hendricx-Riem, M.M.E.; De Carli, P.; van IJzendoorn, M.H.; Vingerhoets, A.J.J.M.; Bakermans-Kranenburg, M.J.

2017-01-01

The current functional magnetic resonance imaging study examines brain activity during the perception of infant and adult tears. Infant tears evoke stronger responses in the visual cortex than adult tears, indicating that infant tears are highly salient. In addition, our study shows that infant

The CT (Hounsfield unit) number of brain tissue in healthy infants. A new reliable method for detection of possible degenerative disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Boris, P; Bundgaard, F; Olsen, A

1987-01-01

It is difficult to correlate CT Hounsfield unit (H. U.) numbers from one CT investigation to another and from one CT scanner to another, especially when dealing with small changes in the brain substance, as in degenerative brain diseases in children. By subtracting the mean value of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the mean value of grey and white matter, it is possible to remove most of the errors due, for example, to maladjustments, short and long-term drift, X-ray fan, and detector asymmetry. Measurements of white and grey matter using these methods showed CT H. U. numbers changing from 15 H. U. to 22 H. U. in white matter and 23 H. U. to 30 H. U. in grey matter in 86 healthy infants aged 0-5 years. In all measurements, the difference between grey and white matter was exactly 8 H. U. The method has proven to be highly accurate and reproducible.

Prognosis of psychomotor and mental development in premature infants by early cranial ultrasound.

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Duan, Yang; Sun, Fu-qiang; Li, Yue-qin; Que, Sheng-shun; Yang, Su-yan; Xu, Wen-jing; Yu, Wen-hong; Chen, Jun-hua; Lu, Ya-jie; Li, Xin

2015-04-09

It is of high incidence of brain injuries in premature infants, so it is necessary to diagnose and treat the brain injury early for neonatal clinical practice. We are aimed to investigate the relationship between early postnatal cranial ultrasonography and psychomotor and mental development in prematrue infants at the age of 12 months. Two-hundred and eight premature infants were selected and underwent follow-up from January, 2007 to November, 2012. Cranial ultrasonography was performed on them. The developmental outcomes of these premature infants at the age of 12 months were assessed by the psychomotor developmental index (PDI) scale and mental development index (MDI). The relationship between ultrasonic gray-scale value and PDI and MDI was analyzed. The worse prognosis for psychomotor and mental development was associated with the gestational age, Apgar score(1 min), gender, chorioamnionitis, duration of mechanical ventilation and duration of mechanic ventilation. The differences between the prognosis of psychomotor and mental development, and peri-intraventricular hemorrhage (PIVH) and periventricular white matter damage (PWMD), were statistically significant (Ppsychomotor development and mental development (Ppsychomotor and mental development for premature infants. The higher grade of PIVH and PWMD was associated with the worse prognosis of psychomotor and mental development.

Early MRI in term infants with perinatal hypoxic–ischaemic brain injury: Interobserver agreement and MRI predictors of outcome at 2 years

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goergen, S.K.; Ang, H.; Wong, F.; Carse, E.A.; Charlton, M.; Evans, R.; Whiteley, G.; Clark, J.; Shipp, D.; Jolley, D.; Paul, E.; Cheong, J.L.Y.

2014-01-01

Aim: To compare diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and non-DWI magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), proton MR spectroscopy (1H-MRS), and clinical biomarkers for prediction of 2 year developmental outcome in term infants with perinatal hypoxic–ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE). Materials and methods: Nineteen infants ≥36 weeks gestation with HIE were recruited and MRI performed day 3–7 (mean = 5). MRI was scored independently by three radiologists using a standardized scoring system. Lactate-to-N-acetylaspartate ratio (Lac:NAA) in the lentiform nucleus was calculated. Developmental assessment was performed at 2 years using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (BSID-III). Interobserver agreement about abnormality in 10 brain regions was measured. Univariate analysis was performed to determine variables associated with adverse outcome (i.e., death or Bayley score for any domain <70). Results: Good interobserver agreement (kappa = 0.61–0.69) on scores for DWI was obtained for the cortex, putamen, and brainstem, but not for any region on non-DWI. A significant association was found between outcome and Lac:NAA (p < 0.003) and DWI scores for lentiform nucleus, thalamus, cortex, posterior limb of the internal capsule (PLIC), and paracentral white matter (p = 0.001–0.013), but for non-DWI score only in the vermis or brainstem. A combination of Lac:NAA ≥0.25 or DWI/apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) signal abnormality in the PLIC had 100% specificity and sensitivity for poor outcome. Conclusion: Interobserver agreement for non-DWI performed during the first week is poor. Agreement by three radiologists about the presence of abnormal signal within the PLIC on ADC/DWI images or elevation of Lac:NAA above 0.25 improved sensitivity without reducing the prognostic specificity of MRS in the 19 patients, but this requires validation in a larger group of infants with HIE who have been treated with hypothermia

Xe enhanced CT in the human newborn infant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuse, Yozen; Nemoto, Yuko; Shimizu, Mitsumasa; Uga, Naoki; Tada, Hiroshi; Fujii, Toshi; Machida, Keiichi; Kikuchi, Hideo; Izumi, Shigemitsu.

1990-01-01

With a cranial computed tomography (CT) using stable xenon gas as a diffusible tracer, we measured regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in 6 newborn infants with a variety of neurological abnormalities. Gestational ages and birthweights were 35 to 43 weeks and 2436 to 3540 g, respectively. Four infants exhibited hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), one infant had subdural hemorrhage and the other one was the infant with hyponatremia. A baseline CT was done during denitrogenation by 100% oxygen breathing and then a mixture of 35% xenon and 65% oxygen was breathed for 6 minutes. Six scans were obtained during the inhalation period then the infant was returned to breathing 100% oxygen and additional 7 scans were taken. Four samples of arterial blood were collected every 2 minutes before and during inhalation of the xenon gas. A rCBF was calculated with the changes of Hounsfield units in brain tissue and arterial blood. Relatively high blood flows in the region of the basal nuclei as well as decreased flows in the occipital white matter were observed in the infants with HIE. In an infant with subdural hemorrhage, the blood flows were markedly reduced in the areas adjacent to the lesion, including the basal nuclei, and frontal white matter in the opposite hemisphere. Xenon-enhanced CT by inhaling low concentration of the xenon gas enables to measure rCBF in the human newborn infants without no obvious side effect. (author)

Neonatal morbidity and early outcome of very preterm infants

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Heljić Suada

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Although the mortality rate for preterm infants and the gestational age-specific mortality rate have dramatically improved over the last 3 to 4 decades, infants born preterm remain vulnerable to many complications, including respiratory distress syndrome, chronic lung disease, necrotizing enterocolitis, a compromised immune system, cardiovascular disorders, hearing and vision problems, and brain lesions. The aim is to determine mortality and morbidity rates and selected outcome variables for preterm infant’s grade 3 IVH or PVL 16.6%, NEC Bell stages II or III 9.8%, BPD 25/72 (33.3% of infants who survived to 36 weeks postmenstrual age. In 38 (37.2% infants, episodes of infections were noticed (one or more episodes in 25 infants, half of them were caused by Gram positive bacteria, most frequent coagulasa negative staphylococci. Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most frequent organism among Gram negative bacteria. One patient had invasive candidiasis caused by Candida albicans. In 5 infants (4.9% early onset of sepsis was documented. Conclusion: Very preterm infants remain very vulnerable group of population, and interventions to reduce the morbidity and mortality of preterm babies include tertiary interventions such as regionalized care, transportation in uterus, and treatment with antenatal steroids.

Brain responses to audiovisual speech mismatch in infants are associated with individual differences in looking behaviour.

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Kushnerenko, Elena; Tomalski, Przemyslaw; Ballieux, Haiko; Ribeiro, Helena; Potton, Anita; Axelsson, Emma L; Murphy, Elizabeth; Moore, Derek G

2013-11-01

Research on audiovisual speech integration has reported high levels of individual variability, especially among young infants. In the present study we tested the hypothesis that this variability results from individual differences in the maturation of audiovisual speech processing during infancy. A developmental shift in selective attention to audiovisual speech has been demonstrated between 6 and 9 months with an increase in the time spent looking to articulating mouths as compared to eyes (Lewkowicz & Hansen-Tift. (2012) Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA, 109, 1431-1436; Tomalski et al. (2012) Eur. J. Dev. Psychol., 1-14). In the present study we tested whether these changes in behavioural maturational level are associated with differences in brain responses to audiovisual speech across this age range. We measured high-density event-related potentials (ERPs) in response to videos of audiovisually matching and mismatched syllables /ba/ and /ga/, and subsequently examined visual scanning of the same stimuli with eye-tracking. There were no clear age-specific changes in ERPs, but the amplitude of audiovisual mismatch response (AVMMR) to the combination of visual /ba/ and auditory /ga/ was strongly negatively associated with looking time to the mouth in the same condition. These results have significant implications for our understanding of individual differences in neural signatures of audiovisual speech processing in infants, suggesting that they are not strictly related to chronological age but instead associated with the maturation of looking behaviour, and develop at individual rates in the second half of the first year of life. © 2013 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Genetic loci for ventricular dilatation in the LEW/Jms rat with fetal-onset hydrocephalus are influenced by gender and genetic background

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Mayorga David A

2005-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The LEW/Jms rat strain has inherited hydrocephalus, with more males affected than females and an overall expression rate of 28%. This study aimed to determine chromosomal positions for genetic loci causing the hydrocephalus. Methods An F1 backcross was made to the parental LEW/Jms strain from a cross with non-hydrocephalic Fischer 344 rats. BC1 rats were generated for two specific crosses: the first with a male LEW/Jms rat as parent and grandparent, [(F × L × L], designated B group, and the second with a female LEW/Jms rat as the parent and grandparent [L × (L × F], designated C group. All hydrocephalic and a similar number of non-hydrocephalic rats from these two groups were genotyped with microsatellite markers and the data was analyzed separately for each sex by MAPMAKER. Results The frequency of hydrocephalus was not significantly different between the two groups (18.2 and 19.9 %, but there was a significant excess of males in the B group. The mean severity of hydrocephalus, measured as the ventricle-to-brain width ratio, was ranked as B group Conclusion Phenotypic expression of hydrocephalus in Lew/Jms, although not X-linked, has a strong male bias. One, and possibly two chromosomal regions are associated with the hydrocephalus.

Brain Games for Babies.

Science.gov (United States)

Silberg, Jackie

2001-01-01

Presents games for caregivers to use with infants to enhance brain development. Includes games that develop trust and security, language skills, and fine motor skills, as well as games that are fun or stimulate vision. Includes videotape references for parents and caregivers. (KB)

Infant Directed Speech Enhances Statistical Learning in Newborn Infants: An ERP Study.

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Alexis N Bosseler

Full Text Available Statistical learning and the social contexts of language addressed to infants are hypothesized to play important roles in early language development. Previous behavioral work has found that the exaggerated prosodic contours of infant-directed speech (IDS facilitate statistical learning in 8-month-old infants. Here we examined the neural processes involved in on-line statistical learning and investigated whether the use of IDS facilitates statistical learning in sleeping newborns. Event-related potentials (ERPs were recorded while newborns were exposed to12 pseudo-words, six spoken with exaggerated pitch contours of IDS and six spoken without exaggerated pitch contours (ADS in ten alternating blocks. We examined whether ERP amplitudes for syllable position within a pseudo-word (word-initial vs. word-medial vs. word-final, indicating statistical word learning and speech register (ADS vs. IDS would interact. The ADS and IDS registers elicited similar ERP patterns for syllable position in an early 0-100 ms component but elicited different ERP effects in both the polarity and topographical distribution at 200-400 ms and 450-650 ms. These results provide the first evidence that the exaggerated pitch contours of IDS result in differences in brain activity linked to on-line statistical learning in sleeping newborns.

Music From the Very Beginning-A Neuroscience-Based Framework for Music as Therapy for Preterm Infants and Their Parents.

Science.gov (United States)

Haslbeck, Friederike Barbara; Bassler, Dirk

2018-01-01

Human and animal studies demonstrate that early auditory experiences influence brain development. The findings are particularly crucial following preterm birth as the plasticity of auditory regions, and cortex development are heavily dependent on the quality of auditory stimulation. Brain maturation in preterm infants may be affected among other things by the overwhelming auditory environment of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Conversely, auditory deprivation, (e.g., the lack of the regular intrauterine rhythms of the maternal heartbeat and the maternal voice) may also have an impact on brain maturation. Therefore, a nurturing enrichment of the auditory environment for preterm infants is warranted. Creative music therapy (CMT) addresses these demands by offering infant-directed singing in lullaby-style that is continually adapted to the neonate's needs. The therapeutic approach is tailored to the individual developmental stage, entrained to the breathing rhythm, and adapted to the subtle expressions of the newborn. Not only the therapist and the neonate but also the parents play a role in CMT. In this article, we describe how to apply music therapy in a neonatal intensive care environment to support very preterm infants and their families. We speculate that the enriched musical experience may promote brain development and we critically discuss the available evidence in support of our assumption.

Outcomes for Extremely Premature Infants

Science.gov (United States)

Glass, Hannah C.; Costarino, Andrew T.; Stayer, Stephen A.; Brett, Claire; Cladis, Franklyn; Davis, Peter J.

2015-01-01

Premature birth is a significant cause of infant and child morbidity and mortality. In the United States, the premature birth rate, which had steadily increased during the 1990s and early 2000s, has decreased annually for four years and is now approximately 11.5%. Human viability, defined as gestational age at which the chance of survival is 50%, is currently approximately 23–24 weeks in developed countries. Infant girls, on average, have better outcomes than infant boys. A relatively uncomplicated course in the intensive care nursery for an extremely premature infant results in a discharge date close to the prenatal EDC. Despite technological advances and efforts of child health experts during the last generation, the extremely premature infant (less than 28 weeks gestation) and extremely low birth weight infant (ELBW) (CPAP, mechanical ventilation, and exogenous surfactant increased survival and spurred the development of neonatal intensive care in the 1970s through the early 1990s. Routine administration of antenatal steroids during premature labor improved neonatal mortality and morbidity in the late 1990s. The recognition that chronic postnatal administration of steroids to infants should be avoided may have improved outcomes in the early 2000s. Evidence from recent trials attempting to define the appropriate target for oxygen saturation in preterm infants suggests arterial oxygen saturation between 91–95% (compared to 85–89%) avoids excess mortality. However, final analyses of data from these trials have not been published, so definitive recommendations are still pending The development of neonatal neurocognitive care visits may improve neurocognitive outcomes in this high-risk group. Long-term follow up to detect and address developmental, learning, behavioral, and social problems is critical for children born at these early gestational ages. The striking similarities in response to extreme prematurity in the lung and brain imply that agents and

Cardiorespiratory disorders of infants of diabetic mothers

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Hrabovski Ivan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. One of the characteristics of modern era is the explosion of diabetes in the world. Today more than 400,000,000 people suffer from diabetes in the entire world. During the last decade the number of women with the disorder of glucose homeostasis is six to seven times greater than in the previous period. Therefore, the re-evaluation of the impact of glucose intolerance on the course and outcome of pregnancy is very current. Objective. The aim of the study was to evaluate the data on the influence of mothers’ glucose homeostasis disturbances on the occurrence of cardiorespiratory disorders in newborns, as well as their influence on the perinatal outcome. Methods. Prospective examination included 102 newborns in total - 31 infants of mothers with glucose homeostasis disorder (Group I and 71 infants of healthy mothers (Group II. Average age, body height, body weight, body mass index, parity and illness duration of the pregnant women had been determined, as well as the delivery method. Every newborn was provided with physical examination, Apgar score was calculated, body weight and body length were measured. Also, electrocardiography and brain ultrasound, as well as the basic hematology biochemical and microbiological analysis, were performed within the examinations of the infants. Results. The average weight and obesity incidence with diabetic women was higher than in the control group and their infants were heavier and with lower gestational age. Heart failures were diagnosed in five (16.1% infants of diabetic mothers and in one (1.4% infant of a healthy woman (p<0.01. Respiratory disorders were diagnosed in 48.4% infants of diabetic mothers and in 12.6% of healthy mothers (p<0.01. Forty-two percent of infants of diabetic mothers and 19.7% infants of healthy mothers needed additional oxygen. Conclusion. Congenital anomalies of the cardiovascular system and respiratory disorders in the infants of diabetic mothers were six to eight

Appearance of normal brain maturation on 1.5-T MR images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barkovich, A.J.; Kjos, B.; Jackson, D.E. Jr.; Norman, D.

1987-01-01

To investigate the pattern of normal white-matter maturation as demonstrated by high-field-strength MR imaging, 82 normal infants were examined using a 1.5-T unit with spin-echo T1-weighted and T2-weighted pulse sequences. The infants ranged in age from 4 days to 2 years. The scans were assessed for qualitative changes of white matter relative to gray matter and correlated with the patient's age in 14 anatomic areas of the brain. The MR images showed that changes of brain maturation occur in an orderly manner, commencing in the brain stem and progressing to the cerebellum and the cerebrum. Changes from brain myelination were seen earlier on T1-weighted images than on T2-weighted images, possibly because of T1 shortening by the components of the developing myelin sheaths. The later changes on the T2-weighted images correlated best with the development of myelination, as demonstrated by histochemical methods. T1-weighted images were most useful to monitor normal brain development in the first 6 to 8 months of life; T2-weighted images were more useful after 6 months. The milestones in the MR appearance of normal maturation of the brain are presented. The milestones in the MR appearance of normal maturation of the brain are presented. Persistent areas of long T2 relaxation times are seen superior and dorsal to the ventricular trigone in all infants examined and should not be mistaken for ischemic change

Fatty acid composition of human milk and infant formulas

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Ivančica Delaš

2005-04-01

Full Text Available The appropriate fatty acid composition of membrane lipids is necessary for structure and function of the developing nervous system. Rapid synthesis of brain tissue occurs during the last trimester of pregnancy and the early postnatal weeks. This synthesis of brain structure involves the formation of complex lipids, many of which contain significant quantities of essential fatty acids and their higher homologs. This study was undertaken to elucidate how fatty acid compositions of available diets for infants meet the requirements for essential fatty acids. Samples of infant formulas, present on the market, as well as milk samples obtained from breast feeding mothers, were extracted by chloroform : methanol mixtures in order to obtain total lipids. Fatty acid methyl esters were prepared and fatty acid composition was revealed by gas chromatography. Special interest was directed to the content of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. The results have shown that infant formulas, designed to substitute mothers’ breast milk, contain medium chain fatty acids (C 10:0, C 12:0, along with the other saturated fatty acids, in the amounts acceptable for infants’ energy consumption. Although linoleic acid (C18:2, n-6 was present at the level expected to cover needs for essential fatty acids, most of the tested products did not contain sufficient amounts of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, despite the fact that these fatty acids are necessary for undisturbed brain development, ignoring the strong recommendations that they should be used as a supplement in infants’ food.

Mapping White Matter Microstructure in the One Month Human Brain.

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Dean, D C; Planalp, E M; Wooten, W; Adluru, N; Kecskemeti, S R; Frye, C; Schmidt, C K; Schmidt, N L; Styner, M A; Goldsmith, H H; Davidson, R J; Alexander, A L

2017-08-29

White matter microstructure, essential for efficient and coordinated transmission of neural communications, undergoes pronounced development during the first years of life, while deviations to this neurodevelopmental trajectory likely result in alterations of brain connectivity relevant to behavior. Hence, systematic evaluation of white matter microstructure in the normative brain is critical for a neuroscientific approach to both typical and atypical early behavioral development. However, few studies have examined the infant brain in detail, particularly in infants under 3 months of age. Here, we utilize quantitative techniques of diffusion tensor imaging and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging to investigate neonatal white matter microstructure in 104 infants. An optimized multiple b-value diffusion protocol was developed to allow for successful acquisition during non-sedated sleep. Associations between white matter microstructure measures and gestation corrected age, regional asymmetries, infant sex, as well as newborn growth measures were assessed. Results highlight changes of white matter microstructure during the earliest periods of development and demonstrate differential timing of developing regions and regional asymmetries. Our results contribute to a growing body of research investigating the neurobiological changes associated with neurodevelopment and suggest that characteristics of white matter microstructure are already underway in the weeks immediately following birth.

Zika Virus RNA Replication and Persistence in Brain and Placental Tissue

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Rabeneck, Demi B.; Martines, Roosecelis B.; Reagan-Steiner, Sarah; Ermias, Yokabed; Estetter, Lindsey B.C.; Suzuki, Tadaki; Ritter, Jana; Keating, M. Kelly; Hale, Gillian; Gary, Joy; Muehlenbachs, Atis; Lambert, Amy; Lanciotti, Robert; Oduyebo, Titilope; Meaney-Delman, Dana; Bolaños, Fernando; Saad, Edgar Alberto Parra; Shieh, Wun-Ju; Zaki, Sherif R.

2017-01-01

Zika virus is causally linked with congenital microcephaly and may be associated with pregnancy loss. However, the mechanisms of Zika virus intrauterine transmission and replication and its tropism and persistence in tissues are poorly understood. We tested tissues from 52 case-patients: 8 infants with microcephaly who died and 44 women suspected of being infected with Zika virus during pregnancy. By reverse transcription PCR, tissues from 32 (62%) case-patients (brains from 8 infants with microcephaly and placental/fetal tissues from 24 women) were positive for Zika virus. In situ hybridization localized replicative Zika virus RNA in brains of 7 infants and in placentas of 9 women who had pregnancy losses during the first or second trimester. These findings demonstrate that Zika virus replicates and persists in fetal brains and placentas, providing direct evidence of its association with microcephaly. Tissue-based reverse transcription PCR extends the time frame of Zika virus detection in congenital and pregnancy-associated infections. PMID:27959260

Maternal affect and quality of parenting experiences are related to amygdala response to infant faces.

Science.gov (United States)

Barrett, Jennifer; Wonch, Kathleen E; Gonzalez, Andrea; Ali, Nida; Steiner, Meir; Hall, Geoffrey B; Fleming, Alison S

2012-01-01

We examined how individual differences in mood and anxiety in the early postpartum period are related to brain response to infant stimuli during fMRI, with particular focus on regions implicated in both maternal behavior and mood/anxiety, that is, the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) and the amygdala. At approximately 3 months postpartum, 22 mothers completed an affect-rating task (ART) during fMRI, where their affective response to infant stimuli was explicitly probed. Mothers viewed/rated four infant face conditions: own positive (OP), own negative (ON), unfamiliar positive (UP), and unfamiliar negative (UN). Mood and anxiety were measured by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EDPS) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait Version (STAI-T); maternal factors related to parental stress and attachment were also assessed. Brain-imaging data underwent a random-effects analysis, and cluster-based statistical thresholding was applied to the following contrasts: OP-UP, ON-UN, OP-ON, and UP-UN. Our main finding was that poorer quality of maternal experience was significantly related to reduced amygdala response to OP compared to UP infant faces. Our results suggest that, in human mothers, infant-related amygdala function may be an important factor in maternal anxiety/mood, in quality of mothering, and in individual differences in the motivation to mother. We are very grateful to the staff at the Imaging Research Center of the Brain-Body Institute for their contributions to this project. This work was supported by an Ontario Mental Health Foundation operating grant awarded to Alison Fleming and a postdoctoral fellowship awarded to Jennifer Barrett.

Comparing brain white matter on sequential cranial ultrasound and MRI in very preterm infants

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Leijser, Lara M.; Veen, Sylvia; Boer, Inge P. de; Walther, Frans J.; Wezel-Meijler, Gerda van [Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Albinusdreef 2, P.O. Box 9600, Leiden (Netherlands); Liauw, Lishya [Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Division of Neuroradiology, Albinusdreef 2, P.O. Box 9600, Leiden (Netherlands)

2008-09-15

Periventricular white matter (WM) echodensities, frequently seen in preterm infants, can be associated with suboptimal neurodevelopment. Major WM injury is well detected on cranial ultrasound (cUS). cUS seems less sensitive for diffuse or more subtle WM injury. Our aim was to assess the value of cUS and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for evaluating WM changes and the predictive value of cUS and/or MRI findings for neurodevelopmental outcome in very preterm infants with normal to severely abnormal WM on sequential high-quality cUS. Very preterm infants (<32 weeks) who had sequential cUS and one MRI within the first three postnatal months were included. Periventricular WM on cUS and MRI was compared and correlated with neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years corrected age. Forty preterm infants were studied; outcome data were available in 32. WM changes on sequential cUS were predictive of WM changes on MRI. Severely abnormal WM on cUS/MRI was predictive of adverse outcome, and normal-mildly abnormal WM of favorable outcome. Moderately abnormal WM on cUS/MRI was associated with variable outcome. Additional MRI slightly increased the predictive value of cUS in severe WM changes. Sequential cUS in preterm infants is reliable for detecting WM changes and predicting favorable and severely abnormal outcome. Conventional and diffusion-weighted MRI sequences before term equivalent age in very preterm infants, suggested on cUS to have mild to moderately abnormal WM, do not seem to be warranted. (orig.)

Comparing brain white matter on sequential cranial ultrasound and MRI in very preterm infants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leijser, Lara M.; Veen, Sylvia; Boer, Inge P. de; Walther, Frans J.; Wezel-Meijler, Gerda van; Liauw, Lishya

2008-01-01

Periventricular white matter (WM) echodensities, frequently seen in preterm infants, can be associated with suboptimal neurodevelopment. Major WM injury is well detected on cranial ultrasound (cUS). cUS seems less sensitive for diffuse or more subtle WM injury. Our aim was to assess the value of cUS and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for evaluating WM changes and the predictive value of cUS and/or MRI findings for neurodevelopmental outcome in very preterm infants with normal to severely abnormal WM on sequential high-quality cUS. Very preterm infants (<32 weeks) who had sequential cUS and one MRI within the first three postnatal months were included. Periventricular WM on cUS and MRI was compared and correlated with neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years corrected age. Forty preterm infants were studied; outcome data were available in 32. WM changes on sequential cUS were predictive of WM changes on MRI. Severely abnormal WM on cUS/MRI was predictive of adverse outcome, and normal-mildly abnormal WM of favorable outcome. Moderately abnormal WM on cUS/MRI was associated with variable outcome. Additional MRI slightly increased the predictive value of cUS in severe WM changes. Sequential cUS in preterm infants is reliable for detecting WM changes and predicting favorable and severely abnormal outcome. Conventional and diffusion-weighted MRI sequences before term equivalent age in very preterm infants, suggested on cUS to have mild to moderately abnormal WM, do not seem to be warranted. (orig.)

Unique neurobiology during the sensitive period for attachment produces distinctive infant trauma processing

Science.gov (United States)

Opendak, Maya; Sullivan, Regina M.

2016-01-01

Background Trauma has neurobehavioral effects when experienced at any stage of development, but trauma experienced in early life has unique neurobehavioral outcomes related to later life psychiatric sequelae. Recent evidence has further highlighted the context of infant trauma as a critical variable in determining its immediate and enduring consequences. Trauma experienced from an attachment figure, such as occurs in cases of caregiver child maltreatment, is particularly detrimental. Methods Using data primarily from rodent models, we review the literature on the interaction between trauma and attachment in early life, which highlights the role of the caregiver’s presence in engagement of attachment brain circuitry and suppressing threat processing by the amygdala. We then consider how trauma with and without the caregiver produces long-term changes in emotionality and behavior, and suggest that these experiences initiate distinct pathways to pathology. Results Together these data suggest that infant trauma processing and its enduring effects are impacted by both the immaturity of brain areas for processing trauma and the unique functioning of the early-life brain, which is biased toward processing information within the attachment circuitry. Conclusion An understanding of developmental differences in trauma processing as well as the critical role of the caregiver in further altering early life brain processing of trauma is important for developing age-relevant treatment and interventions. Highlights of this article Trauma experienced in early life has been linked with life-long outcomes for mental health through a mechanism that remains unclear. Trauma experienced in the presence of a caregiver has unique consequences. The infant brain is predisposed toward processing information using attachment circuitry rather than threat circuitry. Data from rodent models suggest that repeated trauma in the presence of a caregiver prematurely engages brain areas important

High incidence of hydrocephalus following prenatal exposure to X-irradiation at early gestational stage in mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aolad, H.; Inouye, Minoru; Hayasaka, Shizu; Darmanto, W.; Murata, Yoshiharu

1998-01-01

Hydrocephalus is one of the severe brain anomalies. Several causes of congenital hydrocephalus have been reported and, it is known that radiation is one of those. The current study was designed to obtain postnatally viable hydrocephalic offspring at a high incidence following X-radiation. This finding will be helpful to elucidate the mechanism of congenital hydrocephalus caused by X-radiation. Twenty pregnant Slc:ICR mice, 5 in each group, were exposed to X-irradiation at a dose of 1.0 Gy on gestational days 7 (G7), G8, G9 or G10. The incidence of hydrocephalus was high in the group exposed on G7. An additional 21 pregnant mice were then exposed to a dose of 1.2 Gy, 1.3 Gy, 1.4 Gy or 1.5 Gy X-radiation on G7. The highest incidence of hydrocephalic offspring was found following exposure to 1.4 Gy X-radiation. (author)

Family nurture intervention in preterm infants increases early development of cortical activity and independence of regional power trajectories.

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Welch, Martha G; Stark, Raymond I; Grieve, Philip G; Ludwig, Robert J; Isler, Joseph R; Barone, Joseph L; Myers, Michael M

2017-12-01

Premature delivery and maternal separation during hospitalisation increase infant neurodevelopmental risk. Previously, a randomised controlled trial of Family Nurture Intervention (FNI) in the neonatal intensive care unit demonstrated improvement across multiple mother and infant domains including increased electroencephalographic (EEG) power in the frontal polar region at term age. New aims were to quantify developmental changes in EEG power in all brain regions and frequencies and correlate developmental changes in EEG power among regions. EEG (128 electrodes) was obtained at 34-44 weeks postmenstrual age from preterm infants born 26-34 weeks. Forty-four infants were treated with Standard Care and 53 with FNI. EEG power was computed in 10 frequency bands (1-48 Hz) in 10 brain regions and in active and quiet sleep. Percent change/week in EEG power was increased in FNI in 132/200 tests (p regional independence in those developmental rates of change. This study strengthens the conclusion that FNI promotes cerebral cortical development of preterm infants. The findings indicate that developmental changes in EEG may provide biomarkers for risk in preterm infants as well as proximal markers of effects of FNI. ©2017 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Anatomy of the infant head

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bosma, J.F.

1986-01-01

This text is mainly an atlas of illustration representing the dissection of the head and upper neck of the infant. It was prepared by the author over a 20-year period. The commentary compares the anatomy of the near-term infant with that of a younger fetus, child, and adult. As the author indicates, the dearth of anatomic information about postnatal anatomic changes represents a considerable handicap to those imaging infants. In part 1 of the book, anatomy is related to physiologic performance involving the pharynx, larynx, and mouth. Sequential topics involve the regional anatomy of the head (excluding the brain), the skeleton of the cranium, the nose, orbit, mouth, larynx, pharynx, and ear. To facilitate use of this text as a reference, the illustrations and text on individual organs are considered separately (i.e., the nose, the orbit, the eye, the mouth, the larynx, the pharynx, and the ear). Each part concerned with a separate organ includes materials from the regional illustrations contained in part 2 and from the skeleton, which is treated in part 3. Also included in a summary of the embryologic and fetal development of the organ

Gender differences in the incentive salience of adult and infant faces.

Science.gov (United States)

Hahn, Amanda C; Xiao, Dengke; Sprengelmeyer, Reiner; Perrett, David I

2013-01-01

Facial appearance can motivate behaviour and elicit activation of brain circuits putatively involved in reward. Gender differences have been observed for motivation to view beauty in adult faces--heterosexual women are motivated by beauty in general, while heterosexual men are motivated to view opposite-sex beauty alone. Although gender differences have been observed in sensitivity to infant cuteness, infant faces appear to hold equal incentive salience among men and women. In the present study, we investigated the incentive salience of attractiveness and cuteness in adult and infant faces, respectively. We predicted that, given alternative viewing options, gender differences would emerge for motivation to view infant faces. Heterosexual participants completed a "pay-per-view" key-press task, which allowed them to control stimulus duration. Gender differences were found such that infants held greater incentive salience among women, although both sexes differentiated infant faces based on cuteness. Among adult faces, men exerted more effort than women to view opposite-sex faces. These findings suggest that, contrary to previous reports, gender differences do exist in the incentive salience of infant faces as well as opposite-sex faces.

Evolution of brain and culture: the neurological and cognitive journey from Australopithecus to Albert Einstein.

Science.gov (United States)

Falk, Dean

2016-06-20

Fossil and comparative primatological evidence suggest that alterations in the development of prehistoric hominin infants kindled three consecutive evolutionary-developmental (evo-devo) trends that, ultimately, paved the way for the evolution of the human brain and cognition. In the earliest trend, infants' development of posture and locomotion became delayed because of anatomical changes that accompanied the prolonged evolution of bipedalism. Because modern humans have inherited these changes, our babies are much slower than other primates to reach developmental milestones such as standing, crawling, and walking. The delay in ancestral babies' physical development eventually precipitated an evolutionary reversal in which they became increasing unable to cling independently to their mothers. For the first time in prehistory, babies were, thus, periodically deprived of direct physical contact with their mothers. This prompted the emergence of a second evo-devo trend in which infants sought contact comfort from caregivers using evolved signals, including new ways of crying that are conserved in modern babies. Such signaling stimulated intense reciprocal interactions between prehistoric mothers and infants that seeded the eventual emergence of motherese and, subsequently, protolanguage. The third trend was for an extreme acceleration in brain growth that began prior to the last trimester of gestation and continued through infants' first postnatal year (early "brain spurt"). Conservation of this trend in modern babies explains why human brains reach adult sizes that are over three times those of chimpanzees. The fossil record of hominin cranial capacities together with comparative neuroanatomical data suggest that, around 3 million years ago, early brain spurts began to facilitate an evolutionary trajectory for increasingly large adult brains in association with neurological reorganization. The prehistoric increase in brain size eventually caused parturition to become

Paediatrics brain imaging in epilepsy: common presenting symptoms and spectrum of abnormalities detected on MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ali, A.; Akram, F.; Khan, G.; Hussain, S.

2017-01-01

Epilepsy, a common neurological disorder can present at any age and has a number of aetiologies with underlying brain disease being the most common aetiology. Brain imaging becomes important and mandatory in the work up for epilepsy in localization and lateralization of the seizure focus. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the department of Radiology Ayub Medical Teaching Institution Abbottabad from 1st March 2015 to 31st March 2016. A total of 209 children aged 28 days to 14 years were included in the study who presented with seizures to clinicians. Information obtained from history, clinical examination and investigations especially MRI brains were recorded in a prescribed pro forma. The data was analysed in SPSS 20. Results: MRI examination was unremarkable in 44.01% (n=92) and mild generalized brain atrophy was noted in 12.91% (n=27). Arachnoid cysts, mild unilateral brain atrophy and hydrocephalous due to aqueduct stenosis were recorded in 3.82% (n=8) of each group. Neoplastic lesions were the second most common abnormal MRI finding and constituted 5.74% (n=12). Leukodystrophy was diagnosed in 4.78% (n=10). MRI examination showed ring enhancing lesions (tuberculomas) and AVM in 1.43% (n=3) of each group. Perinatal ischemia and intracranial infection, (focal or generalized) were recorded in 2.87% (n=6) of each group. A 0.95 % (n=2) of children in each group had agenesis of corpus callosum and cavernoma. The radiological MRI diagnosis of Raussmussen encephalitis was made in 3.34% (n=7). Single case, each of mesial temporal sclerosis, subdural haemorrhage, infarct and craniopharyngioma was recorded making 0.47 % of the total patients in each case. Conclusion: MRI examination was abnormal in significant number of patients (55.86%), so therefore if properly utilized, in a good clinical context, this can identify most of the structural brain abnormalities in paediatric patients presenting with seizures. (author)

Music From the Very Beginning—A Neuroscience-Based Framework for Music as Therapy for Preterm Infants and Their Parents

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Friederike Barbara Haslbeck

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Human and animal studies demonstrate that early auditory experiences influence brain development. The findings are particularly crucial following preterm birth as the plasticity of auditory regions, and cortex development are heavily dependent on the quality of auditory stimulation. Brain maturation in preterm infants may be affected among other things by the overwhelming auditory environment of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU. Conversely, auditory deprivation, (e.g., the lack of the regular intrauterine rhythms of the maternal heartbeat and the maternal voice may also have an impact on brain maturation. Therefore, a nurturing enrichment of the auditory environment for preterm infants is warranted. Creative music therapy (CMT addresses these demands by offering infant-directed singing in lullaby-style that is continually adapted to the neonate’s needs. The therapeutic approach is tailored to the individual developmental stage, entrained to the breathing rhythm, and adapted to the subtle expressions of the newborn. Not only the therapist and the neonate but also the parents play a role in CMT. In this article, we describe how to apply music therapy in a neonatal intensive care environment to support very preterm infants and their families. We speculate that the enriched musical experience may promote brain development and we critically discuss the available evidence in support of our assumption.

“Did You Call Me?” 5-Month-Old Infants Own Name Guides Their Attention

Science.gov (United States)

Parise, Eugenio; Friederici, Angela D.; Striano, Tricia

2010-01-01

An infant's own name is a unique social cue. Infants are sensitive to their own name by 4 months of age, but whether they use their names as a social cue is unknown. Electroencephalogram (EEG) was measured as infants heard their own name or stranger's names and while looking at novel objects. Event related brain potentials (ERPs) in response to names revealed that infants differentiate their own name from stranger names from the first phoneme. The amplitude of the ERPs to objects indicated that infants attended more to objects after hearing their own names compared to another name. Thus, by 5 months of age infants not only detect their name, but also use it as a social cue to guide their attention to events and objects in the world. PMID:21151971

Neuroendocrine Inflammatory Responses in Overweight/Obese Infants.

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Ana Cristina Resende Camargos

Full Text Available Childhood obesity is related to a cascade of neuroendocrine inflammatory changes. However, there remains a gap in the current literature regarding the possible occurrence of these changes in overweight/obese infants. The objective of this study was to evaluate adipokines, cortisol, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF and redox status in overweight/obese infants versus normal-weight peers. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 50 infants (25 in the overweight/obese group and 25 in the normal-weight group between 6 and 24 months. Plasma levels of leptin, adiponectin, resistin, soluble tumor necrosis factor (TNF receptors, chemokines, BDNF, serum cortisol and redox status were measured. Unpaired Student's t-test was used to analyze the results and a probability of p<0.05 was acceptable for rejection of the null hypothesis. The Pearson correlation was used to verify the association between the biomarkers analyzed in each group. Plasma levels of leptin (p = 0.0001, adiponectin (p = 0.0007 and BDNF (p = 0.003, and serum cortisol (p = 0.048 were significantly higher in overweight/obese infants than normal-weight infants. In contrast, the concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS (p = 0.004, and catalase (p = 0.045 and superoxide dismutase activity (p = 0.02 were lower in overweight/obese infants than normal-weight peers. All the results together indicate neuroendocrine inflammatory response changes in overweight/obese infants between 6 and 24 months. Although there is already an environment that predisposes for a subsequent pro-inflammatory response, neuroendocrine secretion changes that permit the control of the inflammatory process in this age interval can be observed.

Mortality, neonatal morbidity and two year follow-up of extremely preterm infants born in The Netherlands in 2007.

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Cornelia G de Waal

Full Text Available Extremely preterm infants are at high risk of neonatal mortality and adverse outcome. Survival rates are slowly improving, but increased survival may come at the expense of more handicaps.Prospective population-based cohort study of all infants born at 23 to 27 weeks of gestation in The Netherlands in 2007. 276 of 345 (80% infants were born alive. Early neonatal death occurred in 96 (34.8% live born infants, including 61 cases of delivery room death. 29 (10.5% infants died during the late neonatal period. Survival rates for live born infants at 23, 24, 25 and 26 weeks of gestation were 0%, 6.7%, 57.9% and 71% respectively. 43.1% of 144 surviving infants developed severe neonatal morbidity (retinopathy of prematurity grade ≥3, bronchopulmonary dysplasia and/or severe brain injury. At two years of age 70.6% of the children had no disability, 17.6% was mild disabled and 11.8% had a moderate-to-severe disability. Severe brain injury (p = 0.028, retinopathy of prematurity grade ≥3 (p = 0.024, low gestational age (p = 0.019 and non-Dutch nationality of the mother (p = 0.004 increased the risk of disability.52% of extremely preterm infants born in The Netherlands in 2007 survived. Surviving infants had less severe neonatal morbidity compared to previous studies. At two years of age less than 30% of the infants were disabled. Disability was associated with gestational age and neonatal morbidity.

Neonatal outcomes following extensive cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the delivery room for infants born at less than 33 weeks gestational age.

Science.gov (United States)

Soraisham, Amuchou Singh; Lodha, Abhay Kumar; Singhal, Nalini; Aziz, Khalid; Yang, Junmin; Lee, Shoo K; Shah, Prakesh S

2014-02-01

To examine the neonatal mortality and morbidity of infants born at CPR) immediately after birth. In this retrospective cohort study, we performed secondary analyses of data from infants born at Neonatal Network between January 2010 and December 2011. Infants were divided into two groups based on birth weight (neonatal morbidity and mortality compared using bivariate and multivariate analyses. Of the 8033 eligible infants, 419 (5.2%) received DR-CPR. For infants weighing CPR, whereas 3.4% (outborn: 9.6%, inborn: 2.2%) of those weighing ≥1000 g received DR-CPR. If infants received DR-CPR there was increased risk of mortality, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and severe brain injury. Logistic regression analysis showed DR-CPR was associated with increased mortality (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.09, 95% CI [1.39, 3.14]) in infants born weighing CPR was associated with increased mortality (aOR: 7.16, 95% CI [3.88, 13.2]), severe brain injury (aOR: 3.08, 95% CI [1.82, 5.22]), BPD (aOR: 2.14, 95% CI [1.25, 3.65]), pneumothorax (aOR: 3.11, 95% CI [1.53, 6.31]) and intestinal perforation (aOR: 3.47, 95% CI [1.46, 8.24]). DR-CPR is associated with increased risk of mortality and morbidity especially in preterm infants born weighing ≥1000 g. Long-term neurodevelopmental follow up is warranted for these infants.

The impact of prenatal and neonatal infection on neurodevelopmental outcomes in very preterm infants

OpenAIRE

Lee, Iris; Neil, Jeffrey J.; Huettner, Phyllis C.; Smyser, Christopher D.; Rogers, Cynthia E.; Shimony, Joshua S.; Kidokoro, Hiroyuki; Mysorekar, Indira U.; Inder, Terrie E.

2014-01-01

Objective Determine the association of prenatal and neonatal infections with neurodevelopmental outcomes in very preterm infants. Study Design Secondary retrospective analysis of 155 very preterm infants at a single tertiary referral center. General linear or logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association with hospital factors; brain injury, growth, and development; and neurobehavioral outcome. Result Necrotizing enterocolitis with sepsis was associated with reduced transcer...

Home environment, brain injury, & school performance in LBW survivors.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahoney, Ashley Darcy; Pinto-Martin, Jennifer; Hanlon, Alexandra

2014-01-01

There has been substantial research on low birthweight (LBW) as a predictor of adverse educational and cognitive outcomes. LBW infants perform worse on cognitive battery tests compared to children born at normal birthweight; however, children exposed to similar risks do not all share the same experiences. The complex, interrelated factors responsible for poor cognitive and achievement performance vary for different populations, but researchers hypothesize that the home environment may influence the infants' long-term health outcomes. Examine the home environment as a moderator in the causal pathway from neonatal brain injury to school performance in a secondary analysis of a prospectively studied, geographically defined cohort from the Neonatal Brain Hemorrhage Study. The secondary analysis sample included 543 infants with birthweights of 501 to 2,000 g who were born consecutively in three community hospitals in New Jersey between 1984 and 1986. School performance at age 9 was measured by the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement. The home environment variables were tested and analyzed using multistep hierarchical regression modeling. A moderating effect between the variable neighborhood observations and brain injury was demonstrated for the outcome math score. The moderating relationship was found in the category of children without brain injury (β = 1.76, p = .005). There were statistically significant and potentially clinical meaningful models when looking at the home environmental variables as they relate to reading and math scores. The findings suggest that at least one variable within a LBW child's socio-environmental milieu can moderate the effects of perinatal brain injury on school performance outcomes.

Repair of neonatal brain injury : bringing stem cell-based therapy into clinical practice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wagenaar, Nienke; Nijboer, Cora H.; van Bel, Frank

2017-01-01

Hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury is one of most important causes of neonatal mortality and long-term neurological morbidity in infants born at term. At present, only hypothermia in infants with perinatal hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy has shown benefit as a neuroprotective strategy. Otherwise,

Decoding Pedophilia: Increased Anterior Insula Response to Infant Animal Pictures

OpenAIRE

Ponseti, Jorge; Bruhn, Daniel; Nolting, Julia; Gerwinn, Hannah; Pohl, Alexander; Stirn, Aglaja; Granert, Oliver; Laufs, Helmut; Deuschl, Günther; Wolff, Stephan; Jansen, Olav; Siebner, Hartwig; Briken, Peer; Mohnke, Sebastian; Amelung, Till

2018-01-01

Previous research found increased brain responses of men with sexual interest in children (i.e., pedophiles) not only to pictures of naked children but also to pictures of child faces. This opens the possibly that pedophilia is linked (in addition to or instead of an aberrant sexual system) to an over-active nurturing system. To test this hypothesis we exposed pedophiles and healthy controls to pictures of infant and adult animals during functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. By ...

[Effect of nutrition on growth and neurodevelopment in the preterm infant: a systematic review].

Science.gov (United States)

Aguilar Cordero, María José; Sánchez López, A M; Mur Villar, N; Hermoso Rodríguez, E; Latorre García, J

2014-10-31

The energy needs of preterm infants are high and more so when the body weight is lower; for this reason, and to safeguard the infant's future development, it is important to ensure an optimal caloric intake is obtained. To analyse leading research papers related to nutrition in the preterm newborn and its effects on growth and development. Systematic review of relevant studies, based on the application of a search strategy, from March to September 2014. The literature search was conducted using document analysis and information synthesis to classify and compile the information extracted, followed by a comparative evaluation. The validity of the articles obtained was corroborated by the weight of findings obtained, by the citations received by the articles and by their applicability to our healthcare environment. The search process produced 61 studies that met the selection criteria. The research question addressed has been widely examined and many studies have reported findings related to the nutrition of preterm infants. The direct relationship between nutritional intake and the growth rate of preterm infants is well documented. Proper nutrition in the preterm infant has positive effects on its growth and neurodevelopment. It has been reported that a greater intake of proteins and lipids favours the growth of preterm infants, but not weight gain. Studies have demonstrated the beneficial effect of breast milk on the brain, the retina and the blood vessels; however, there is a negative correlation between adiposity and brain volume. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

The influence of septicaemia on spontaneous motility in preterm infants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bos, AF; van Asperen, RM; de Leeuw, DM; Prechtl, HFR

1997-01-01

The qualitative assessment of general movements (GMs) in preterm infants is a sensitive method to investigate the integrity of the central nervous system. The question arises whether systemic infections affect the quality of GMs in a similar fashion to brain lesions. We were able to provide an

When Infants Talk, Infants Listen: Pre-Babbling Infants Prefer Listening to Speech with Infant Vocal Properties

Science.gov (United States)

Masapollo, Matthew; Polka, Linda; Ménard, Lucie

2016-01-01

To learn to produce speech, infants must effectively monitor and assess their own speech output. Yet very little is known about how infants perceive speech produced by an infant, which has higher voice pitch and formant frequencies compared to adult or child speech. Here, we tested whether pre-babbling infants (at 4-6 months) prefer listening to…

Practical MRI atlas of neonatal brain development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barkovich, A.J.; Truwit, C.L.

1990-01-01

This book is an anatomical reference for cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies in neonates and infants. It contains 122 clear, sharp MRI scans and drawings showing changes in the normal appearance of the brain and skull during development. Sections of the atlas depict the major processes of maturation: brain myelination, development of the corpus callosum, development of the cranial bone marrow, and iron deposition in the brain. High-quality scans illustrate how these changes appear on magnetic resonance images during various stages of development

Early amplitude‐integrated electroencephalography for monitoring neonates at high risk for brain injury

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Gabriel Fernando Todeschi Variane

2017-09-01

Conclusion: This study supports previous results and demonstrates the utility of amplitude‐integrated electroencephalography for monitoring brain function and predicting early outcome in the studied groups of infants at high risk for brain injury.

Visual Sonority Modulates Infants' Attraction to Sign Language

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Stone, Adam; Petitto, Laura-Ann; Bosworth, Rain

2018-01-01

The infant brain may be predisposed to identify perceptually salient cues that are common to both signed and spoken languages. Recent theory based on spoken languages has advanced sonority as one of these potential language acquisition cues. Using a preferential looking paradigm with an infrared eye tracker, we explored visual attention of hearing…

A Monitoring Tool of Infant and Toddler Movement Skills

Science.gov (United States)

Leitschuh, Carol A.; Harring, Jeffrey R.; Dunn, Winnie

2014-01-01

Physical activity in infancy is essential for early brain development. Development in the early years is the most rapid at any time during life. Monitoring functional movement skills of infants and toddlers frequently (3-week intervals) and quickly (minutes) produces information on whether development is on track or in need of intervention. To…

Docosahexaenoic Acid and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes of Term Infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Meldrum, Suzanne; Simmer, Karen

2016-01-01

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid, is essential for normal brain development. DHA is found predominantly in seafood, fish oil, breastmilk and supplemented formula. DHA intake in Western countries is often below recommendations. Observational studies have demonstrated an association between DHA intake in pregnancy and neurodevelopment of offspring but cannot fully adjust for confounding factors that influence child development. Randomised clinical trials of DHA supplementation during pregnancy and/or lactation, and of term infants, have not shown a consistent benefit nor harm on neurodevelopment of healthy children born at term. The evidence does not support DHA supplementation of healthy pregnant and lactating women, nor healthy infants. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

On Cuteness: Unlocking the Parental Brain and Beyond.

Science.gov (United States)

Kringelbach, Morten L; Stark, Eloise A; Alexander, Catherine; Bornstein, Marc H; Stein, Alan

2016-07-01

Cuteness in offspring is a potent protective mechanism that ensures survival for otherwise completely dependent infants. Previous research has linked cuteness to early ethological ideas of a 'Kindchenschema' (infant schema) where infant facial features serve as 'innate releasing mechanisms' for instinctual caregiving behaviours. We propose extending the concept of cuteness beyond visual features to include positive infant sounds and smells. Evidence from behavioural and neuroimaging studies links this extended concept of cuteness to simple 'instinctual' behaviours and to caregiving, protection, and complex emotions. We review how cuteness supports key parental capacities by igniting fast privileged neural activity followed by slower processing in large brain networks also involved in play, empathy, and perhaps even higher-order moral emotions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Neurodevelopmental status of infants and young children treated for brain tumors with preirradiation chemotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mulhern, R.K.; Horowitz, M.E.; Kovnar, E.H.; Langston, J.; Sanford, R.A.; Kun, L.E.

1989-01-01

In an effort to reduce the severity of late neurotoxicities associated with cranial irradiation, 14 infants and young children with malignant brain tumors were given preirradiation chemotherapy for 2 to 22 months (median, 8 months). Prospective neurodevelopmental evaluations were routinely conducted and now extend from 35 to 60 months (median, 41 months) postdiagnosis, and 10 to 52 months (median, 31 months) postirradiation in the 12 surviving children. At the initiation of chemotherapy, less than one fourth of the patients displayed normal performance status or mental functioning on age-corrected tests; the majority remained stable or declined while receiving chemotherapy. Declining mental development and adaptive behavior were noted in six patients following radiation therapy with only two patients now functioning in the normal range for age. The analysis suggests that neurodevelopmental progress is a function of multiple factors, including neurologic and sensorimotor deficits associated with the tumor, surgical intervention, and chemotherapy that antedated radiation therapy. This implies that delaying irradiation will not necessarily improve the patients' functional status. Whether the interval of postponement of irradiation evidenced in this sample will translate into an ultimately better quality of life remains unknown. Given the probable interaction of multiple risk factors, well-controlled prospective clinical trials are needed to definitively analyze this issue

Plasticity in the Neonatal Brain following Hypoxic-Ischaemic Injury

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Eridan Rocha-Ferreira

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Hypoxic-ischaemic damage to the developing brain is a leading cause of child death, with high mortality and morbidity, including cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and cognitive disabilities. The developmental stage of the brain and the severity of the insult influence the selective regional vulnerability and the subsequent clinical manifestations. The increased susceptibility to hypoxia-ischaemia (HI of periventricular white matter in preterm infants predisposes the immature brain to motor, cognitive, and sensory deficits, with cognitive impairment associated with earlier gestational age. In term infants HI causes selective damage to sensorimotor cortex, basal ganglia, thalamus, and brain stem. Even though the immature brain is more malleable to external stimuli compared to the adult one, a hypoxic-ischaemic event to the neonate interrupts the shaping of central motor pathways and can affect normal developmental plasticity through altering neurotransmission, changes in cellular signalling, neural connectivity and function, wrong targeted innervation, and interruption of developmental apoptosis. Models of neonatal HI demonstrate three morphologically different types of cell death, that is, apoptosis, necrosis, and autophagy, which crosstalk and can exist as a continuum in the same cell. In the present review we discuss the mechanisms of HI injury to the immature brain and the way they affect plasticity.

Social cues at encoding affect memory in 4-month-old infants.

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Kopp, Franziska; Lindenberger, Ulman

2012-01-01

Available evidence suggests that infants use adults' social cues for learning by the second half of the first year of life. However, little is known about the short-term or long-term effects of joint attention interactions on learning and memory in younger infants. In the present study, 4-month-old infants were familiarized with visually presented objects in either of two conditions that differed in the degree of joint attention (high vs. low). Brain activity in response to familiar and novel objects was assessed immediately after the familiarization phase (immediate recognition), and following a 1-week delay (delayed recognition). The latency of the Nc component differentiated between recognition of old versus new objects. Pb amplitude and latency were affected by joint attention in delayed recognition. Moreover, the frequency of infant gaze to the experimenter during familiarization differed between the two experimental groups and modulated the Pb response. Results show that joint attention affects the mechanisms of long-term retention in 4-month-old infants. We conclude that joint attention helps children at this young age to recognize the relevance of learned items.

Intravenous Lipids for Preterm Infants: A Review

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Ghassan S. A. Salama

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Extremely low birth weight infants (ELBW are born at a time when the fetus is undergoing rapid intrauterine brain and body growth. Continuation of this growth in the first several weeks postnatally during the time these infants are on ventilator support and receiving critical care is often a challenge. These infants are usually highly stressed and at risk for catabolism. Parenteral nutrition is needed in these infants because most cannot meet the majority of their nutritional needs using the enteral route. Despite adoption of a more aggressive approach with amino acid infusions, there still appears to be a reluctance to use early intravenous lipids. This is based on several dogmas that suggest that lipid infusions may be associated with the development or exacerbation of lung disease, displace bilirubin from albumin, exacerbate sepsis, and cause CNS injury and thrombocytopena. Several recent reviews have focused on intravenous nutrition for premature neonate, but very little exists that provides a comprehensive review of intravenous lipid for very low birth and other critically ill neonates. Here, we would like to provide a brief basic overview, of lipid biochemistry and metabolism of lipids, especially as they pertain to the preterm infant, discuss the origin of some of the current clinical practices, and provide a review of the literature, that can be used as a basis for revising clinical care, and provide some clarity in this controversial area, where clinical care is often based more on tradition and dogma than science.

Social Interaction in Infants' Learning of Second-Language Phonetics: An Exploration of Brain-Behavior Relations.

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Conboy, Barbara T; Brooks, Rechele; Meltzoff, Andrew N; Kuhl, Patricia K

2015-01-01

Infants learn phonetic information from a second language with live-person presentations, but not television or audio-only recordings. To understand the role of social interaction in learning a second language, we examined infants' joint attention with live, Spanish-speaking tutors and used a neural measure of phonetic learning. Infants' eye-gaze behaviors during Spanish sessions at 9.5-10.5 months of age predicted second-language phonetic learning, assessed by an event-related potential measure of Spanish phoneme discrimination at 11 months. These data suggest a powerful role for social interaction at the earliest stages of learning a new language.

Effects of Motor Development Stimulation on Anthropometric Indices of Infants Aged 1-12 Months in Foster Care Homes

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Arezou NikNezhad Jalali

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Background: The first three years of life have a pivotal role in growth and development of infants. Extra-uterine environment largely affects brain development of infants during the first year of life.However,no specific programs are available for brain development stimulation in foster homes. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of motor development stimulation package on anthropometric indices of infants staying in foster homes. Method: This experimental study was conducted on 50 infants aged 1-12 months at Ali Asghar foster home of Mashhad, Iran in 2013. Infants were randomly divided into two groups of intervention (n=25 and control (n=25. Motor development stimulation packages were used for intervention group three times a week for eight consecutive weeks (24 sessions, two hours each. Anthropometric indices of infants were evaluated using standard instruments before and after intervention. Data analysis was performed in SPSS V.11.5 using independent T-test and Mann-Whitney U test. Results: In this study, mean age of infants in intervention and control groups was 6.04±3.48 and 4.3±3.70 months, respectively. In total, 68% of infants were male, and 32% were female. After intervention, Mann-Whitney test results showed no statistically significant difference in height (P=0.47 and head circumference (P=0.11 of infants between the groups. However, independent T-test showed a statistically significant difference in body weight of infants (P=0.007 between the groups after intervention with the stimulation care package. Implications for Practice: According to the results of this study, use of evidence-based motor development stimulation package for eight weeks resulted in increased weight of infants, while it had no effect on height and head circumference. Therefore, it is recommended that complementary studies be conducted in this regard.

Iodine nutrition in breast-fed infants is impaired by maternal smoking

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Laurberg, Peter; Nøhr, Susanne B; Pedersen, Klaus M

2004-01-01

the sodium-iodide symporter responsible for iodide transport in the lactating mammary gland. Smoking during the period of breastfeeding increases the risk of iodine deficiency-induced brain damage in the child. Women who breastfeed should not smoke, but if they do, an extra iodine supplement should......Lack of iodine for thyroid hormone formation during the fetal stage and/or the first years of life may lead to developmental brain damage. During the period of breastfeeding, thyroid function of the infant depends on iodine in maternal milk. We studied healthy, pregnant women admitted for delivery...... and their newborn infants. Cotinine in urine and serum was used to classify mothers as smokers (n = 50) or nonsmokers (n = 90). Smoking and nonsmoking mothers had identical urinary iodine on d 5 after delivery, but smoking was associated with reduced iodine content in breast milk (smokers 26.0 micro g/liter vs...

Organ harvesting from anencephalic infants: health management over a sinkhole.

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Alatis, A J

As technology increases in the field of organ transplantation for newborns, a problematic limitation persists: too few organ donors are available to match the number of needy organ donees. Anencephalic newborns have been suggested (and recently used) as organ sources. Anencephalic infants are born without the upper part of their brain and usually die within a week after birth. This article will address the ethical considerations of using these infants as organ sources, particularly from the view of a physician and an attorney. This piece will further analyze the medico-legal ramifications of the various legislative proposals addressing this subject.

Cranial ultrasound and CT findings in infants with hypernatremic dehydration

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Han, Bokyung K.; Lee, Munhyang; Yoon, Hye Kyung

1997-01-01

We present two newborn infants with hypernatremic dehydration with central nervous system (CNS) involvement. Both patients showed similar imaging findings, demonstrating generalized brain parenchymal abnormality and multifocal areas of hemorrhage or hemorrhagic infarction. These findings are compatible with previously described CNS pathologic findings in hypernatremia. (orig.). With 2 figs

Hydrocephalus induces dynamic spatiotemporal regulation of aquaporin-4 expression in the rat brain

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Praetorius Jeppe

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The water channel protein aquaporin-4 (AQP4 is reported to be of possible major importance for accessory cerebrospinal fluid (CSF circulation pathways. We hypothesized that changes in AQP4 expression in specific brain regions correspond to the severity and duration of hydrocephalus. Methods Hydrocephalus was induced in adult rats (~8 weeks by intracisternal kaolin injection and evaluated after two days, one week and two weeks. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI we quantified lateral ventricular volume, water diffusion and blood-brain barrier properties in hydrocephalic and control animals. The brains were analysed for AQP4 density by western blotting and localisation by immunohistochemistry. Double fluorescence labelling was used to study cell specific origin of AQP4. Results Lateral ventricular volume was significantly increased over control at all time points after induction and the periventricular apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC value significantly increased after one and two weeks of hydrocephalus. Relative AQP4 density was significantly decreased in both cortex and periventricular region after two days and normalized after one week. After two weeks, periventricular AQP4 expression was significantly increased. Relative periventricular AQP4 density was significantly correlated to lateral ventricular volume. AQP4 immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated the morphological expression pattern of AQP4 in hydrocephalus in astrocytes and ventricular ependyma. AQP4 co-localized with astrocytic glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP in glia limitans. In vascular structures, AQP4 co-localized to astroglia but not to microglia or endothelial cells. Conclusions AQP4 levels are significantly altered in a time and region dependent manner in kaolin-induced hydrocephalus. The presented data suggest that AQP4 could play an important neurodefensive role, and may be a promising future pharmaceutical target in hydrocephalus and CSF

Cranial ultrasound findings in preterm infants predict the development of cerebral palsy

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Skovgaard, Ann Lawaetz; Zachariassen, Gitte

2017-01-01

record review. The cohort consisted of very preterm born children (gestational age ≤ 32 + 0) born from 2004 to 2008. For each infant, we obtained results from all cranial ultrasounds performed during hospitalisation. In 2014, patient records were evaluated for cerebral palsy, Gross Motor Function...... haemorrhagic infarction (PVHI), of whom two developed cerebral palsy. Nine children were diagnosed with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), of whom six developed cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy was detected in 14 children (6.4%), and one (0.5%) child was in need of a hearing assistive device. Severe brain...... injury (GMH-IVH3, PVHI or PVL) (p = 0.000) and being of male gender (p = 0.03) were associated with cerebral palsy in childhood. Conclusion: Severe brain injuries detected by neonatal cranial ultrasound in very preterm infants is associated with development of cerebral palsy in childhood....

Streptococcus oralis cerebral abscess following monkey bite in a 2-month-old infant.

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Thiagarajan, Srinivasan; Krishnamurthy, Sriram; Raghavan, Renitha; Mahadevan, Subramanian; Madhugiri, Venkatesh S; Sistla, Sujatha

2016-05-01

Although cerebral abscesses caused by animal bites have been reported, they are extremely rare in infants and have not been described following monkey bite. A 55-day-old male infant presented with a multi-loculated Streptococcus oralis cerebral abscess following a monkey bite on the scalp. There was a clinical response to antibiotic therapy and repeated surgical aspiration followed by a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. This is the first report of a patient with a brain abscess following a monkey bite.

The motivation for very early intervention for infants at high risk for autism spectrum disorders.

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Webb, Sara Jane; Jones, Emily J H; Kelly, Jean; Dawson, Geraldine

2014-02-01

The first Autism Research Matrix (IACC, 2003) listed the identification of behavioural and biological markers of risk for autism as a top priority. This emphasis was based on the hypothesis that intervention with infants at-risk, at an early age when the brain is developing and before core autism symptoms have emerged, could significantly alter the developmental trajectory of children at risk for the disorder and impact long-range outcome. Research has provided support for specific models of early autism intervention (e.g., Early Start Denver Model) for improving outcomes in young children with autism, based on both behavioural and brain activity measures. Although great strides have been made in ability to identify risk markers for autism in younger infant/toddler samples, how and when to intervene during the prodromal state remains a critical question. Emerging evidence suggests that abnormal brain circuitry in autism precedes altered social behaviours; thus, an intervention designed to promote early social engagement and reciprocity potentially could steer brain development back toward the normal trajectory and remit or reduce the expression of symptoms.

Mothers singing and speaking to preterm infants in NICU

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Manuela Filippa

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Preterm infants are at greater risk for long-term morbidities, a problem representing also a growing public health concern. Early experiences can affect infants’ brain development, especially if conducted during critical periods of important growth. Early interventions involving parents in preterm infants care improve developmental outcomes for preterm infants, minimizing also the stress of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU environment. Mother-infant separation and alteration of maternal care soon after birth can lead to a wide array of adverse physiological, emotional and behavioural consequences that can persist throughout life. It’s suggested that Maternal Vocal Intervention (MVI in NICU, as a specific form of environmental and interactional enrichment, as part of an individualized care and as a tool to involve families in early care of preterm infants, may be adopted by the health community as a standard of care. Proceedings of the 11th International Workshop on Neonatology and Satellite Meetings · Cagliari (Italy · October 26th-31st, 2015 · From the womb to the adultGuest Editors: Vassilios Fanos (Cagliari, Italy, Michele Mussap (Genoa, Italy, Antonio Del Vecchio (Bari, Italy, Bo Sun (Shanghai, China, Dorret I. Boomsma (Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Gavino Faa (Cagliari, Italy, Antonio Giordano (Philadelphia, USA

Infant Hand Preference and the Development of Cognitive Abilities

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George Frederick Michel

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Hand preference develops in the first two postnatal years with nearly half of infants exhibiting a consistent early preference for acquiring objects. Others exhibit a more variable developmental trajectory but by the end of their second postnatal year, most exhibit a consistent hand preference for role-differentiated bimanual manipulation. According to some forms of embodiment theory, these differences in hand use patterns should influence the way children interact with their environments, which, in turn, should affect the structure and function of brain development. Such early differences in brain development should result in different trajectories of psychological development. We present evidence that children with consistent early hand preferences exhibit advanced patterns of cognitive development as compared to children who develop a hand preference later. Differences in the developmental trajectory of hand preference are predictive of developmental differences in language, object management skills, and tool-use skills. As predicted by Cassasanto’s body-specificity hypothesis, infants with different hand preferences proceed along different developmental pathways of cognitive functioning.

Cerebral hypoxia and ischemia in preterm infants

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Alberto Ravarino

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Premature birth is a major public health issue internationally affecting 13 million babies worldwide. Hypoxia and ischemia is probably the commonest type of acquired brain damage in preterm infants. The clinical manifestations of hypoxic-ischemic injury in survivors of premature birth include a spectrum of cerebral palsy and intellectual disabilities. Until recently, the extensive brain abnormalities in preterm neonates appeared to be related mostly to destructive processes that lead to substantial deletion of neurons, axons, and glia from necrotic lesions in the developing brain. Advances in neonatal care coincide with a growing body of evidence that the preterm gray and white matter frequently sustain less severe insults, where tissue destruction is the minor component. Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL is the major form of white matter injury and consists classically of focal necrotic lesions, with subsequent cyst formation, and a less severe but more diffuse injury to cerebral white mater, with prominent astrogliosis and microgliosis but without overt necrosis. With PVL a concomitant injury occurs to subplate neurons, located in the subcortical white matter. Severe hypoxic-ischemic insults that trigger significant white matter necrosis are accompanied by neuronal degeneration in cerebral gray and white matter. This review aims to illustrate signs of cerebral embryology of the second half of fetal life and correlate hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in the premature infant. This should help us better understand the symptoms early and late and facilitate new therapeutic strategies. Proceedings of the International Course on Perinatal Pathology (part of the 10th International Workshop on Neonatology · October 22nd-25th, 2014 · Cagliari (Italy · October 25th, 2014 · The role of the clinical pathological dialogue in problem solving Guest Editors: Gavino Faa, Vassilios Fanos, Peter Van Eyken

Two-dimensional ultrasonography of the brain: its diagnostic usefullness in herpes simplex encephalitis and cytomegalic inclusion disease.

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Matsumoto, N; Yano, S; Miyao, M; Kamoshita, S; Itoh, K

1983-01-01

We have used brain ultrasonography in diagnosing and following up two infants, one with herpes simplex encephalitis and the other with cytomegalic inclusion disease. It was found that this technique was very useful to observe the changes of the brain parenchyma such as cystic degeneration and periventricular calcification. Also because it is non-invasive and an easy procedure, ultrasonography can be applied even for infants in critical condition when needed.

Lymphocytes Contribute to the Pathophysiology of Neonatal Brain Injury

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Arshed Nazmi

2018-03-01

Full Text Available BackgroundPeriventricular leukomalacia (PVL is the most common form of preterm brain injury affecting the cerebral white matter. This type of injury involves a multiphase process and is induced by many factors, including hypoxia–ischemia (HI and infection. Previous studies have suggested that lymphocytes play a significant role in the pathogenesis of brain injury, and the aim of this study was to determine the contribution of lymphocyte subsets to preterm brain injury.MethodsImmunohistochemistry on brain sections from neonatal mice was performed to evaluate the extent of brain injury in wild-type and T cell and B cell-deficient neonatal mice (Rag1−/− mice using a mouse model of HI-induced preterm brain injury. Flow cytometry was performed to determine the presence of different types of immune cells in mouse brains following HI. In addition, immunostaining for CD3 T cells and CD20 B cells was performed on postmortem preterm human infant brains with PVL.ResultsMature lymphocyte-deficient Rag1−/− mice showed protection from white matter loss compared to wild type mice as indicated by myelin basic protein immunostaining of mouse brains. CD3+ T cells and CD20+ B cells were observed in the postmortem preterm infant brains with PVL. Flow cytometry analysis of mouse brains after HI-induced injury showed increased frequency of CD3+ T, αβT and B cells at 7 days after HI in the ipsilateral (injured hemisphere compared to the contralateral (control, uninjured hemisphere.ConclusionLymphocytes were found in the injured brain after injury in both mice and humans, and lack of mature lymphocytes protected neonatal mice from HI-induced brain white matter injury. This finding provides insight into the pathology of perinatal brain injury and suggests new avenues for the development of therapeutic strategies.

Infant-mother and infant-sibling attachment in Zambia.

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Mooya, Haatembo; Sichimba, Francis; Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian

2016-12-01

This study, the first in Zambia using the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) to observe attachment relationships and the "very first" observational study of infant-sibling attachment, examined patterns of infant-mother and infant-sibling attachment, and tested their association. We included siblings who were substantially involved in caregiving activities with their younger siblings. We hypothesized that infants would develop attachment relationships to both mothers and siblings; the majority of infants would be classified as securely attached to both caregivers, and infant-mother and infant-sibling attachment would be unrelated. The sample included 88 low-income families in Lusaka, Zambia (average of 3.5 children; SD = 1.5). The SSP distributions (infant-mother) were 59% secure, 24% avoidant and 17% resistant, and 46% secure, 20% avoidant, 5% resistant and 29% disorganized for three- and four-way classifications, respectively. The infant-sibling classifications were 42% secure, 23% avoidant and 35% resistant, and 35% secure, 23% avoidant, 9% resistant and 33% disorganized for three- and four-way classifications, respectively. Infant-mother and infant-sibling attachment relationships were not associated.

Human infant faces provoke implicit positive affective responses in parents and non-parents alike.

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Senese, Vincenzo Paolo; De Falco, Simona; Bornstein, Marc H; Caria, Andrea; Buffolino, Simona; Venuti, Paola

2013-01-01

Human infants' complete dependence on adult caregiving suggests that mechanisms associated with adult responsiveness to infant cues might be deeply embedded in the brain. Behavioural and neuroimaging research has produced converging evidence for adults' positive disposition to infant cues, but these studies have not investigated directly the valence of adults' reactions, how they are moderated by biological and social factors, and if they relate to child caregiving. This study examines implicit affective responses of 90 adults toward faces of human and non-human (cats and dogs) infants and adults. Implicit reactions were assessed with Single Category Implicit Association Tests, and reports of childrearing behaviours were assessed by the Parental Style Questionnaire. The results showed that human infant faces represent highly biologically relevant stimuli that capture attention and are implicitly associated with positive emotions. This reaction holds independent of gender and parenthood status and is associated with ideal parenting behaviors.

Large-scale brain networks underlying language acquisition in early infancy

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Fumitaka eHomae

2011-05-01

Full Text Available A critical issue in human development is that of whether the language-related areas in the left frontal and temporal regions work as a functional network in preverbal infants. Here, we used 94-channel near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS to reveal the functional networks in the brains of sleeping 3-month-old infants with and without presenting speech sounds. During the first 3 min, we measured spontaneous brain activation (period 1. After period 1, we provided stimuli by playing Japanese sentences for 3 min (period 2. Finally, we measured brain activation for 3 min without providing the stimulus (period 3, as in period 1. We found that not only the bilateral temporal and temporoparietal regions but also the prefrontal and occipital regions showed oxygenated hemoglobin (oxy-Hb signal increases and deoxygenated hemoglobin (deoxy-Hb signal decreases when speech sounds were presented to infants. By calculating time-lagged cross-correlations and coherences of oxy-Hb signals between channels, we tested the functional connectivity for the 3 periods. The oxy-Hb signals in neighboring channels, as well as their homologous channels in the contralateral hemisphere, showed high correlation coefficients in period 1. Similar correlations were observed in period 2; however, the number of channels showing high correlations was higher in the ipsilateral hemisphere, especially in the anterior-posterior direction. The functional connectivity in period 3 showed a close relationship between the frontal and temporal regions, which was less prominent in period 1, indicating that these regions form the functional networks and work as a hysteresis system that has memory of the previous inputs. We propose a hypothesis that the spatiotemporally large-scale brain networks, including the frontal and temporal regions, underlie speech processing in infants and they might play important roles in language acquisition during infancy.

Postural complexity influences development in infants born preterm with brain injury: relating perception-action theory to 3 cases.

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Dusing, Stacey C; Izzo, Theresa; Thacker, Leroy R; Galloway, James Cole

2014-10-01

Perception-action theory suggests a cyclical relationship between movement and perceptual information. In this case series, changes in postural complexity were used to quantify an infant's action and perception during the development of early motor behaviors. Three infants born preterm with periventricular white matter injury were included. Longitudinal changes in postural complexity (approximate entropy of the center of pressure), head control, reaching, and global development, measured with the Test of Infant Motor Performance and the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, were assessed every 0.5 to 3 months during the first year of life. All 3 infants demonstrated altered postural complexity and developmental delays. However, the timing of the altered postural complexity and the type of delays varied among the infants. For infant 1, reduced postural complexity or limited action while learning to control her head in the midline position may have contributed to her motor delay. However, her ability to adapt her postural complexity eventually may have supported her ability to learn from her environment, as reflected in her relative cognitive strength. For infant 2, limited early postural complexity may have negatively affected his learning through action, resulting in cognitive delay. For infant 3, an increase in postural complexity above typical levels was associated with declining neurological status. Postural complexity is proposed as a measure of perception and action in the postural control system during the development of early behaviors. An optimal, intermediate level of postural complexity supports the use of a variety of postural control strategies and enhances the perception-action cycle. Either excessive or reduced postural complexity may contribute to developmental delays in infants born preterm with white matter injury. © 2014 American Physical Therapy Association.

Neonatal intensive care practices harmful to the developing brain.

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Chaudhari, Sudha

2011-06-01

There has been a marked increase in the survival of extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants, but these babies have a long stay in the NICU. Strategies to decrease their neurodevelopmental impairment become very important. The maximum development of the brain occurs between 29-41 weeks. From the warm, dark, acquatic econiche, where the baby hears pleasant sounds like the mother's heart beat, the baby suddenly finds itself in the dry, cold, excessively bright, noisy, environment of the NICU. Noise, bright light, painful procedures, and ill-timed caregiving activities, adversely affect the infant's development. Excessive radiation from X-rays of babies on the ventilator and CT scans also affect the brain. Medications like steroids for chronic lung disease also cause damage to the brain. Aminoglycides and frusemide are known to cause hearing impairment. Hence a developmentally supportive, humanized care will go a long way in enhancing the developmental outcome of these babies.

Analysis of circulating hem-endothelial marker RNA levels in preterm infants

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Kuint Jacob

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Circulating endothelial cells may serve as novel markers of angiogenesis. These include a subset of hem-endothelial progenitor cells that play a vital role in vascular growth and repair. The presence and clinical implications of circulating RNA levels as an expression for hematopoietic and endothelial-specific markers have not been previously evaluated in preterm infants. This study aims to determine circulating RNA levels of hem-endothelial marker genes in peripheral blood of preterm infants and begin to correlate these findings with prenatal complications. Methods Peripheral blood samples from seventeen preterm neonates were analyzed at three consecutive post-delivery time points (day 3–5, 10–15 and 30. Using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction we studied the expression patterns of previously established hem-endothelial-specific progenitor-associated genes (AC133, Tie-2, Flk-1 (VEGFR2 and Scl/Tal1 in association with characteristics of prematurity and preterm morbidity. Results Circulating Tie-2 and SCL/Tal1 RNA levels displayed an inverse correlation to gestational age (GA. We observed significantly elevated Tie-2 levels in preterm infants born to mothers with amnionitis, and in infants with sustained brain echogenicity on brain sonography. Other markers showed similar expression patterns yet we could not demonstrate statistically significant correlations. Conclusion These preliminary findings suggest that circulating RNA levels especially Tie2 and SCL decline with maturation and might relate to some preterm complication. Further prospective follow up of larger cohorts are required to establish this association.

Ketones and brain development: Implications for correcting deteriorating brain glucose metabolism during aging

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Nugent Scott

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Brain energy metabolism in Alzheimer’s disease (AD is characterized mainly by temporo-parietal glucose hypometabolism. This pattern has been widely viewed as a consequence of the disease, i.e. deteriorating neuronal function leading to lower demand for glucose. This review will address deteriorating glucose metabolism as a problem specific to glucose and one that precedes AD. Hence, ketones and medium chain fatty acids (MCFA could be an alternative source of energy for the aging brain that could compensate for low brain glucose uptake. MCFA in the form of dietary medium chain triglycerides (MCT have a long history in clinical nutrition and are widely regarded as safe by government regulatory agencies. The importance of ketones in meeting the high energy and anabolic requirements of the infant brain suggest they may be able to contribute in the same way in the aging brain. Clinical studies suggest that ketogenesis from MCT may be able to bypass the increasing risk of insufficient glucose uptake or metabolism in the aging brain sufficiently to have positive effects on cognition.

Ventricular configuration and cerebral growth in infants born to drug-dependent mothers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pasto, M.E.; Deiling, J.M.; Kurtz, A.B.; Goldberg, B.; Graziani, L.J.; Tunis, S.L.; Finnegan, L.P.

1985-01-01

Cranial ultrasound examinations were performed during the first 3 days of life and at age 1 month on 22 infants with the neonatal abstinence syndrome. The results were compared to those obtained in 15 control infants who were not exposed to narcotic drugs in utero. The ultrasound images were examined for ventricular configuration, intracranial hemidiameters, area of thalami, and width of temporal lobes. At 24 to 72 h and at 1 month of age, significantly more drug-exposed than control infants had a slit-like ventricular configuration. The intracranial hemidiameter was significantly smaller in the drug-exposed than in the control infants. All cerebral measurements except the right temporal lobe demonstrated significant growth over the first month of life in both groups of infants. By means of ancillary examinations (computerized tomography and transfontanel pressure measurements) the pathogenesis of the slit-like ventricles was found not to be related to edema or to increased intracranial pressure. Whether or not the ventricles remain small and brain growth remains parallel after the period of abstinence awaits further investigation. (orig.)

Magnetic resonance imaging indicators of blood-brain barrier and brain water changes in young rats with kaolin-induced hydrocephalus.

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Del Bigio, Marc R; Slobodian, Ili; Schellenberg, Angela E; Buist, Richard J; Kemp-Buors, Tanya L

2011-08-11

Hydrocephalus is associated with enlargement of cerebral ventricles. We hypothesized that magnetic resonance (MR) imaging parameters known to be influenced by tissue water content would change in parallel with ventricle size in young rats and that changes in blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability would be detected. Hydrocephalus was induced by injection of kaolin into the cisterna magna of 4-week-old rats, which were studied 1 or 3 weeks later. MR was used to measure longitudinal and transverse relaxation times (T1 and T2) and apparent diffusion coefficients in several regions. Brain tissue water content was measured by the wet-dry weight method, and tissue density was measured in Percoll gradient columns. BBB permeability was measured by quantitative imaging of changes on T1-weighted images following injection of gadolinium diethylenetriamine penta-acetate (Gd-DTPA) tracer and microscopically by detection of fluorescent dextran conjugates. In nonhydrocephalic rats, water content decreased progressively from age 3 to 7 weeks. T1 and T2 and apparent diffusion coefficients did not exhibit parallel changes and there was no evidence of BBB permeability to tracers. The cerebral ventricles enlarged progressively in the weeks following kaolin injection. In hydrocephalic rats, the dorsal cortex was more dense and the white matter less so, indicating that the increased water content was largely confined to white matter. Hydrocephalus was associated with transient elevation of T1 in gray and white matter and persistent elevation of T2 in white matter. Changes in the apparent diffusion coefficients were significant only in white matter. Ventricle size correlated significantly with dorsal water content, T1, T2, and apparent diffusion coefficients. MR imaging showed evidence of Gd-DTPA leakage in periventricular tissue foci but not diffusely. These correlated with microscopic leak of larger dextran tracers. MR characteristics cannot be used as direct surrogates for water

Magnetic resonance imaging indicators of blood-brain barrier and brain water changes in young rats with kaolin-induced hydrocephalus

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Del Bigio Marc R

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Hydrocephalus is associated with enlargement of cerebral ventricles. We hypothesized that magnetic resonance (MR imaging parameters known to be influenced by tissue water content would change in parallel with ventricle size in young rats and that changes in blood-brain barrier (BBB permeability would be detected. Methods Hydrocephalus was induced by injection of kaolin into the cisterna magna of 4-week-old rats, which were studied 1 or 3 weeks later. MR was used to measure longitudinal and transverse relaxation times (T1 and T2 and apparent diffusion coefficients in several regions. Brain tissue water content was measured by the wet-dry weight method, and tissue density was measured in Percoll gradient columns. BBB permeability was measured by quantitative imaging of changes on T1-weighted images following injection of gadolinium diethylenetriamine penta-acetate (Gd-DTPA tracer and microscopically by detection of fluorescent dextran conjugates. Results In nonhydrocephalic rats, water content decreased progressively from age 3 to 7 weeks. T1 and T2 and apparent diffusion coefficients did not exhibit parallel changes and there was no evidence of BBB permeability to tracers. The cerebral ventricles enlarged progressively in the weeks following kaolin injection. In hydrocephalic rats, the dorsal cortex was more dense and the white matter less so, indicating that the increased water content was largely confined to white matter. Hydrocephalus was associated with transient elevation of T1 in gray and white matter and persistent elevation of T2 in white matter. Changes in the apparent diffusion coefficients were significant only in white matter. Ventricle size correlated significantly with dorsal water content, T1, T2, and apparent diffusion coefficients. MR imaging showed evidence of Gd-DTPA leakage in periventricular tissue foci but not diffusely. These correlated with microscopic leak of larger dextran tracers. Conclusions MR

Devastating metabolic brain disorders of newborns and young infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Hyun Jung; Kim, Ji Hye; Jeon, Tae Yeon; Yoo, So-Young; Eo, Hong

2014-01-01

Metabolic disorders of the brain that manifest in the neonatal or early infantile period are usually associated with acute and severe illness and are thus referred to as devastating metabolic disorders. Most of these disorders may be classified as organic acid disorders, amino acid metabolism disorders, primary lactic acidosis, or fatty acid oxidation disorders. Each disorder has distinctive clinical, biochemical, and radiologic features. Early diagnosis is important both for prompt treatment to prevent death or serious sequelae and for genetic counseling. However, diagnosis is often challenging because many findings overlap and may mimic those of more common neonatal conditions, such as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and infection. Ultrasonography (US) may be an initial screening method for the neonatal brain, and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is the modality of choice for evaluating metabolic brain disorders. Although nonspecific imaging findings are common in early-onset metabolic disorders, characteristic patterns of brain involvement have been described for several disorders. In addition, diffusion-weighted images may be used to characterize edema during an acute episode of encephalopathy, and MR spectroscopy depicts changes in metabolites that may help diagnose metabolic disorders and assess response to treatment. Imaging findings, including those of advanced MR imaging techniques, must be closely reviewed. If one of these rare disorders is suspected, the appropriate biochemical test or analysis of the specific gene should be performed to confirm the diagnosis. ©RSNA, 2014.

Stem cells for brain repair in neonatal hypoxia-ischemia.

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Chicha, L; Smith, T; Guzman, R

2014-01-01

Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic insults are a significant cause of pediatric encephalopathy, developmental delays, and spastic cerebral palsy. Although the developing brain's plasticity allows for remarkable self-repair, severe disruption of normal myelination and cortical development upon neonatal brain injury are likely to generate life-persisting sensory-motor and cognitive deficits in the growing child. Currently, no treatments are available that can address the long-term consequences. Thus, regenerative medicine appears as a promising avenue to help restore normal developmental processes in affected infants. Stem cell therapy has proven effective in promoting functional recovery in animal models of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic injury and therefore represents a hopeful therapy for this unmet medical condition. Neural stem cells derived from pluripotent stem cells or fetal tissues as well as umbilical cord blood and mesenchymal stem cells have all shown initial success in improving functional outcomes. However, much still remains to be understood about how those stem cells can safely be administered to infants and what their repair mechanisms in the brain are. In this review, we discuss updated research into pathophysiological mechanisms of neonatal brain injury, the types of stem cell therapies currently being tested in this context, and the potential mechanisms through which exogenous stem cells might interact with and influence the developing brain.

Localized proton MR spectroscopic detection of nonketotic hyperglycinemia in an infant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Choong Gon; Lee, Ho Kyu; Yoon, Jong Hyun [Ulsan University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2001-12-01

Nonketotic hyperglycinemia (NKH) is a rare metabolic brain disease caused by deficient activity of the glycine cleveage system. Localized proton MR spectroscopy (echo-time 166 msec), performed in an infant with the typical clinical and biochemical features of neonatal NKH, showed a markedly increased peak intensity at 3.55 ppm, which was assigned to glycine. Serial proton MR spectrosocpic studies indicated that glycine/choline and glycine/total creatine ratios correlated closely with the patient's clinical course. Proton MR spectroscopy was useful for the non-invasive detection and monitoring of cerebral glycine levels in this infant with NKH.

A graphical user interface for infant ERP analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaatiala, Jussi; Yrttiaho, Santeri; Forssman, Linda; Perdue, Katherine; Leppänen, Jukka

2014-09-01

Recording of event-related potentials (ERPs) is one of the best-suited technologies for examining brain function in human infants. Yet the existing software packages are not optimized for the unique requirements of analyzing artifact-prone ERP data from infants. We developed a new graphical user interface that enables an efficient implementation of a two-stage approach to the analysis of infant ERPs. In the first stage, video records of infant behavior are synchronized with ERPs at the level of individual trials to reject epochs with noncompliant behavior and other artifacts. In the second stage, the interface calls MATLAB and EEGLAB (Delorme & Makeig, Journal of Neuroscience Methods 134(1):9-21, 2004) functions for further preprocessing of the ERP signal itself (i.e., filtering, artifact removal, interpolation, and rereferencing). Finally, methods are included for data visualization and analysis by using bootstrapped group averages. Analyses of simulated and real EEG data demonstrated that the proposed approach can be effectively used to establish task compliance, remove various types of artifacts, and perform representative visualizations and statistical comparisons of ERPs. The interface is available for download from http://www.uta.fi/med/icl/methods/eeg.html in a format that is widely applicable to ERP studies with special populations and open for further editing by users.

An Infant Development-inspired Approach to Robot Hand-eye Coordination

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Fei Chao

2014-02-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a novel developmental learning approach for hand-eye coordination in an autonomous robotic system. Robotic hand-eye coordination plays an important role in dealing with real-time environments. Under the approach, infant developmental patterns are introduced to build our robot's learning system. The method works by first constructing a brain-like computational structure to control the robot, and then by using infant behavioural patterns to build a hand-eye coordination learning algorithm. This work is supported by an experimental evaluation, which shows that the control system is implemented simply, and that the learning approach provides fast and incremental learning of behavioural competence.

A neonatal piglet model for investigating brain and cognitive development in small for gestational age human infants.

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Emily C Radlowski

Full Text Available The piglet was investigated as a potential model for studying brain and cognitive deficits associated with being born small for gestational age (SGA. Naturally farrowed SGA (0.7-1.0 kg BW and average for gestational age (AGA, 1.3-1.6 kg BW piglets were obtained on postnatal day (PD 2, placed in individual cages, and provided a nutritionally adequate milk replacer diet (285 ml/kg/d. Beginning at PD14, performance in a spatial T-maze task was assessed. At PD28, piglets were anesthetized for magnetic resonance (MR imaging to assess brain structure (voxel-based morphometry, connectivity (diffusion-tensor imaging and metabolites in the hippocampus and corpus callosum (proton MR spectroscopy. Piglets born SGA showed compensatory growth such that BW of SGA and AGA piglets was similar (P>0.05, by PD15. Birth weight affected maze performance, with SGA piglets taking longer to reach criterion than AGA piglets (p<0.01. Total brain volume of SGA and AGA piglets was similar (P<0.05, but overall, SGA piglets had less gray matter than AGA piglets (p<0.01 and tended to have a smaller internal capsule (p = 0.07. Group comparisons between SGA and AGA piglets defined 9 areas (≥ 20 clusters where SGA piglets had less white matter (p<0.01; 2 areas where SGA piglets had more white matter (p<0.01; and 3 areas where SGA piglets had more gray matter (p<0.01. The impact of being born SGA on white matter was supported by a lower (p<0.04 fractional anisotropy value for SGA piglets, suggesting reduced white matter development and connectivity. None of the metabolites measured were different between groups. Collectively, the results show that SGA piglets have spatial learning deficits and abnormal development of white matter. As learning deficits and abnormalities in white matter are common in SGA human infants, the piglet is a tractable translational model that can be used to investigate SGA-associated cognitive deficits and potential interventions.

Infant nutrition in Saskatoon: barriers to infant food security.

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Partyka, Brendine; Whiting, Susan; Grunerud, Deanna; Archibald, Karen; Quennell, Kara

2010-01-01

We explored infant nutrition in Saskatoon by assessing current accessibility to all forms of infant nourishment, investigating challenges in terms of access to infant nutrition, and determining the use and effectiveness of infant nutrition programs and services. We also examined recommendations to improve infant food security in Saskatoon. Semi-structured community focus groups and stakeholder interviews were conducted between June 2006 and August 2006. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes related to infant feeding practices and barriers, as well as recommendations to improve infant food security in Saskatoon. Our study showed that infant food security is a concern among lower-income families in Saskatoon. Barriers that limited breastfeeding sustainability or nourishing infants through other means included knowledge of feeding practices, lack of breastfeeding support, access and affordability of infant formula, transportation, and poverty. Infant nutrition and food security should be improved by expanding education and programming opportunities, increasing breastfeeding support, and identifying acceptable ways to provide emergency formula. If infant food security is to be addressed successfully, discussion and change must occur in social policy and family food security contexts.

Edaravone reduces astrogliosis and apoptosis in young rats with kaolin-induced hydrocephalus.

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Garcia, Camila Araújo Bernardino; Catalão, Carlos Henrique Rocha; Machado, Hélio Rubens; Júnior, Ivair Matias; Romeiro, Thais Helena; Peixoto-Santos, José Eduardo; Santos, Marcelo Volpon; da Silva Lopes, Luiza

2017-03-01

We investigated the possible neuroprotective effects of the free radical scavenger edaravone in experimental hydrocephalus. Seven-day-old Wistar rats were divided into three groups: control group (C), untreated hydrocephalic (H), and hydrocephalic treated with edaravone (EH). The H and EH groups were subjected to hydrocephalus induction by 20% kaolin intracisternal injection. The edaravone (20 mg/kg) was administered daily for 14 days from the induction of hydrocephalus. All animals were daily weighed and submitted to behavioral test and assessment by magnetic resonance imaging. After 14 days, the animals were sacrificed and the brain was removed for histological, immunohistochemical, and biochemical studies. The gain weight was similar between groups from the ninth post-induction day. The open field test performance of EH group was better (p  0.01), germinal matrix (p > 0.05), and cerebral cortex (p > 0.05), as compared to H group. We have demonstrated that administration of edaravone for 14 consecutive days after induction of hydrocephalus reduced astrocyte activity and that it has some beneficial effects over apoptotic cell death.

Children’s Brain Development Benefits from Longer Gestation

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Elysia Poggi Davis

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Disruptions to brain development associated with shortened gestation place individuals at risk for the development of behavioral and psychological dysfunction throughout the lifespan. The purpose of the present study was to determine if the benefit for brain development conferred by increased gestational length exists on a continuum across the gestational age spectrum among healthy children with a stable neonatal course. Neurodevelopment was evaluated with structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI in 100 healthy right-handed six to ten year old children born between 28 and 41 gestational weeks with a stable neonatal course. Data indicate that a longer gestational period confers an advantage for neurodevelopment. Longer duration of gestation was associated with region-specific increases in grey matter density. Further, the benefit of longer gestation for brain development was present even when only full term infants were considered. These findings demonstrate that even modest decreases in the duration of gestation can exert profound and lasting effects on neurodevelopment for both term and preterm infants and may contribute to long-term risk for health and disease.

Longitudinal brain development in extremely preterm newborns

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kersbergen, K.J.

2015-01-01

To unravel the pathophysiology underlying the large percentage of preterm born infants that will demonstrate neurodevelopmental impairments during childhood, a better understanding of brain development during what would have been the third trimester of pregnancy is needed. The aim of this thesis was

Magnetic resonance and cranial ultrasound characteristics of periventricular white matter abnormalities in newborn infants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Childs, Anne-Marie; Cornette, Luc; Ramenghi, Luca A.; Tanner, Steven F.; Arthur, Rosemary J.; Martinez, Delia; Levene, Malcolm I.

2001-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the range of abnormalities within the periventricular white matter (PVWM) in a cohort of newborns using magnetic resonance (MR) brain imaging and to compare the focal MR abnormalities with the cranial ultrasound (CUS) findings. METHODS: Retrospective study of MR brain and CUS findings of infants born in the 18-month period 1998-1999. PVWM abnormalities were identified by MR and focal lesions were characterized by size, number and distribution using a grading scale. Correspondence with CUS findings was assessed. RESULTS: 175 MR examinations corresponding to n = 105 preterm infants, (median GA 28, range 23-36 weeks) and n = 25 term infants (median GA 39, range 37-42 weeks) were analysed for PVWM abnormalities. In the preterm group, MR demonstrated a normal PVWM in n = 76, focal areas of altered signal intensity (SI) in PVWM in n = 26 and venous infarction inn 3. In the term group, MR demonstrated a normal PVWM in n = 15, focal areas of altered SI in PVWM in n = 4, oedematous PVWM in n = 2 and a middle cerebral artery infarction in n = 4. All infants with normal MR had normal CUS findings. A focal PVWM SI abnormality detectable on MR corresponded with an abnormality on CUS in only n = 10/30. CONCLUSIONS: MR appears considerably more sensitive than CUS in demonstrating the existence and extent of focal PVWM lesions in newborn infants. Satisfactory correspondence between the two imaging investigations is obtained only for cystic PVWM lesions. Childs, A.-M. et al. (2001)

Advances in near-infrared spectroscopy to study the brain of the preterm and term neonate

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wolf, Martin; Greisen, Gorm

2009-01-01

This article reviews tissue oximetry and imaging to study the preterm and newborn infant brain by near-infrared spectroscopy. These two technologies are now advanced; nearly 100 reports on their use in newborn infants have been published, and commercial instruments are available. The precision...

MR imaging of the neonatal brain: Pathologic features

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McArdle, C.B.; Richardson, C.J.; Nicholas, D.A.; Hayden, C.K.; Amparo, E.G.

1986-01-01

Seventy-three neonates, aged 29-43 weeks since conception, were studied. US and/or CT correlations were obtained in most infants with pathology. In the first 4-5 days after hemorrhage, US and CT were superior to MR imaging, but after that time MR imaging was the single best modality for imaging blood. In early premature infants with very watery white matter, US detected infarction and brain edema that were poorly seen on both MR imaging and CT. However, in late premature and full-term infants, MR imaging was better than CT in distinguishing between normal white matter and infarction. Only MR imaging disclosed delayed myelination in 13 term infants with hydrocephalus and severe asphyxia. MR imaging with play an important role in imaging neonates once MR imaging-compatible monitors and neonatal head coils become widely available

Identifying Cortical Lateralization of Speech Processing in Infants Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Bortfeld, Heather; Fava, Eswen; Boas, David A.

2010-01-01

We investigate the utility of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) as an alternative technique for studying infant speech processing. NIRS is an optical imaging technology that uses relative changes in total hemoglobin concentration and oxygenation as an indicator of neural activation. Procedurally, NIRS has the advantage over more common methods (e.g., fMRI) in that it can be used to study the neural responses of behaviorally active infants. Older infants (aged 6–9 months) were allowed to sit on their caretakers’ laps during stimulus presentation to determine relative differences in focal activity in the temporal region of the brain during speech processing. Results revealed a dissociation of sensory-specific processing in two cortical regions, the left and right temporal lobes. These findings are consistent with those obtained using other neurophysiological methods and point to the utility of NIRS as a means of establishing neural correlates of language development in older (and more active) infants. PMID:19142766

US and MR imaging of candidiasis of the nervous system in premature infants: two case reports

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Kim, Kyo Nam; Woo, Joung Joo; Bahk, Yong Whee; Kim, Soon Yong; Kim, Eun Ryoung [Sungae Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2001-07-01

Candidiasis of central nervous system (CNS) is rare condition and like other opportunistic fungal infections, most commonly occurs in immune-compromised patients. Because of the increasing use of antibiotics and the improving survival rate of premature infants requiring intensive care, the incidence of fungal infection in the brain has increased. We report the findings of ultrasonography and MR imaging in two cases of candidiasis of the CNS in premature infants.

US and MR imaging of candidiasis of the nervous system in premature infants: two case reports

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Kyo Nam; Woo, Joung Joo; Bahk, Yong Whee; Kim, Soon Yong; Kim, Eun Ryoung

2001-01-01

Candidiasis of central nervous system (CNS) is rare condition and like other opportunistic fungal infections, most commonly occurs in immune-compromised patients. Because of the increasing use of antibiotics and the improving survival rate of premature infants requiring intensive care, the incidence of fungal infection in the brain has increased. We report the findings of ultrasonography and MR imaging in two cases of candidiasis of the CNS in premature infants

Basics about Babies' Brain Development = Los basicos del desarrollo del cerebro.

Science.gov (United States)

Southeastern Regional Vision for Education (SERVE), Tallahassee, FL.

This brochure for parents, in English- and Spanish-language versions, provides facts about infants' brains and offers suggestions for parents to help their baby's development by providing experiences to stimulate neural development. The facts are: (1) a baby's brain needs many different experiences to be nourished, such as being talked or sung to…

Exploring the Infant Social Brain: What's Going on in There?

Science.gov (United States)

Meltzoff, Andrew N.; Kuhl, Patricia K.

2016-01-01

Advances in neuroscience allow researchers to uncover new information about the social brain in infancy and early childhood. In this article we present state-of-the-art findings about brain functioning during the first 3 years of life that underscore how important social interactions are to early learning. We explore learning opportunities that…

Decomposing the Hounsfield unit: probabilistic segmentation of brain tissue in computed tomography.

Science.gov (United States)

Kemmling, A; Wersching, H; Berger, K; Knecht, S; Groden, C; Nölte, I

2012-03-01

The aim of this study was to present and evaluate a standardized technique for brain segmentation of cranial computed tomography (CT) using probabilistic partial volume tissue maps based on a database of high resolution T1 magnetic resonance images (MRI). Probabilistic tissue maps of white matter (WM), gray matter (GM) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were derived from 600 normal brain MRIs (3.0 Tesla, T1-3D-turbo-field-echo) of 2 large community-based population studies (BiDirect and SEARCH Health studies). After partial tissue segmentation (FAST 4.0), MR images were linearly registered to MNI-152 standard space (FLIRT 5.5) with non-linear refinement (FNIRT 1.0) to obtain non-binary probabilistic volume images for each tissue class which were subsequently used for CT segmentation. From 150 normal cerebral CT scans a customized reference image in standard space was constructed with iterative non-linear registration to MNI-152 space. The inverse warp of tissue-specific probability maps to CT space (MNI-152 to individual CT) was used to decompose a CT image into tissue specific components (GM, WM, CSF). Potential benefits and utility of this novel approach with regard to unsupervised quantification of CT images and possible visual enhancement are addressed. Illustrative examples of tissue segmentation in different pathological cases including perfusion CT are presented. Automated tissue segmentation of cranial CT images using highly refined tissue probability maps derived from high resolution MR images is feasible. Potential applications include automated quantification of WM in leukoaraiosis, CSF in hydrocephalic patients, GM in neurodegeneration and ischemia and perfusion maps with separate assessment of GM and WM.

Regional (spinal, epidural, caudal) versus general anaesthesia in preterm infants undergoing inguinal herniorrhaphy in early infancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Lisa J; Craven, Paul D; Lakkundi, Anil; Foster, Jann P; Badawi, Nadia

2015-06-09

With improvements in neonatal intensive care, more preterm infants are surviving the neonatal period and presenting for surgery in early infancy. Inguinal hernia is the most common condition requiring early surgery, appearing in 38% of infants whose birth weight is between 751 grams and 1000 grams. Approximately 20% to 30% of otherwise healthy preterm infants having general anaesthesia for inguinal hernia surgery at a postmature age have at least one apnoeic episode within the postoperative period. Research studies have failed to adequately distinguish the effects of apnoeic episodes from other complications of extreme preterm gestation on the risk of brain injury, or to investigate the potential impact of postoperative apnoea upon longer term neurodevelopment. In addition to episodes of apnoea, there are concerns that anaesthetic and sedative agents may have a direct toxic effect on the developing brain of preterm infants even after reaching postmature age. It is proposed that regional anaesthesia may reduce the risk of postoperative apnoea, avoid the risk of anaesthetic-related neurotoxicity and improve neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants requiring surgery for inguinal hernia at a postmature age. To determine if regional anaesthesia reduces postoperative apnoea, bradycardia, the use of assisted ventilation, and neurological impairment, in comparison to general anaesthesia, in preterm infants undergoing inguinal herniorrhaphy at a postmature age. The following databases and resources were searched: the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, The Cochrane Library, 2015, Issue 2), MEDLINE (December 2002 to 25 February 2015), EMBASE (December 2002 to 25 February 2015), controlled-trials.com and clinicaltrials.gov, reference lists of published trials and abstracts published in Pediatric Research and Pediatric Anesthesia. Randomised and quasi-randomised controlled trials of regional (spinal, epidural, caudal) versus general anaesthesia, or

Detecting violations of temporal regularities in waking and sleeping two-month-old infants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Otte, R.A.; Winkler, I.; Braeken, M.A.K.A.; Stekelenburg, J.J.; van der Stelt, O.; Van den Bergh, B.R.H.

2013-01-01

Correctly processing rapid sequences of sounds is essential for developmental milestones, such as language acquisition. We investigated the sensitivity of two-month-old infants to violations of a temporal regularity, by recording event-related brain potentials (ERPs) in an auditory oddball paradigm

Infant Mortality

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... After hours (404) 639-2888 Contact Media Infant Mortality Recommend on Facebook Tweet Share Compartir On This ... differences in rates among population groups. About Infant Mortality Infant mortality is the death of an infant ...

Fulminant citrobacter meningitis with multiple periventricular abscesses in a three-month-old infant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Anoop

Full Text Available Citrobacter, a Gram-negative enteric bacillus, is a rare cause of septicemia and meningitis, seldom reported beyond the neonatal period. It is characterized by a fulminant clinical course and a high incidence of complications, including brain abscesses. We studied a three-month-old infant with Citrobacter meningitis, who developed acute communicating hydrocephalus and multiple periventricular brain abscesses while on treatment. The patient died, despite intensive antibiotic treatment directed towards the causative organism, C. diversus.

Neurotoxic response of infant monkeys to methylmercury

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Willes, R.F.; Truelove, J.F.; Nera, E.A.

1978-02-01

Four infant monkeys were dosed orally with 500 ..mu..g Hg/kg body wt./day (as methylmercury (MeHg) chloride dissolved sodium carbonate) beginning at 1 day of age. Neurological and behavioral signs of MeHg toxicity and blood Hg levels were monitored weekly. At first sign of MeHg intoxication, dosing with MeHg was terminated and the infants were monitored to assess reversal of the signs of MeHg toxicity. The first signs of MeHg toxicity, exhibited as a loss in dexterity and locomotor ability, were observed after 28 to 29 days of treatment; the blood Hg levels were 8.0 to 9.4 ..mu..g Hg/g blood. Dosing was terminated at 28 to 29 days of treatment but the signs of MeHg toxicity continued to develop. The infants became ataxic, blind, comatose and were necropsied at 35 to 43 days after initiating treatment with MgHg. The mercury concentrations in tissues analyzed after necropsy were highest in liver followed by occipital cortex and renal cortex. The mean blood/brain ratio was 0.21 +- 0.4. Histopathologic lesions were marked in the cerebrum with less severe lesions in the cerebellar nuclei. The Purkinje and granular cells of the cerebellar vermis appeared histologically normal. Lesions were not observed in the peripheral nervous system. The signs of MeHg intoxication, the tissue distribution of MeHg and histopathologic lesions observed in the infant monkeys were similar to those reported for adult monkeys.

Effects of caffeine on the preterm brain: An observational study.

Science.gov (United States)

Dix, Laura M L; van Bel, Frank; Baerts, Willem; Lemmers, Petra M A

2018-05-01

Caffeine improves neurodevelopmental outcome of preterm infants. This study analyses the effects of caffeine on the neonatal brain. We hypothesized that caffeine has a neuroprotective effect through an increase in oxygen metabolism; reflected by increased cerebral oxygen extraction, electrical function, and perfusion. Preterm infants <32 weeks gestation (GA) receiving their primary dose caffeine-base (10 mg/kg) were included. Ten minutes of stable monitoring were selected before, during, and every hour up to 6 h after caffeine. Near-infrared spectroscopy monitored regional cerebral oxygenation (rScO 2 ) and extraction (FTOE). Amplitude-integrated electroencephalogram (aEEG) monitored minimum, mean and maximum amplitudes. Spontaneous activity transients (SAT) rate and the interval between SATs (ISI) were calculated. Mean arterial blood pressure (MABP), heart rate (HR) and arterial oxygen saturation (SaO 2 ) were monitored. Arterial pCO 2 's were collected before and 4 h after caffeine. Brain perfusion was assessed 1 h before and 3 h after caffeine by Doppler-measured resistance-index (RI), peak systolic velocity (PSV) and end-diastolic velocity (EDV), in the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) and internal carotid artery (ICA). Results were presented in mean ± SD. 34 infants, mean GA 28.8 ± 2.1 wk, were included. rScO 2 significantly decreased from 69 ± 11 to 63 ± 12 1 h after caffeine, and recovered at 6 h (66 ± 10). FTOE increased correspondingly. MABP and HR increased significantly. PSV in the ACA decreased slightly. Other Doppler variables, aEEG parameters, and SaO 2 were unaffected. Caffeine increases oxygen extraction, suggesting a (transient) stimulating effect on brain metabolism. However, no substantial changes were found in brain perfusion and in electrical brain activity. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cerebellar Volume and Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy at Term, and Neurodevelopment at 2 Years of Age in Preterm Infants

Science.gov (United States)

van Kooij, Britt J. M.; Benders, Manon J. N. L.; Anbeek, Petronella; van Haastert, Ingrid C.; de Vries, Linda S.; Groenendaal, Floris

2012-01-01

Aim: To assess the relation between cerebellar volume and spectroscopy at term equivalent age, and neurodevelopment at 24 months corrected age in preterm infants. Methods: Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain was performed around term equivalent age in 112 preterm infants (mean gestational age 28wks 3d [SD 1wk 5d]; birthweight 1129g [SD 324g]).…

TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY CHILDREN: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Denismar Borges de Miranda

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Objective: to know the scientific literature on head injury in children. Method: this study is an integrative review of published articles in the database SciELO the period 2000-2010. Results: 10 articles were analyzed, from which emerged four categories: causes of traumatic brain child infant prognosis of traumatic brain child, treating children victims of child head injury and complications of therapy used for child victims of traumatic brain injury in children. Conclusions: there is consensus among the authors investigated the factors associated with better prognosis of traumatic brain child, remain vague and uncertain. They add that the success of this customer service related to the control of complications arising from cerebral trauma and mostly are treatable and / or preventable.

Self-Regulation and Infant-Directed Singing in Infants with Down Syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

de l'Etoile, Shannon K

2015-01-01

Infants learn how to regulate internal states and subsequent behavior through dyadic interactions with caregivers. During infant-directed (ID) singing, mothers help infants practice attentional control and arousal modulation, thus providing critical experience in self-regulation. Infants with Down syndrome are known to have attention deficits and delayed information processing as well as difficulty managing arousability, factors that may disrupt their efforts at self-regulation. The researcher explored responses to ID singing in infants with Down syndrome (DS) and compared them with those of typically developing (TD) infants. Behaviors measured included infant gaze and affect as indicators of self-regulation. Participants included 3- to 9-month-old infants with and without DS who were videotaped throughout a 2-minute face-to-face interaction during which their mothers sang to them any song(s) of their choosing. Infant behavior was then coded for percentage of time spent demonstrating a specific gaze or affect type. All infants displayed sustained gaze more than any other gaze type. TD infants demonstrated intermittent gaze significantly more often than infants with DS. Infant status had no effect on affect type, and all infants showed predominantly neutral affect. Findings suggest that ID singing effectively maintains infant attention for both TD infants and infants with DS. However, infants with DS may have difficulty shifting attention during ID singing as needed to adjust arousal levels and self-regulate. High levels of neutral affect for all infants imply that ID singing is likely to promote a calm, curious state, regardless of infant status. © the American Music Therapy Association 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Extraordinary intelligence and the care of infants

Science.gov (United States)

Piantadosi, Steven T.; Kidd, Celeste

2016-01-01

We present evidence that pressures for early childcare may have been one of the driving factors of human evolution. We show through an evolutionary model that runaway selection for high intelligence may occur when (i) altricial neonates require intelligent parents, (ii) intelligent parents must have large brains, and (iii) large brains necessitate having even more altricial offspring. We test a prediction of this account by showing across primate genera that the helplessness of infants is a particularly strong predictor of the adults’ intelligence. We discuss related implications, including this account’s ability to explain why human-level intelligence evolved specifically in mammals. This theory complements prior hypotheses that link human intelligence to social reasoning and reproductive pressures and explains how human intelligence may have become so distinctive compared with our closest evolutionary relatives. PMID:27217560

Even mild respiratory distress alters tissue oxygenation significantly in preterm infants during neonatal transition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwaberger, Bernhard; Pichler, Gerhard; Binder, Corinna; Pocivalnik, Mirjam; Urlesberger, Berndt; Avian, Alexander

2014-01-01

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) enables continuous non-invasive measurements of regional oxygen saturation (rSO 2 ). The aim was to evaluate the dynamics of rSO 2 of the brain, preductal and postductal tissues during postnatal transition in preterm infants with and without respiratory support (RS). This single-centre study was designed as an exploratory prospective observational study. Fifty one preterm infants (≥ 30 + 0 and < 37 + 0 weeks) delivered by caesarean section were included. RS using a T-Piece-Resuscitator and supplemental oxygen were given according to guidelines. NIRS measurements were carried out by using Invos Monitor (Covidien; USA) for the first 15 min of life. Three NIRS transducers were attached on the forehead (rSO 2 brain), the right forearm (rSO 2 arm) and the left lower leg (rSO 2 leg). Two groups were compared based on need for RS: normal transition (NT) and RS group. Results: In NT group rSO 2 brain increased over time and was significantly higher than rSO 2 arm, whereas in RS group rSO 2 brain and rSO 2 arm increased without significant differences. Courses of rSO 2 arm and rSO 2 leg increased over time and showed a converging pattern with initially lower values of rSO 2 leg in NT group and a diverging pattern with lower levels of rSO 2 leg in RS group. Overall, rSO 2 levels were higher in NT compared to RS group. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that the decreased rSO 2 levels in RS group compared to NT group are not only caused by lower arterial oxygen saturation levels, but also by a compromised perfusion even in infants with only mild respiratory distress. (paper)

MR signal intensity of the perirolandic cirtex in the neonate and infant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korogi, Y.; Takahashi, M.; Sumi, M.; Hirai, T,; Sakamoto, Y.; Ikushima, I.; Miyayama, H.

1996-01-01

Our purpose was to study the magnetic resonance (MR) signal intensity of the perirolandic gyri perinatally and to correlate it with the histological findings in formalin-fixed brains, focusing on myelination. MRI of 20 neurologically normal neonates and infants, of 37-64 weeks postconception (PCA), were studied retrospectively. We reviewed four formalin-fixed brains of infants 37-46 weeks PCA microscopically. The posterior cortex of the precentral gyrus (P-PRE) and the anterior cortex of the postcentral gyrus (A-PST) had different signal intensity form the adjacent surrounding cortex. On T1-weighted images P-PRE and A-PST gave higher signal 41-44 weeks PCA; on T2-weighted images, they gave lower signal 37-51 weeks PCA. Histological examination revealed very little myelination of the nerve fibres within both the P-PRE and the A-PST, while considerable myelination was present in the internal capsule and central corona radiata. The changes in signal intensity in the perirolandic gyri may reflect not only the degree of myelination but also the more advanced development of the nerve cells, associated with rapid proliferation and formation of oligodendroglial cells, synapses and dendrites. They could be another important landmark for brain maturation. (orig.)

Intraventricular Hemorrhage and Post Hemorrhagic Hydrocephalus among Very-Low-Birth-Weight Infants in Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahn, So Yoon; Shim, So-Yeon; Sung, In Kyung

2015-10-01

Here, we aimed to evaluate the incidence and mortality of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus (PHH) among very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants in Korea and assess the associated factors of PHH. This cohort study used prospectively collected data from the Korean Neonatal Network (KNN). Among 2,386 VLBW infants in the KNN database born between January 2013 and June 2014, 63 infants who died without brain ultrasonography results were excluded. Maternal demographics and neonatal clinical characteristics were assessed. The overall incidence of IVH in all the VLBW infants was 42.2% (987 of 2,323), while those of IVH grade 1, 2, 3, and 4 were 25.1%, 7.0%, 4.8%, and 5.5%, respectively. The incidence and severity of IVH showed a negatively correlating trend with gestational age and birth weight. PHH developed in 0%, 3.5%, 36.1%, and 63.8% of the surviving infants with IVH grades 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. Overall, in the VLBW infants, the IVH-associated mortality rate was 1.0% (24/2,323). Only IVH grade severity was proven to be an associated with PHH development in infants with IVH grades 3-4. This is the first Korean national report of IVH and PHH incidences in VLBW infants. Further risk factor analyses or quality improvement studies to reduce IVH are warranted.

Has the time come to use near-infrared spectroscopy as a routine clinical tool in preterm infants undergoing intensive care?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Greisen, Gorm; Leung, Terence; Wolf, Martin

2011-01-01

the neonatal period. It is likely that an important part of the burden of this handicap is due to brain injury induced by hypoxia-ischaemia during intensive care. In particular, this is true for infants born extremely preterm. Thus, monitoring of cerebral oxygenation has considerable potential benefit...... in this group. The benefit, however, should be weighed against the disturbance to the infant, against the limitations imposed on clinical care and against costs. The ultimate way of demonstrating the 'added value' is by a randomized controlled trial. Cerebral oximetry must reduce the risk of a clinically...... relevant endpoint, such as death or neurodevelopmental handicap. We estimate that such a trial should recruit about 4000 infants to have the power to detect a reduction in brain injury by one-fifth. This illustrates the formidable task of providing first-grade evidence for the clinical value of diagnostic...

Association of Oxytocin and Parental Prefrontal Activation during Reunion with Infant: A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study

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Jun Ito

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Although previous studies have revealed the role of oxytocin (OT in parental behavior, the role of OT has not been investigated through the direct assessment of prefrontal brain activation during parenting. By using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, we aimed to show the relationship between parental [maternal (N = 15 and paternal (N = 21] OT levels and the activation of the prefrontal cortex (PFC, while holding their infants after separation. Baseline OT levels were measured in the subjects’ saliva samples before the experiment. Prefrontal brain activation was assessed in participants sitting alone on a chair (i.e., separation from their infant for 120 s and during the target period (i.e., holding their infant for 45 s, which was done in triplicate. The oxygen hemoglobin (oxy-Hb dissociation curve significantly increased in 9 out of 22 channels on the PFC when maternal and paternal samples were combined. However, only the fathers showed a correlation between salivary OT and oxy-Hb signal. Furthermore, while holding their infants, high-OT fathers showed left hemispheric dominance compared to low-OT fathers, while high-OT mothers showed right hemispheric dominance compared to low-OT mothers. This study showed that fathers with high-OT levels showed neural activation with left hemispheric dominance, while holding their infants, suggesting that increase of OT level might activate paternal PFC related to parenting behavior, although the same is not true for mothers.

Bilingualism as a potential strategy to improve executive function in preterm infants: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Head, Lauren M; Baralt, Melissa; Darcy Mahoney, Ashley E

2015-01-01

Preterm birth is associated with long-term deficits in executive functioning and cognitive performance. Using the model of brain plasticity as a theoretical framework, it is possible that preterm infants' neurodevelopmental sequelae can be altered. Evidence suggests that bilingualism confers cognitive advantages on executive functioning, so it is possible that bilingualism may improve preterm infants' neurodevelopment. However, bilingualism has only been studied in term children. This review examined literature that compared the performance of preterm-born children to term children and bilingual children to monolingual children on executive function tasks. To address cognitive disparities in preterm-born children, studies investigating the effect of bilingualism on preterm infants' executive functioning is warranted. Copyright © 2015 National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Neural and behavioral responses to attractiveness in adult and infant faces.

Science.gov (United States)

Hahn, Amanda C; Perrett, David I

2014-10-01

Facial attractiveness provides a very powerful motivation for sexual and parental behavior. We therefore review the importance of faces to the study of neurobiological control of human reproductive motivations. For heterosexual individuals there is a common brain circuit involving the nucleus accumbens, the medial prefrontal, dorsal anterior cingulate and the orbitofrontal cortices that is activated more by attractive than unattractive faces, particularly for faces of the opposite sex. Behavioral studies indicate parallel effects of attractiveness on incentive salience or willingness to work to see faces. There is some evidence that the reward value of opposite sex attractiveness is more pronounced in men than women, perhaps reflecting the greater importance assigned to physical attractiveness by men when evaluating a potential mate. Sex differences and similarities in response to facial attractiveness are reviewed. Studies comparing heterosexual and homosexual observers indicate the orbitofrontal cortex and mediodorsal thalamus are more activated by faces of the desired sex than faces of the less-preferred sex, independent of observer gender or sexual orientation. Infant faces activate brain regions that partially overlap with those responsive to adult faces. Infant faces provide a powerful stimulus, which also elicits sex differences in behavior and brain responses that appear dependent on sex hormones. There are many facial dimensions affecting perceptions of attractiveness that remain unexplored in neuroimaging, and we conclude by suggesting that future studies combining parametric manipulation of face images, brain imaging, hormone assays and genetic polymorphisms in receptor sensitivity are needed to understand the neural and hormonal mechanisms underlying reproductive drives. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide measurements in hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus in preterm infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Alenazi, Shehab Ahmed

2016-01-01

Evaluate the role of NT-proBNP levels in Preterm neonates suffering from PDA and used as a screening tool for predicting HsPDA and guiding physicians to consider early echocardiographic evaluation. This is a monocentric prospective blind study which was conducted at Arar Central Hospital, Ar'ar, Saudi Arabia, during the period between Jan 2014 to June 2014. Thirty-three (33) preterm infants born at less than 31 weeks of gestation or weighing less than 1200 g at birth infants were initially enrolled during a 6-month period. Blood samples were collected along with routine blood tests on days 1, 2, 3, and 7 of life for NT-proBNP analysis. Two echocardiographies were systematically performed on day two of life to ascertain about the status of Ductus Arteriosus. The Plasma NT-proBNP levels were high on day one of life and decline from day three to day seven of life except in those infants with significant hsPDA. Plasma NT-proNBP levels on day 2 of infants in the HsPDA group were significantly higher (ventricular posterior wall thickness (pclosure or otherwise.

Using fNIRS to Examine Occipital and Temporal Responses to Stimulus Repetition in Young Infants: Evidence of Selective Frontal Cortex Involvement

Science.gov (United States)

Emberson, Lauren L.; Cannon, Grace; Palmeri, Holly; Richards, John E.; Aslin, Richard N.

2016-01-01

How does the developing brain respond to recent experience? Repetition suppression (RS) is a robust and well-characterized response of to recent experience found, predominantly, in the perceptual cortices of the adult brain. We use functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to investigate how perceptual (temporal and occipital) and frontal cortices in the infant brain respond to auditory and visual stimulus repetitions (spoken words and faces). In Experiment 1, we find strong evidence of repetition suppression in the frontal cortex but only for auditory stimuli. In perceptual cortices, we find only suggestive evidence of auditory RS in the temporal cortex and no evidence of visual RS in any ROI. In Experiments 2 and 3, we replicate and extend these findings. Overall, we provide the first evidence that infant and adult brains respond differently to stimulus repetition. We suggest that the frontal lobe may support the development of RS in perceptual cortices. PMID:28012401

Neonatal hydrocephalus is a result of a block in folate handling and metabolism involving 10-formyltetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase.

Science.gov (United States)

Naz, Naila; Jimenez, Alicia Requena; Sanjuan-Vilaplana, Anna; Gurney, Megan; Miyan, Jaleel

2016-08-01

Folate is vital in a range of biological processes and folate deficiency is associated with neurodevelopmental disorders such as neural tube defects and hydrocephalus (HC). 10-formyl-tetrahydrofolate-dehydrogenase (FDH) is a key regulator for folate availability and metabolic interconversion for the supply of 1-carbon groups. In previous studies, we found a deficiency of FDH in CSF associated with the developmental deficit in congenital and neonatal HC. In this study, we therefore aimed to investigate the role of FDH in folate transport and metabolism during the brain development of the congenital hydrocephalic Texas (H-Tx) rat and normal (Sprague-Dawley) rats. We show that at embryonic (E) stage E18 and E20, FDH-positive cells and/or vesicles derived from the cortex can bind methyl-folate similarly to folate receptor alpha, the main folate transporter. Hydrocephalic rats expressed diminished nuclear FDH in both liver and brain at all postnatal (P) ages tested (P5, P15, and P20) together with a parallel increase in hepatic nuclear methyl-folate at P5 and cerebral methylfolate at P15 and P20. A similar relationship was found between FDH and 5-methyl cytosine, the main marker for DNA methylation. The data indicated that FDH binds and transports methylfolate in the brain and that decreased liver and brain nuclear expression of FDH is linked with decreased DNA methylation which could be a key factor in the developmental deficits associated with congenital and neonatal HC. Folate deficiency is associated with neurodevelopmental disorders such as neural tube defects and hydrocephalus. 10-formyl-tetrahydrofolate-dehydrogenase (FDH) is a key regulator for folate availability and metabolic interconversion. We show that FDH binds and transports methylfolate in the brain. Moreover, we found that a deficiency of FDH in the nucleus of brain and liver is linked with decreased DNA methylation which could be a key factor in the developmental deficits associated with congenital and

Characterization of tissue metabolism of thyroid hormones in very premature infants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pavelka, S.; Kopecky, J.; Brauner, P.

1998-01-01

Thyroid status was characterized in very preterm infants (gestational age 23-32 wk; n = 61) from birth through day 14; in those infants who died within 16 days of delivery (n = 10) it was also correlated with the metabolism of thyroid hormones in peripheral tissues (brain, liver, kidney, skeletal muscle, and different localities of adipose tissue). The results obtained support the view that peripheral tissues of very premature infants are involved in local generation of triiodothyronine (T 3 ) and inactivation of thyroid hormones, but do not represent a major source of circulating T 3 . In this study observations on postnatal development of plasma thyroid hormone levels in normal and critically ill premature neonates are presented. Enzyme activities of all three types of iodothyronine deiodinases were followed in autopsy samples from brain, liver, kidney, muscle, and adipose tissue depots, to better characterize the relationships between peripheral metabolism of thyroid hormones and thyroid status in critically ill very preterm newborns. Plasma concentrations of total T 3 , total T 4 , and total rT 3 were estimated by competitive radioimmunoassay. Plasma TSH concentrations were measured by microparticle enzyme immunoassay. Measurable activities of deiodinases of type I, II and II were detected post mortem in all tissue samples, except for type II activity in kidney. No correlation between postnatal age and the enzyme activities was found in in different tissues in the group of infants who died by 16 days of age. All activities were the highest in liver and differed significantly in particular tissues. Obtained results suggest tat, in contrast to adults, iodothyronine metabolism in peripheral tissues of premature newborns seems to be dominated by thyroid hormones inactivation, and T 3 production mainly for local use inside tissues. (authors)

GENERAL ANESTHESIA: IS IT SAFE FOR NEWBORNS, INFANTS AND YOUNG CHILDREN ?

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Nancheva Jasminka

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The exposure of neonates, infants and small children to general anesthesia is becoming a common occurrence. Accumulating preclinical data indicate that exposure to commonly used general anesthetic agents during key periods of brain development in this population(between late gestation and 3 to 4 years of age, can lead to apoptotic neurodegeneration, synapse loss, and cognitive and neurobehavioral deficits that persist as the organism matures. New work suggests that infants and small children undergoing some types of surgery could have better recovery if they receive regional anesthesia rather than general anesthesia. In response to this concerns, the Food and drug administration (FDA and the International Research Society in anesthesia (IARS started an initiative called Smart Tots (Strategies for Mitigating Anesthesia- related neuro Toxicity in Tots which examine the effects of anesthesia on brain development. Also another two major prospective studies are ongoing in children : PANDA (Pediatric Anesthesia Neurodevelopment assessment Study project is a large, multi-center study based at the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York at Columbia University, and another one is GAS study which is a multisite randomized controlled trial comparing neurodevelopment outcomes in infant receiving general anesthesia compared to spinal and other regional anesthetics to the stress response to surgery. The findings from these studies will help researches to design the safest anesthetic regimens and to develop the new and safer anesthetic drugs for use in pediatric medicine.

S100B increases in cyanotic versus noncyanotic infants undergoing heart surgery and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).

Science.gov (United States)

Varrica, Alessandro; Satriano, Angela; Gavilanes, Antonio D W; Zimmermann, Luc J; Vles, Hans J S; Pluchinotta, Francesca; Anastasia, Luigi; Giamberti, Alessandro; Baryshnikova, Ekaterina; Gazzolo, Diego

2017-11-28

S100B has been proposed as a consolidated marker of brain damage in infants with congenital heart disease (CHD) undergoing cardiac surgery and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). The present study aimed to investigate whether S100B blood levels in the perioperative period differed in infants complicated or not by cyanotic CHD (CHDc) and correlated with oxygenation status (PaO 2 ). We conducted a case-control study of 48 CHD infants without pre-existing neurological disorders undergoing surgical repair and CPB. 24 infants were CHDc and 24 were CHD controls. Blood samples for S100B assessment were collected at six monitoring time-points: before the surgical procedure (T0), after sternotomy but before CPB (T1), at the end of the cross-clamp CPB phase (T2), at the end of CPB (T3), at the end of the surgical procedure (T4), at 24 h postsurgery (T5). In the CHDc group, S100B multiples of median (MoM) were significantly higher (p  .05, for all) were found at T2, T3, T5. Linear regression analysis showed a positive correlation between S100B MoM at T3 and PaO 2 (R = 0.84; p < .001). The present data showing higher hypoxia/hyperoxia-mediated S100B concentrations in CHDc infants suggest that CHDc are more prone to perioperative brain stress/damage and suggest the usefulness of further investigations to detect the "optimal" PaO 2 target in order to avoid the side effects associated with reoxygenation during CPB.

Infant-Directed Speech Drives Social Preferences in 5-Month-Old Infants

Science.gov (United States)

Schachner, Adena; Hannon, Erin E.

2011-01-01

Adults across cultures speak to infants in a specific infant-directed manner. We asked whether infants use this manner of speech (infant- or adult-directed) to guide their subsequent visual preferences for social partners. We found that 5-month-old infants encode an individuals' use of infant-directed speech and adult-directed speech, and use this…

CT findings and prognosis of 70 full-term infants having spasm due to hypoxic ischemic encephalography following asphyxia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogita, Yasutoki; Kawakami, Tadashi; Tsunei, Mikio; Ohta, Yuko; Sone, Yoshiharu; Akamatsu, Hiroshi

1984-01-01

Relationship between cranial CT findings and prognosis at 12 months or more after birth was studied in 70 full-term (appropriate for date and large for date) infants who had spasm due to hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy following neonatal asphyxia. There was correlation between the prognosis of the infants and neonatal CT findings showing slight and marked low density areas in the brain parenchyma. However, it was sometimes difficult to estimate the prognosis when the low density area was moderate on CT. Therefore, follow-up CT at one and six months and one year after birth was required to examine changes in low density areas for the estimation of prognosis. The prognosis was unfavorable in cases of the disease accompanied by hemorrhage in the brain parenchyma or cerebral ventricle, persistent cerebral edema on neonatal CT, and low density areas in the atrophied brain by the follow-up CT. There was no consistent relationship between subarachnoid hemorrhage and the prognosis. (Namekawa, K.)

Human-like brain hemispheric dominance in birdsong learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Moorman, Sanne; Gobes, Sharon M H; Kuijpers, Maaike; Kerkhofs, Amber; Zandbergen, Matthijs A; Bolhuis, Johan J

2012-07-31

Unlike nonhuman primates, songbirds learn to vocalize very much like human infants acquire spoken language. In humans, Broca's area in the frontal lobe and Wernicke's area in the temporal lobe are crucially involved in speech production and perception, respectively. Songbirds have analogous brain regions that show a similar neural dissociation between vocal production and auditory perception and memory. In both humans and songbirds, there is evidence for lateralization of neural responsiveness in these brain regions. Human infants already show left-sided dominance in their brain activation when exposed to speech. Moreover, a memory-specific left-sided dominance in Wernicke's area for speech perception has been demonstrated in 2.5-mo-old babies. It is possible that auditory-vocal learning is associated with hemispheric dominance and that this association arose in songbirds and humans through convergent evolution. Therefore, we investigated whether there is similar song memory-related lateralization in the songbird brain. We exposed male zebra finches to tutor or unfamiliar song. We found left-sided dominance of neuronal activation in a Broca-like brain region (HVC, a letter-based name) of juvenile and adult zebra finch males, independent of the song stimulus presented. In addition, juvenile males showed left-sided dominance for tutor song but not for unfamiliar song in a Wernicke-like brain region (the caudomedial nidopallium). Thus, left-sided dominance in the caudomedial nidopallium was specific for the song-learning phase and was memory-related. These findings demonstrate a remarkable neural parallel between birdsong and human spoken language, and they have important consequences for our understanding of the evolution of auditory-vocal learning and its neural mechanisms.

Infant Gaze Following during Parent-Infant Coviewing of Baby Videos

Science.gov (United States)

Demers, Lindsay B.; Hanson, Katherine G.; Kirkorian, Heather L.; Pempek, Tiffany A.; Anderson, Daniel R.

2013-01-01

A total of 122 parent–infant dyads were observed as they watched a familiar or novel infant-directed video in a laboratory setting. Infants were between 12-15 and 18-21 months old. Infants were more likely to look toward the TV immediately following their parents' look toward the TV. This apparent social influence on infant looking at television…

A pacifier-activated music player with mother's voice improves oral feeding in preterm infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Chorna, Olena D; Slaughter, James C; Wang, Lulu; Stark, Ann R; Maitre, Nathalie L

2014-03-01

We conducted a randomized trial to test the hypothesis that mother's voice played through a pacifier-activated music player (PAM) during nonnutritive sucking would improve the development of sucking ability and promote more effective oral feeding in preterm infants. Preterm infants between 34 0/7 and 35 6/7 weeks' postmenstrual age, including those with brain injury, who were taking at least half their feedings enterally and less than half orally, were randomly assigned to receive 5 daily 15-minute sessions of either PAM with mother's recorded voice or no PAM, along with routine nonnutritive sucking and maternal care in both groups. Assignment was masked to the clinical team. Ninety-four infants (46 and 48 in the PAM intervention and control groups, respectively) completed the study. The intervention group had significantly increased oral feeding rate (2.0 vs. 0.9 mL/min, P improves oral feeding skills in preterm infants without adverse effects on hormonal stress or growth.

10-Month-Old Infants Are Sensitive to the Time Course of Perceived Actions: Eye-Tracking and EEG Evidence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cathleen Bache

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Research has shown that infants are able to track a moving target efficiently – even if it is transiently occluded from sight. This basic ability allows prediction of when and where events happen in everyday life. Yet, it is unclear whether, and how, infants internally represent the time course of ongoing movements to derive predictions. In this study, 10-month-old crawlers observed the video of a same-aged crawling baby that was transiently occluded and reappeared in either a temporally continuous or non-continuous manner (i.e., delayed by 500 ms vs. forwarded by 500 ms relative to the real-time movement. Eye movement and rhythmic neural brain activity (EEG were measured simultaneously. Eye movement analyses showed that infants were sensitive to slight temporal shifts in movement continuation after occlusion. Furthermore, brain activity associated with sensorimotor processing differed between observation of continuous and non-continuous movements. Early sensitivity to an action’s timing may hence be explained within the internal real-time simulation account of action observation. Overall, the results support the hypothesis that 10-month-old infants are well prepared for internal representation of the time course of observed movements that are within the infants’ current motor repertoire.

Aplasia cutis congenita, skull defect, brain heterotopia, and intestinal lymphangiectasia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bonioli, Eugenio; Hennekam, Raoul C.; Spena, Gianantonio; Morcaldi, Guido; Di Stefano, Antonio; Serra, Giovanni; Bellini, Carlo

2005-01-01

We describe a female infant with a previously unreported combination of manifestations characterized by aplasia cutis, skull defect, brain heterotopia, mild congenital lymphedema, and intestinal lymphangiectasia. The association of intestinal lymphangiectasia and aplasia cutis, and the association

Brain biochemistry of infant mice and rats exposed to lead

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berber, G.B.; Maes, J.; Gilliavod, N.; Casale, G.

1978-05-01

Brains of rats and mice exposed to lead from birth receive biochemical examinations. Mice are given drinking water with lead and are studied until they are 17 days old. Rats ae given lead in the diet and followed for more than a year. In mice a retardation in body growth and development in brain DNA is found. In rats, cathepsin is enhanced at almost all times. An important role of proteolytic processes and biogenic animes is suggested in lead encephalopathy. (33 references, 7 tables)

Clinical characteristics and serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide as a diagnostic marker of Kawasaki disease in infants younger than 3 months of age.

Science.gov (United States)

Bae, Hyun Kyung; Lee, Do Kyung; Kwon, Jung Hyun; Kim, Hae Soon; Sohn, Sejung; Hong, Young Mi

2014-08-01

The incidence of Kawasaki disease (KD) is rare in young infants (less than 3 months of age), who present with only a few symptoms that fulfill the clinical diagnostic criteria. The diagnosis for KD can therefore be delayed, leading to a high risk of cardiac complications. We examined the clinical characteristics and measured the serum levels of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels of these patients for assessing its value in the early detection of KD. We retrospectively reviewed the data of young infants diagnosed with KD from 2004 to 2012. The control group included 20 hospitalized febrile patients. Laboratory data, including NT-proBNP were obtained for each patient in both groups. Incomplete KD was observed in 21/24 patients (87.5%). The mean fever duration on admission was 1.36±1.0 days in the KD group. Common symptoms included erythema at the site of Bacille Calmette-Guerin inoculation (70.8%), skin rash (50.0%), changes of oropharyngeal mucosa (29.1%), and cervical lymphadenopathy (20.8%). The mean number of major diagnostic criteria fulfilled was 2.8±1.4. Five KD patients (20.8%) had only one symptom matching these criteria. The incidence of coronary artery complications was 12.5%. The mean serum NT-proBNP level in the acute phase, in the KD and control groups, were 4,159±3,714 pg/mL and 957±902 pg/mL, respectively, which decreased significantly in the convalescent phase. Incomplete KD was observed in 87.5% patients. Serum NT-proBNP might be a valuable biomarker for the early detection of KD in febrile infants aged <3 months.

Development of a screening MRI for infants at risk for abusive head trauma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Flom, Lynda; Panigrahy, Ashok [Children' s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, Department of Radiology, Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Fromkin, Janet [University of Pittsburgh, Department of Pediatrics, Children' s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Tyler-Kabara, Elizabeth [University of Pittsburgh, Department of Neurosurgery, Children' s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Berger, Rachel P. [University of Pittsburgh, Department of Pediatrics, Children' s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA (United States); University of Pittsburgh, Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

2016-04-15

Abusive head trauma (AHT) is an important cause of morbidity in infants. Identifying which well-appearing infants are at risk for AHT and need neuroimaging is challenging, and concern about radiation exposure limits the use of head CT. Availability of an MRI protocol that is highly sensitive for intracranial hemorrhage would allow for AHT screening of well-appearing infants without exposing them to radiation. To develop a screening MRI protocol to identify intracranial hemorrhage in well-appearing infants at risk for AHT. Infants enrolled in a parent study of well-appearing infants at increased risk for AHT were eligible for the current study if they underwent both head CT and conventional brain MRI. A derivation cohort of nine infants with AHT was used to identify sequences that provided the highest sensitivity for intracranial hemorrhage. A validation cohort of 78 infants including both controls with normal neuroimaging and cases with AHT was used to evaluate the accuracy of the selected sequences. Three pulse sequences - axial T2, axial gradient recalled echo (GRE) and coronal T1-W inversion recovery - were 100% sensitive for intracranial hemorrhage in the derivation cohort. The same sequences were 100% sensitive (25/25) and 83% specific (44/53) for intracranial hemorrhage in the validation cohort. A screening MRI protocol including axial T2, axial GRE and coronal T1-W inversion recovery sequences is highly sensitive for intracranial hemorrhage and may be useful as a screening tool to differentiate well-appearing infants at risk for AHT who should undergo head CT from those who can safely be discharged without head CT. Additional research is needed to evaluate the feasibility of this approach in clinical practice. (orig.)

Cardiovascular dysfunction in infants with neonatal encephalopathy.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Armstrong, Katey

2012-04-01

Severe perinatal asphyxia with hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy occurs in approximately 1-2\\/1000 live births and is an important cause of cerebral palsy and associated neurological disabilities in children. Multiorgan dysfunction commonly occurs as part of the asphyxial episode, with cardiovascular dysfunction occurring in up to a third of infants. This narrative paper attempts to review the literature on the importance of early recognition of cardiac dysfunction using echocardiography and biomarkers such as troponin and brain type natriuretic peptide. These tools may allow accurate assessment of cardiac dysfunction and guide therapy to improve outcome.

NEUROSPECIFIC ENOLASE IN DIAGNOSTICS FOR PERINATAL DAMAGE TO THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM IN PREMATURE INFANTS

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E.G. Novopol'tseva

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Neurospecific enolase is an endoenzyme of the central nervous system (CNS present in neurons of the brain and peripheral neuraltissue. This is currently the only known general marker of all differentiated neurons. The article illustrates the results of determining this enzyme in premature infants with fetal infections and assessment of their importance as a marker of damage to CNS in this group of children. A high level of neurospecific enolase in children with infectious and inflammatory diseases is not only the marker of damage to blood-brain barrier, but also reflects the nature of damage (hypoxia, intoxication, inflammation. This parameter in premature infants with various pathologies may serve as a degree of perinatal damage severity, and along with other parameters, determine the performed therapy tactics. Key words: neurospecific enolase, marker of CNS damage, perinatal damage, children. (Pediatric Pharmacology. – 2010; 7(3:66-70

Frequency Modulation and Spatiotemporal Stability of the sCPG in Preterm Infants with RDS

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Steven M. Barlow

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The nonnutritive suck (NNS is an observable and accessible motor behavior which is often used to make inference about brain development and pre-feeding skill in preterm and term infants. The purpose of this study was to model NNS burst compression pressure dynamics in the frequency and time domain among two groups of preterm infants, including those with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS, N=15 and 17 healthy controls. Digitized samples of NNS compression pressure waveforms recorded at a 1-week interval were collected 15 minutes prior to a scheduled feed. Regression analysis and ANOVA revealed that healthy preterm infants produced longer NNS bursts and the mean burst initiation cycle frequencies were higher when compared to the RDS group. Moreover, the initial 5 cycles of the NNS burst manifest a frequency modulated (FM segment which is a significant feature of the suck central pattern generator (sCPG, and differentially expressed in healthy and RDS infants. The NNS burst structure revealed significantly lower spatiotemporal index values for control versus RDS preterm infants during FM, and provides additional information on the microstructure of the sCPG which may be used to gauge the developmental status and progression of oromotor control systems among these fragile infants.

Infants born preterm, stress, and neurodevelopment in the neonatal intensive care unit: might music have an impact?

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Anderson, Dane E; Patel, Aniruddh D

2018-03-01

The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) provides life-saving medical care for an increasing number of newborn infants each year. NICU care, while lifesaving, does have attendant consequences which can include repeated activation of the stress response and reduced maternal interaction, with possible negative long-term impacts on brain development. Here we present a neuroscientific framework for considering the impact of music on neurodevelopment in the NICU of infants born preterm and evaluate current literature on the use of music with this population to determine what is most reliably known of the physiological effects of music interventions. Using online academic databases we collected relevant, experimental studies aimed at determining effects of music listening in infants in the NICU. These articles were evaluated for methodological rigor, ranking the 10 most experimentally stringent as a representative sample. The selected literature seems to indicate that effects are present on the cardio-pulmonary system and behavior of neonates, although the relative effect size remains unclear. These findings indicate a need for more standardized longitudinal studies aimed at determining not only whether NICU music exposure has beneficial effects on the cardio-pulmonary system, but also on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, brain structures, and cognitive behavioral status of these children as well. Provides a neuroscience framework for considering how music might attenuate stress in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) infants. Considers how repeated stress may cause negative neurodevelopmental impacts in infants born preterm. Posits epigenetics can serve as a mechanistic pathway for music moderating the stress response. © 2018 Mac Keith Press.

Brain development in rodents and humans: Identifying benchmarks of maturation and vulnerability to injury across species

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Semple, Bridgette D.; Blomgren, Klas; Gimlin, Kayleen; Ferriero, Donna M.; Noble-Haeusslein, Linda J.

2013-01-01

Hypoxic-ischemic and traumatic brain injuries are leading causes of long-term mortality and disability in infants and children. Although several preclinical models using rodents of different ages have been developed, species differences in the timing of key brain maturation events can render comparisons of vulnerability and regenerative capacities difficult to interpret. Traditional models of developmental brain injury have utilized rodents at postnatal day 7–10 as being roughly equivalent to a term human infant, based historically on the measurement of post-mortem brain weights during the 1970s. Here we will examine fundamental brain development processes that occur in both rodents and humans, to delineate a comparable time course of postnatal brain development across species. We consider the timing of neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, gliogenesis, oligodendrocyte maturation and age-dependent behaviors that coincide with developmentally regulated molecular and biochemical changes. In general, while the time scale is considerably different, the sequence of key events in brain maturation is largely consistent between humans and rodents. Further, there are distinct parallels in regional vulnerability as well as functional consequences in response to brain injuries. With a focus on developmental hypoxicischemic encephalopathy and traumatic brain injury, this review offers guidelines for researchers when considering the most appropriate rodent age for the developmental stage or process of interest to approximate human brain development. PMID:23583307

Asymptomatic pons tuberculoma in an infant with miliary tuberculosis

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Uysal, Gulnar; Guven, Akif; Gursoy, Tugba; Altunc, Umut

2005-01-01

Miliary tuberculosis is caused by the hematogenous spread of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and consists of 1.5% of all tuberculosis cases. It is seen mostly in infants because of the immature immune system, and central nervous system CNS involvement is not rare. Tuberculomas are rarely seen in the localized form of CNS tuberculosis, and only 4% are localized in the brain stem. We report a 4.5-month-old infant who deteriorated during follow-up with the diagnosis of cytomegalovirus pneumonia, and afterwards received the diagnosis of miliary tuberculosis. Although the baby had no neurologic abnormality and cerebrospinal fluid findings were normal, cranial MRI revealed contrast enhanced nodular lesions in pons, cerebellum, and right parietal region. The case is presented to intensify the importance of CNS investigation even if the patient with miliary tuberculosis has no neurologic finding. (author)

Low iodine content in the diets of hospitalized preterm infants.

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Belfort, Mandy B; Pearce, Elizabeth N; Braverman, Lewis E; He, Xuemei; Brown, Rosalind S

2012-04-01

Iodine is critical for normal thyroid hormone synthesis and brain development during infancy, and preterm infants are particularly vulnerable to the effects of both iodine deficiency and excess. Use of iodine-containing skin antiseptics in intensive care nurseries has declined substantially in recent years, but whether the current dietary iodine intake meets the requirement for hospitalized preterm infants is unknown. The aim of the study was to measure the iodine content of enteral and parenteral nutrition products commonly used for hospitalized preterm infants and estimate the daily iodine intake for a hypothetical 1-kg infant. We used mass spectrometry to measure the iodine concentration of seven preterm infant formulas, 10 samples of pooled donor human milk, two human milk fortifiers (HMF) and other enteral supplements, and a parenteral amino acid solution and soy-based lipid emulsion. We calculated the iodine provided by typical diets based on 150 ml/kg · d of formula, donor human milk with or without HMF, and parenteral nutrition. Preterm formula provided 16.4-28.5 μg/d of iodine, whereas unfortified donor human milk provided only 5.0-17.6 μg/d. Adding two servings (six packets) of Similac HMF to human milk increased iodine intake by 11.7 μg/d, whereas adding two servings of Enfamil HMF increased iodine intake by only 0.9 μg/d. The other enteral supplements contained almost no iodine, nor did a parenteral nutrition-based diet. Typical enteral diets for hospitalized preterm infants, particularly those based on donor human milk, provide less than the recommended 30 μg/d of iodine, and parenteral nutrition provides almost no iodine. Additional iodine fortification should be considered.

Automatic MRI-based quantication of brain characteristics in preterm newborns

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Moeskops, P

2016-01-01

Even though survival of preterm infants has improved in recent years, preterm birth is still associated with developmental impairments, such as cognitive and behavioural problems. Brain development is particularly vulnerable in this population because an important part of development takes place

Medium-chain triglycerides in infant formulas and their relation to plasma ketone body concentrations.

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Wu, P Y; Edmond, J; Auestad, N; Rambathla, S; Benson, J; Picone, T

1986-04-01

A mild ketosis is known to prevail in the mother, fetus, and newborn infant during the 3rd trimester and in the early neonatal period. It has been shown that during an equivalent period in the rat ketone bodies are readily oxidized and serve as key substrates for lipogenesis in brain. Since medium-chain triglycerides are known to be ketogenic, preterm infants may benefit from dietary medium-chain triglycerides beyond the point of enhanced fat absorption. Our objective was to determine the ketogenic response in preterm infants (gestational age: 33 +/- 0.8 wk) fed three different isocaloric formulas by measuring the concentrations of 3-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate in the plasma of these infants. At the time of entrance to the study the infants were receiving 110 kcal/kg/24 h. Study I (11 infants): the infants were fed sequentially in the order; PM 60/40 (PM), Special Care Formula (SCF), and Similac 20 (SIM). In SCF greater than 50% of the fat consists of medium-chain length fatty acids while PM and SIM contain about 25%. The concentration of 3-hydroxybutyrate in plasma was significantly higher when infants were fed SCF than PM and SIM [0.14 +/- 0.03, 0.06 +/- 0.01, and 0.05 +/- 0.01 mM, respectively (p less than 0.01)]. Study II (12 infants); the infants were fed SCF, then SIM, or the reverse. The concentration of acetoacetate in plasma was 0.05 +/- 0.01 and 0.03 +/- 0.01 mM when infants were fed SCF and SIM, respectively (0.1 greater than p greater than 0.05). The concentrations of 3-hydroxybutyrate in plasma were similar to those measured in study I for the respective formulas.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Trisomy 15 mosaicism and uniparental disomy (UPD) in a liveborn infant

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Milunsky, J.M. [Boston Univ. School Med, MA (United States)]|[Tufts-New England Med. Ctr, Boston, MA (United States); Wyandt, H.E.; Amos, J.A. [Boston Univ. School Med., MA (United States)] [and others

1994-09-01

We describe a liveborn infant with UPD in association with trisomy 15 mosaicism. Third trimester amniocentesis was performed for suspected IUGR. Results revealed 46,XX/47,XX,+15. The infant initially had respiratory distress and fed poorly. Symmetrical growth retardation, craniofacial dysmorphism, excess nuchal folds, a heart murmur, hypermobile joints, minor limb abnormalities, absent spontaneous movement and an abnormal cry were noted. Further study showed complex heart defects, including VSD and PDA, a left choroid plexus cyst, 13 ribs bilaterally, abnormal optic discs, abnormal visual evoked potentials and abnormal auditory brain stem responses. The infant died at 6 weeks of life from cardio-respiratory complications. Blood chromosomes were normal, 46,XX in 100 cells. Parental blood chromosomes were normal. Skin biopsy revealed 46,XX/47,XX,+15 in 40/50 (80%) cells as did autopsy lung tissue. Molecular analysis of the infant`s blood revealed maternal uniparental heterodisomy for chromosome 15 in the 46,XX cell line. Microsatellite analysis demonstrated that the extra chromosome originated from a maternal meiosis I nondisjunction. To our knowledge, this is the first liveborn infant with mosaic trisomy 15 and UPD in the diploid cells. Trisomy 15, heretofore, has been regarded as nonviable, even in mosaic form. While maternal UPD is associated with the Prader-Willi syndrome phenotype, mosaicism for trisomy 15 has been reported only when confined to the placenta. UPD in this case generally complicated prediction of the phenotype and raises the question whether all cases with UPD 15 should have more than one tissue studied to determine undetected trisomy 15.

Normal variation in early parental sensitivity predicts child structural brain development.

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Kok, Rianne; Thijssen, Sandra; Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J; Jaddoe, Vincent W V; Verhulst, Frank C; White, Tonya; van IJzendoorn, Marinus H; Tiemeier, Henning

2015-10-01

Early caregiving can have an impact on brain structure and function in children. The influence of extreme caregiving experiences has been demonstrated, but studies on the influence of normal variation in parenting quality are scarce. Moreover, no studies to date have included the role of both maternal and paternal sensitivity in child brain maturation. This study examined the prospective relation between mothers' and fathers' sensitive caregiving in early childhood and brain structure later in childhood. Participants were enrolled in a population-based prenatal cohort. For 191 families, maternal and paternal sensitivity was repeatedly observed when the child was between 1 year and 4 years of age. Head circumference was assessed at 6 weeks, and brain structure was assessed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements at 8 years of age. Higher levels of parental sensitivity in early childhood were associated with larger total brain volume (adjusted β = 0.15, p = .01) and gray matter volume (adjusted β = 0.16, p = .01) at 8 years, controlling for infant head size. Higher levels of maternal sensitivity in early childhood were associated with a larger gray matter volume (adjusted β = 0.13, p = .04) at 8 years, independent of infant head circumference. Associations with maternal versus paternal sensitivity were not significantly different. Normal variation in caregiving quality is related to markers of more optimal brain development in children. The results illustrate the important role of both mothers and fathers in child brain development. Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Being Small for Gestational Age: Does it Matter for the Neurodevelopment of Premature Infants? A Cohort Study.

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Myriam Bickle Graz

Full Text Available Whether being small for gestational age (SGA increases the risk of adverse neurodevelopmental outcome in premature infants remains controversial.to study the impact of SGA (birthweight < percentile 10 on cognition, behavior, neurodevelopmental impairment and use of therapy at 5 years old.This population-based prospective cohort included infants born before 32 weeks of gestation. Cognition was evaluated with the K-ABC, and behavior with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ. Primary outcomes were cognitive and behavioral scores, as well as neurodevelopmental impairment (cognitive score < 2SD, hearing loss, blindness, or cerebral palsy. The need of therapy, an indirect indicator of neurodevelopmental impairment, was a secondary outcome. Linear and logistic regression models were used to analyze the association of SGA with neurodevelopment.342/515 (76% premature infants were assessed. SGA was significantly associated with hyperactivity scores of the SDQ (coefficient 0.81, p < 0.04, but not with cognitive scores, neurodevelopmental impairment or the need of therapy. Gestational age, socio-economic status, and major brain lesions were associated with cognitive outcome in the univariate and multivariate model, whereas asphyxia, sepsis and bronchopulmonary dysplasia were associated in the univariate model only. Severe impairment was associated with fetal tobacco exposition, asphyxia, gestational age and major brain lesions. Different neonatal factors were associated with the use of single or multiple therapies: children with one therapy were more likely to have suffered birth asphyxia or necrotizing enterocolitis, whereas the need for several therapies was predicted by major brain lesions.In this large cohort of premature infants, assessed at 5 years old with a complete panel of tests, SGA was associated with hyperactive behavior, but not with cognition, neurodevelopmental impairment or use of therapy. Birthweight <10th percentile alone

Third World adversity: African infant precocity and the role of environment.

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Saugstad, Letten F

2002-01-01

The war against illiteracy has not been won. The number of illiterates approaches a billion. Most reside in Third World countries--former colonies--where they are caught in a poverty trap of disease, low agricultural production and environmental adversity requiring technology beyond their means. I argue against the commonly held view that this is mainly attributable to the four hundred years of traffic in men. According to the late K.O. Dike, middle men along the African coast barred foreign merchants from the hinterland, and because of this the social, political structure and sovereignty of the African states remained fundamentally unchanged during the period 1400-1807, whereas a few decades after colonisation the socio-political system collapsed and was replaced by a small rich elite and many poor, while resources were taken out of Africa. Present poverty and underdevelopment represent as great a challenge as the trade in slaves. As did the African Middle-Men of that time, African leaders now must unite in an ambitious and confident Pan-African Union demonstrating strength. Western countries should focus on reducing poverty and improving nutrition. This also makes terrorism and legal and illegal migration less likely. Education is important, but the West should not limit its effort to fighting illiteracy but should also support the establishment of institutions for higher education. Africa possessed optimal conditions and an enriched environment for human evolution. African Infant Precocity is a persistent example. The human brain, like other brains, consists 60% of poly-unsaturated fatty acids (Marine-Fat), the rest being water. A sufficient amount is required to secure optimal brain growth. It normalizes brain function, and prevents sudden cardiac and infant death, which have been increasing in Western societies. Humans are unique in having a mismatch between the need for brain food--marine fat--and our common high protein diet. Nowhere is the neglect of the

Autopsy and Postmortem Studies Are Concordant: Pathology of Zika Virus Infection Is Neurotropic in Fetuses and Infants With Microcephaly Following Transplacental Transmission.

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Schwartz, David A

2017-01-01

-Pathology studies have been important in concluding that Zika virus infection occurring in pregnant women can result in vertical transmission of the agent from mother to fetus. Fetal and infant autopsies have provided crucial direct evidence that Zika virus can infect an unborn child, resulting in microcephaly, other malformations, and, in some cases, death. -To better understand the etiologic role and mechanism(s) of Zika virus in causing birth defects such as microcephaly, this communication analyzes the spectrum of clinical and autopsy studies reported from fetuses and infants who developed intrauterine Zika virus infection, and compares these findings with experimental data related to Zika virus infection. -Retrospective analysis of reported clinical, autopsy, pathology, and related postmortem studies from 9 fetuses and infants with intrauterine Zika virus infection and microcephaly. -All fetuses and infants examined demonstrated an overlapping spectrum of gross and microscopic neuropathologic abnormalities. Direct cytopathic effects of infection by the Zika virus were confined to the brain; in cases where other organs were evaluated, no direct viral effects were identified. -There is concordance of the spectrum of brain damage, reinforcing previous data indicating that the Zika virus has a strong predilection for cells of the fetal central nervous system following vertical transmission. The occurrence of additional congenital abnormalities suggests that intrauterine brain damage from Zika virus interferes with normal fetal development, resulting in fetal akinesia. Experimental in vitro and in vivo studies of Zika virus infection corroborate the human autopsy findings of neural specificity.

Predictive brain signals of linguistic development

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Valesca eKooijman

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The ability to extract word forms from continuous speech is a prerequisite for constructing a vocabulary and emerges in the first year of life. Electrophysiological (ERP studies of speech segmentation by nine- to 12-month-old listeners in several languages have found a left-localized negativity linked to word onset as a marker of word detection. We report an ERP study showing significant evidence of speech segmentation in Dutch-learning seven-month-olds. In contrast to the left-localized negative effect reported with older infants, the observed overall mean effect had a positive polarity. Inspection of individual results revealed two participant sub-groups: a majority showing a positive-going response, and a minority showing the left negativity observed in older age groups. We retested participants at age three, on vocabulary comprehension and word and sentence production. On every test, children who at seven months had shown the negativity associated with segmentation of words from speech outperformed those who had produced positive-going brain responses to the same input. The earlier that infants show the left-localized brain responses typically indicating detection of words in speech, the better their early childhood language skills.

APPROACHING THE BIOLOGY OF HUMAN PARENTAL ATTACHMENT: BRAIN IMAGING, OXYTOCIN AND COORDINATED ASSESSMENTS OF MOTHERS AND FATHERS

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Swain, JE; Kim, P; Spicer, J; Ho, SS; Dayton, CJ; Elmadih, A; Abel, KM

2014-01-01

Brain networks that govern parental response to infant signals have been studied with imaging techniques over the last 15 years. The complex interaction of thoughts and behaviors required for sensitive parenting of offspring enable formation of each individual’s first social bonds and critically shape infants’ behavior. This review concentrates on magnetic resonance imaging experiments which directly examine the brain systems involved in parental responses to infant cues. First, we introduce themes in the literature on parental brain circuits studied to date. Next, we present a thorough chronological review of state-of-the-art fMRI studies that probe the parental brain with a range of baby audio and visual stimuli. We also highlight the putative role of oxytocin and effects of psychopathology, as well as the most recent work on the paternal brain. Taken together, a new model emerges in which we propose that cortico-limbic networks interact to support parental brain responses to infants for arousal/salience/motivation/reward, reflexive/instrumental caring, emotion response/regulation and integrative/complex cognitive processing. Maternal sensitivity and the quality of caregiving behavior are likely determined by the responsiveness of these circuits toward long-term influence of early-life experiences on offspring. The function of these circuits is modifiable by current and early-life experiences, hormonal and other factors. Known deviation from the range of normal function in these systems is particularly associated with (maternal) mental illnesses – commonly, depression and anxiety, but also schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Finally, we discuss the limits and extent to which brain imaging may broaden our understanding of the parental brain, and consider a current model and future directions that may have profound implications for intervention long term outcomes in families across risk and resilience profiles. PMID:24637261

Congenital TORCH infections of the brain--CT manifestation (with analysis of 7 cases)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Xin; Li Minglin; Yang Zhiyong

1997-01-01

To study the neuropathologic changes and CT manifestations in congenital TORCH infection of the brain. Analysis of 7 cases of congenital TORCH infection of the neonates and infants demonstrated by serum examination was performed. There were congenital toxoplasmosis 3 cases, congenital syncytial virus infection 1 case, congenital rubella virus infection 1 case, congenital cytomegalovirus infection 2 cases, and congenital herpes simplex virus infection 1 case. Cerebral hypoplasia, ventricular dilatation or hydrocephalus, subependymal and parenchymal calcifications, microcephalic focal cortical migration anomalies, schizencephaly polymicrogyria, et al, were demonstrated by CT with congenital TORCH infection. The earlier the infection, the more severe the brain developmental anomalies. The extent and appearance of calcification in brain were related to the degree, extent and course of TORCH infection. Basal ganglia calcification of unknown cause in infant was suggestive of congenital TORCH infection. Typical CT manifestations together with clinical picture may suggest congenital TORCH infection, while serological test can be diagnostic

Does a parent-administrated early motor intervention influence general movements and movement character at 3months of age in infants born preterm?

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Fjørtoft, Toril; Ustad, Tordis; Follestad, Turid; Kaaresen, Per Ivar; Øberg, Gunn Kristin

2017-09-01

Studies of preterm and term-born infants have shown absent fidgety movements and an abnormal movement character to be related to brain lesions and unfavourable neurological outcomes. The present study examines what effect a parent-administered early intervention program applied to preterm infants in a randomised control trial (RCT) between 34 and 36weeks gestational age has on their fidgety movements and overall movement character at three months of age. The study was part of the RCT in an early intervention programme including preterm infants born between 2010 and 2014 at three Norwegian university hospitals. 130 preterm infants participated in the study, with 59 of them in the control group and 71 in the intervention group. Fidgety movements and overall movement character at three months corrected age. No difference was found between the intervention group and the control group in terms of fidgety movements or movement character. Approximately half of the infants in both groups showed an abnormal movement character. No evidence was found in this RCT to suggest that an intervention at 34 to 37weeks gestational age has a significant effect on the fidgety movements or overall movement character of preterm infants. This is in line with the assumption that absent fidgety movements and an abnormal movement character are due to permanent brain injury and are therefore good predictors for later neurological impairments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Moderate Unconjugated Hyperbilirubinemia Causes a Transient but Delayed Suppression of Amplitude-Integrated Electroencephalographic Activity in Preterm Infants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

ter Horst, Hendrik J.; Bos, Arend F.; Duijvendijk, Jildou; Hulzebos, Christian V.

2012-01-01

Background: Unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia occurs frequently in preterm infants and may result in bilirubin encephalopathy. Amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (aEEG) is used to evaluate brain function in newborns. Objectives: To investigate the influence of total serum bilirubin (TSB) on

Prenatal Characteristics of Infants with a Neuronal Migration Disorder: A National-Based Study

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Estelle Naumburg

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The development of the central nervous system is complex and includes dorsal and ventral induction, neuronal proliferation, and neuronal migration, organization, and myelination. Migration occurs in humans in early fetal life. Pathogenesis of malformations of the central nervous system includes both genetic and environmental factors. Few epidemiological studies have addressed the impact of prenatal exposures. All infants born alive and included in the Swedish Medical Birth Register 1980–1999 were included in the study. By linkage to the Patient Register, 820 children with a diagnosis related to a neuronal migration abnormality were identified. Through copies of referrals for computer tomography or magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, the diagnosis was confirmed in 17 children. Median age of the mothers was 29 years. At the start of pregnancy, four out of 17 women smoked. Almost half of the women had a body mass index that is low or in the lower range of average. All infants were born at term with normal birth weights. Thirteen infants had one or more concomitant diseases or malformations. Two infants were born with rubella syndrome. The impact of low maternal body mass index and congenital infections on neuronal migration disorders in infants should be addressed in future studies.

Disparities in Infant Mortality by Race Among Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Infants.

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Rice, Whitney S; Goldfarb, Samantha S; Brisendine, Anne E; Burrows, Stevie; Wingate, Martha S

2017-07-01

U.S.-born Hispanic infants have a well-documented health advantage relative to other minority groups. However, little published research has examined racial heterogeneity within the Hispanic population, in relation to health outcomes. The current study aims to explore possible implications of racial identification for the health of U.S. born Hispanic compared to non-Hispanic infants. Methods Data were drawn from 2007 to 2008 NCHS Cohort Linked Live Birth-Infant Death Files, restricted to deliveries of Hispanic black, Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black (NHB) and non-Hispanic white mothers (NHW) (n = 7,901,858). Adjusted odds ratios for first week mortality, neonatal, postneonatal, and overall infant mortality were calculated for each group, using NHW as the reference group. A distinct health gradient was observed in which NHB infants (n = 1,250,222) had the highest risk of first week (aOR 2.29, CI 2.21-2.37), neonatal (aOR 2.23, CI 2.17-2.30), postneonatal (aOR 1.74, CI 1.68-1.81), and infant mortality (aOR 2.05, CI 2.00-2.10) compared to NHW infants (n = 4,578,150). Hispanic black infants (n = 84,377) also experienced higher risk of first-week (aOR 1.28 (1.12-1.47), neonatal (aOR .27, CI 1.13-1.44), postneonatal (aOR 1.34, CI 1.15-1.56), and infant mortality (aOR 1.30, CI 1.18-1.43) compared to both NHW and Hispanic white infants (n = 1,989,109). Conclusions for Practice: Risk of infant mortality varies among Hispanic infants by race, with poorer outcomes experienced by Hispanic black infants. Compared to non-Hispanic infants of the same race, Hispanic black infants experience a smaller health disadvantage and Hispanic white infants have better or similar infant health outcomes. Our findings suggest implications of racial heterogeneity on infant health outcomes, and provide insight into the role of race as a social construct.

Development of BOLD signal hemodynamic responses in the human brain

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Arichi, T.; Varela, M.; Melendez-Calderon, A.; Allievi, A.; Merchant, N.; Tusor, N.; Counsell, S.J.; Burdet, E.; Beckmann, Christian; Edwards, A.D.

2012-01-01

In the rodent brain the hemodynamic response to a brief external stimulus changes significantly during development. Analogous changes in human infants would complicate the determination and use of the hemodynamic response function (HRF) for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in developing

Vitamin B6 vitamer concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid differ between preterm and term newborn infants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Albersen, Monique; Groenendaal, Floris; van der Ham, Maria; de Koning, Tom J; Bosma, Marjolein; Visser, Wouter F; Visser, Gepke; de Sain-van der Velden, Monique G M; Verhoeven-Duif, Nanda M

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Vitamin B(6) plays a pivotal role in brain development and functioning. Differences in vitamin B(6) homeostasis between preterm and term newborn infants have been reported. The authors sought to investigate whether B(6) vitamers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of preterm and

Automatic segmentation of MR brain images of preterm infants using supervised classification

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Moeskops, Pim; Benders, Manon J N L; Chiţă, Sabina M.; Kersbergen, Karina J.; Groenendaal, Floris; de Vries, Linda S.; Viergever, Max A.; Isgum, Ivana

Preterm birth is often associated with impaired brain development. The state and expected progression of preterm brain development can be evaluated using quantitative assessment of MR images. Such measurements require accurate segmentation of different tissue types in those images.This paper

Automatic segmentation of MR brain images of preterm infants using supervised classification

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Moeskops, P.; Benders, M.J.N.L.; Chiţ, S.M.; Kersbergen, K.J.; Groenendaal, F.; de Vries, L.S.; Viergever, M.A.; Išgum, I.

Preterm birth is often associated with impaired brain development. The state and expected progression of preterm brain development can be evaluated using quantitative assessment of MR images. Such measurements require accurate segmentation of different tissue types in those images. This paper

Observed Human Actions, and Not Mechanical Actions, Induce Searching Errors in Infants

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Yusuke Moriguchi

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Recent neurophysiological studies have shown that several human brain regions involved in executing actions are activated by merely observing such actions via a human, and not by a mechanical hand. At a behavioral level, observing a human’s movements, but not those of a robot, significantly interferes with ongoing executed movements. However, it is unclear whether the biological tuning in the observation/execution matching system are functional during infancy. The present study examines whether a human’s actions, and not a mechanical action, influence infants’ execution of the same actions due to the observation/execution matching system. Twelve-month-old infants were given a searching task. In the tasks, infants observed an object hidden at location A, after which either a human hand (human condition or a mechanical one (mechanical condition searched the object correctly. Next, the object was hidden at location B and infants were allowed to search the object. We examined whether infants searched the object at location B correctly. The results revealed that infants in the human condition were more likely to search location A than those in the mechanical condition. Moreover, the results suggested that infants’ searching behaviors were affected by their observations of the same actions by a human, but not a mechanical hand. Thus, it may be concluded that the observation/execution matching system may be biologically tuned during infancy.

Can very early music interventions promote at-risk infants' development?

Science.gov (United States)

Virtala, Paula; Partanen, Eino

2018-04-30

Music and musical activities are often a natural part of parenting. As accumulating evidence shows, music can promote auditory and language development in infancy and early childhood. It may even help to support auditory and language skills in infants whose development is compromised by heritable conditions, like the reading deficit dyslexia, or by environmental factors, such as premature birth. For example, infants born to dyslexic parents can have atypical brain responses to speech sounds and subsequent challenges in language development. Children born very preterm, in turn, have an increased likelihood of sensory, cognitive, and motor deficits. To ameliorate these deficits, we have developed early interventions focusing on music. Preliminary results of our ongoing longitudinal studies suggest that music making and parental singing promote infants' early language development and auditory neural processing. Together with previous findings in the field, the present studies highlight the role of active, social music making in supporting auditory and language development in at-risk children and infants. Once completed, the studies will illuminate both risk and protective factors in development and offer a comprehensive model of understanding the promises of music activities in promoting positive developmental outcomes during the first years of life. © 2018 The Authors. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences published by Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of The New York Academy of Sciences.

Acoustic parameters of infant-directed singing in mothers of infants with down syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

de l'Etoile, Shannon; Behura, Samarth; Zopluoglu, Cengiz

2017-11-01

This study compared the acoustic parameters and degree of perceived warmth in two types of infant-directed (ID) songs - the lullaby and the playsong - between mothers of infants with Down syndrome (DS) and mothers of typically-developing (TD) infants. Participants included mothers of 15 DS infants and 15 TD infants between 3 and 9 months of age. Each mother's singing voice was digitally recorded while singing to her infant and subjected to feature extraction and data mining. Mothers of DS infants and TD infants sang both lullabies and playsongs with similar frequency. In comparison with mothers of TD infants, mothers of DS infants used a higher maximum pitch and more key changes during playsong. Mothers of DS infants also took more time to establish a rhythmic structure in their singing. These differences suggest mothers are sensitive to the attentional and arousal needs of their DS infants. Mothers of TD infants sang with a higher degree of perceived warmth which does not agree with previous observations of "forceful warmth" in mothers of DS infants. In comparison with lullaby, all mothers sang playsong with higher overall pitch and slower tempo. Playsongs were also distinguished by higher levels of spectral centroid properties related to emotional expressivity, as well as higher degrees of perceived warmth. These similarities help to define specific song types, and suggest that all mothers sing in an expressive manner that can modulate infant arousal, including mothers of DS infants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Data quality in diffusion tensor imaging studies of the preterm brain: a systematic review

OpenAIRE

Pieterman, Kay; Plaisier, Annemarie; Govaert, Paul; Leemans, Alexander; Lequin, Maarten H.; Dudink, Jeroen

2015-01-01

Background To study early neurodevelopment in preterm infants, evaluation of brain maturation and injury is increasingly performed using diffusion tensor imaging, for which the reliability of underlying data is paramount. Objective To review the literature to evaluate acquisition and processing methodology in diffusion tensor imaging studies of preterm infants. Materials and methods We searched the Embase, Medline, Web of Science and Cochrane databases for relevant papers published between 20...

Optical coherence tomography of the preterm eye: from retinopathy of prematurity to brain development

Science.gov (United States)

Rothman, Adam L; Mangalesh, Shwetha; Chen, Xi; Toth, Cynthia A

2016-01-01

Preterm infants with retinopathy of prematurity are at increased risk of poor neurodevelopmental outcomes. Because the neurosensory retina is an extension of the central nervous system, anatomic abnormalities in the anterior visual pathway often relate to system and central nervous system health. We describe optical coherence tomography as a powerful imaging modality that has recently been adapted to the infant population and provides noninvasive, high-resolution, cross-sectional imaging of the infant eye at the bedside. Optical coherence tomography has increased understanding of normal eye development and has identified several potential biomarkers of brain abnormalities and poorer neurodevelopment. PMID:28539807

The status of newborn infants born to women with hypertensive disorders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. A. Shakhbazova

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The status of 239 newborn infants born to mothers with hypertensive syndrome (a study group and that of 51 neonates from healthy mothers (a control group were analyzed. Neonatal mortality and morbidity rates were studied in relation to gestational age and the type and severity of hypertensive disorders. Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy were found to lead to still birth in 2,1% of cases, late miscarriage in 12,1%, prematurity in 47,7%, and intrauterine growth retardation in 27,6%. The incidence of diseases in the infants born to hypertensive mothers was 6,6 times higher than that in those from healthy mothers. The most common nosological entities among the newborn infants were intracranial hemorrhage (29,3%, respiratory distress syndrome (20,1%, hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (22,6%, polycythemia (8,4%, and hyperbihrubinemia (8,8%. Reproductive losses in hypertensive disorders accounted for 17,2% and occurred in 70,7% of cases in the early postnatal period. Severe pathology and prematurity are responsible for high neonatal morbidity and mortality rates.

Face Preferences for Infant- and Adult-Directed Speakers in Infants of Depressed and Nondepressed Mothers: Association with Infant Cognitive Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaplan, Peter S; Asherin, Ryan M; Vogeli, Jo M; Fekri, Shiva M; Scheyer, Kathryn E; Everhart, Kevin D

2018-01-01

Face preferences for speakers of infant-directed and adult-directed speech (IDS and ADS) were investigated in 4- to 13.5-month-old infants of depressed and non-depressed mothers. Following 1-min of exposure to an ID or AD speaker (order counterbalanced), infants had an immediate paired-comparison test with a still, silent image of the familiarized versus a novel face. In the test phase, ID face preference ratios were significantly lower in infants of depressed than non-depressed mothers. Infants' ID face preference ratios, but not AD face preference ratios, correlated with their percentile scores on the cognitive ( Cog ) scale of the Bayley Scales of Infant & Toddler Development (3 rd Edition; BSID III), assessed concurrently. Regression analyses revealed that infant ID face preferences significantly predicted infant Cog percentiles even after demographic risk factors and maternal depression had been controlled. Infants may use IDS to select social partners who are likely to support and facilitate cognitive development.

Maternal fish oil supplementation in lactation: effect on developmental outcome in breast-fed infants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lauritzen, L.; Jørgensen, M.H.; Olsen, S.F.

2005-01-01

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) accumulates in the brain during the 1st and 2nd years of life. The objective of this study was to see if an increased content of DHA in breast-milk via maternal fish oil (FO)-supplementation affects mental development in term infants. one hundred twenty-two Danish mothe...

Language or Music, Mother or Mozart? Structural and Environmental Influences on Infants' Language Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Dehaene-Lambertz, G.; Montavont, A.; Jobert, A.; Allirol, L.; Dubois, J.; Hertz-Pannier, L.; Dehaene, S.

2010-01-01

Understanding how language emerged in our species calls for a detailed investigation of the initial specialization of the human brain for speech processing. Our earlier research demonstrated that an adult-like left-lateralized network of perisylvian areas is already active when infants listen to sentences in their native language, but did not…

Early gray-matter and white-matter concentration in infancy predict later language skills: a whole brain voxel-based morphometry study.

Science.gov (United States)

Deniz Can, Dilara; Richards, Todd; Kuhl, Patricia K

2013-01-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans were obtained from 19 infants at 7 months. Expressive and receptive language performance was assessed at 12 months. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) identified brain regions where gray-matter and white-matter concentrations at 7 months correlated significantly with children's language scores at 12 months. Early gray-matter concentration in the right cerebellum, early white-matter concentration in the right cerebellum, and early white-matter concentration in the left posterior limb of the internal capsule (PLIC)/cerebral peduncle were positively and strongly associated with infants' receptive language ability at 12 months. Early gray-matter concentration in the right hippocampus was positively and strongly correlated with infants' expressive language ability at 12 months. Our results suggest that the cerebellum, PLIC/cerebral peduncle, and the hippocampus may be associated with early language development. Potential links between these structural predictors and infants' linguistic functions are discussed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Functional photoacoustic tomography for neonatal brain imaging: developments and challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Hariri, Ali; Tavakoli, Emytis; Adabi, Saba; Gelovani, Juri; Avanaki, Mohammad R. N.

2017-03-01

Transfontanelle ultrasound imaging (TFUSI) is a routine diagnostic brain imaging method in infants who are born prematurely, whose skull bones have not completely fused together and have openings between them, so-called fontanelles. Open fontanelles in neonates provide acoustic windows, allowing the ultrasound beam to freely pass through. TFUSI is used to rule out neurological complications of premature birth including subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), intraventricular (IVH), subependimal (SEPH), subdural (SDH) or intracerebral (ICH) hemorrhages, as well as hypoxic brain injuries. TFUSI is widely used in the clinic owing to its low cost, safety, accessibility, and noninvasive nature. Nevertheless, the accuracy of TFUSI is limited. To address several limitations of current clinical imaging modalities, we develop a novel transfontanelle photoacoustic imaging (TFPAI) probe, which, for the first time, should allow for non-invasive structural and functional imaging of the infant brain. In this study, we test the feasibility of TFPAI for detection of experimentally-induced intra ventricular and Intraparenchymal hemorrhage phantoms in a sheep model with a surgically-induced cranial window which will serve as a model of neonatal fontanelle. This study is towards using the probe we develop for bedside monitoring of neonates with various disease conditions and complications affecting brain perfusion and oxygenation, including apnea, asphyxia, as well as for detection of various types of intracranial hemorrhages (SAH, IVH, SEPH, SDH, ICH).

Precursors to natural grammar learning: preliminary evidence from 4-month-old infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Friederici, Angela D; Mueller, Jutta L; Oberecker, Regine

2011-03-22

When learning a new language, grammar--although difficult--is very important, as grammatical rules determine the relations between the words in a sentence. There is evidence that very young infants can detect rules determining the relation between neighbouring syllables in short syllable sequences. A critical feature of all natural languages, however, is that many grammatical rules concern the dependency relation between non-neighbouring words or elements in a sentence i.e. between an auxiliary and verb inflection as in is singing. Thus, the issue of when and how children begin to recognize such non-adjacent dependencies is fundamental to our understanding of language acquisition. Here, we use brain potential measures to demonstrate that the ability to recognize dependencies between non-adjacent elements in a novel natural language is observable by the age of 4 months. Brain responses indicate that 4-month-old German infants discriminate between grammatical and ungrammatical dependencies in auditorily presented Italian sentences after only brief exposure to correct sentences of the same type. As the grammatical dependencies are realized by phonologically distinct syllables the present data most likely reflect phonologically based implicit learning mechanisms which can serve as a precursor to later grammar learning.

Neurofunctional maps of the 'maternal brain' and the effects of oxytocin: a multimodal voxel-based meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Rocchetti, Matteo; Radua, Joaquim; Paloyelis, Yannis; Xenaki, Lida-Alkisti; Frascarelli, Marianna; Caverzasi, Edgardo; Politi, Pierluigi; Fusar-Poli, Paolo

2014-10-01

Several studies have tried to understand the possible neurobiological basis of mothering. The putative involvement of oxytocin, in this regard, has been deeply investigated. Performing a voxel-based meta-analysis, we aimed at testing the hypothesis of overlapping brain activation in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies investigating the mother-infant interaction and the oxytocin modulation of emotional stimuli in humans. We performed two systematic literature searches: fMRI studies investigating the neurofunctional correlates of the 'maternal brain' by employing mother-infant paradigms; and fMRI studies employing oxytocin during emotional tasks. A unimodal voxel-based meta-analysis was performed on each database, whereas a multimodal voxel-based meta-analytical tool was adopted to assess the hypothesis that the neurofunctional effects of oxytocin are detected in brain areas implicated in the 'maternal brain.' We found greater activation in the bilateral insula extending to the inferior frontal gyrus, basal ganglia and thalamus during mother-infant interaction and greater left insular activation associated with oxytocin administration versus placebo. Left insula extending to basal ganglia and frontotemporal gyri as well as bilateral thalamus and amygdala showed consistent activation across the two paradigms. Right insula also showed activation across the two paradigms, and dorsomedial frontal cortex activation in mothers but deactivation with oxytocin. Significant activation in areas involved in empathy, emotion regulation, motivation, social cognition and theory of mind emerged from our multimodal meta-analysis, supporting the need for further studies directly investigating the neurobiology of oxytocin in the mother-infant relationship. © 2014 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2014 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Consonant and Vowel Processing in Word Form Segmentation: An Infant ERP Study

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Katie Von Holzen

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Segmentation skill and the preferential processing of consonants (C-bias develop during the second half of the first year of life and it has been proposed that these facilitate language acquisition. We used Event-related brain potentials (ERPs to investigate the neural bases of early word form segmentation, and of the early processing of onset consonants, medial vowels, and coda consonants, exploring how differences in these early skills might be related to later language outcomes. Our results with French-learning eight-month-old infants primarily support previous studies that found that the word familiarity effect in segmentation is developing from a positive to a negative polarity at this age. Although as a group infants exhibited an anterior-localized negative effect, inspection of individual results revealed that a majority of infants showed a negative-going response (Negative Responders, while a minority showed a positive-going response (Positive Responders. Furthermore, all infants demonstrated sensitivity to onset consonant mispronunciations, while Negative Responders demonstrated a lack of sensitivity to vowel mispronunciations, a developmental pattern similar to previous literature. Responses to coda consonant mispronunciations revealed neither sensitivity nor lack of sensitivity. We found that infants showing a more mature, negative response to newly segmented words compared to control words (evaluating segmentation skill and mispronunciations (evaluating phonological processing at test also had greater growth in word production over the second year of life than infants showing a more positive response. These results establish a relationship between early segmentation skills and phonological processing (not modulated by the type of mispronunciation and later lexical skills.

Poor neurological sequelae of herpes simplex virus encephalitis in an infant despite adequate antiviral and adjunct corticosteroid therapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ratna B Basak

2011-01-01

Full Text Available A 2-month-old infant presented to our emergency department with fever, altered consciousness, and focal seizures of acute onset. He had vesicular skin lesions over the right preauricular region. CT brain showed a large hypodense lesion involving the left temporo-parietal region, left basal ganglia and left thalamus. MRI brain revealed bilateral multifocal corticomedullary lesions suggestive of encephalitis. CSF-PCR was positive for herpes simplex virus (HSV type I. He was treated with standard dose intravenous acyclovir for 15 days along with a trial of pulse methylprednisolone, but was readmitted within a week with features of an early relapse. The infant survived but developed significant neurological sequelae. Although treatment of HSV is available, the neurological outcome is guarded even with adequate antiviral therapy. Adjunct corticosteroid therapy did not appear to attenuate the neurological sequelae.

Body growth and brain development in premature babies: an MRI study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tzarouchi, Loukia C.; Zikou, Anastasia; Kosta, Paraskevi; Argyropoulou, Maria I.; Drougia, Aikaterini; Andronikou, Styliani; Astrakas, Loukas G.

2014-01-01

Prematurity and intrauterine growth restriction are associated with neurodevelopmental disabilities. To assess the relationship between growth status and regional brain volume (rBV) and white matter microstructure in premature babies at around term-equivalent age. Premature infants (n= 27) of gestational age (GA): 29.8 ± 2.1 weeks, with normal brain MRI scans were studied at corrected age: 41.2 ± 1.4 weeks. The infants were divided into three groups: 1) appropriate for GA at birth and at the time of MRI (AGA), 2) small for GA at birth with catch-up growth at the time of MRI (SGA a ) and 3) small for GA at birth with failure of catch-up growth at the time of MRI (SGA b ). The T1-weighted images were segmented into 90 rBVs using the SPM8/IBASPM and differences among groups were assessed. Fractional anisotropy (FA) was measured bilaterally in 15 fiber tracts and its relationship to GA and somatometric measurements was explored. Lower rBV was observed in SGA b in superior and anterior brain areas. A positive correlation was demonstrated between FA and head circumference and body weight. Body weight was the only significant predictor for FA (P< 0.05). In premature babies, catch-up growth is associated with regional brain volume catch-up at around term-equivalent age, starting from the brain areas maturing first. Body weight seems to be a strong predictor associated with WM microstructure in brain areas related to attention, language, cognition, memory and executing functioning. (orig.)

Body growth and brain development in premature babies: an MRI study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tzarouchi, Loukia C.; Zikou, Anastasia; Kosta, Paraskevi; Argyropoulou, Maria I. [University of Ioannina, Department of Radiology, Medical School, Ioannina (Greece); Drougia, Aikaterini; Andronikou, Styliani [University of Ioannina, Intensive Care Unit, Child Health Department, Medical School, Ioannina (Greece); Astrakas, Loukas G. [University of Ioannina, Department of Medical Physics, Medical School, Ioannina (Greece)

2014-03-15

Prematurity and intrauterine growth restriction are associated with neurodevelopmental disabilities. To assess the relationship between growth status and regional brain volume (rBV) and white matter microstructure in premature babies at around term-equivalent age. Premature infants (n= 27) of gestational age (GA): 29.8 ± 2.1 weeks, with normal brain MRI scans were studied at corrected age: 41.2 ± 1.4 weeks. The infants were divided into three groups: 1) appropriate for GA at birth and at the time of MRI (AGA), 2) small for GA at birth with catch-up growth at the time of MRI (SGA{sub a}) and 3) small for GA at birth with failure of catch-up growth at the time of MRI (SGA{sub b}). The T1-weighted images were segmented into 90 rBVs using the SPM8/IBASPM and differences among groups were assessed. Fractional anisotropy (FA) was measured bilaterally in 15 fiber tracts and its relationship to GA and somatometric measurements was explored. Lower rBV was observed in SGA{sub b} in superior and anterior brain areas. A positive correlation was demonstrated between FA and head circumference and body weight. Body weight was the only significant predictor for FA (P< 0.05). In premature babies, catch-up growth is associated with regional brain volume catch-up at around term-equivalent age, starting from the brain areas maturing first. Body weight seems to be a strong predictor associated with WM microstructure in brain areas related to attention, language, cognition, memory and executing functioning. (orig.)

Infants with atopic dermatitis: maternal hopelessness, child-rearing attitudes and perceived infant temperament.

Science.gov (United States)

Pauli-Pott, U; Darui, A; Beckmann, D

1999-01-01

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common disease of childhood. It frequently starts in the first year of life. There is agreement on the existence of psychological influences on this disease. Although some studies in this field examine aspects of the parent-child relationship, studies concerning early infancy are very rare. The present study was conducted in order to find out whether maternal characteristics relevant to the mother-infant relationship, i.e. depressiveness/hopelessness, child-rearing attitudes and perceived infant behaviour, associated with infant AD. Two cohorts (3- to 4-month- and 10- to 12-month-old infants), each with 20 infants suffering from AD, and 20 healthy infants were recruited. AD infants were further divided into subgroups according to the diagnostic criteria: atopic family history, itching and characteristic locations of eczema. After a paediatric examination of the infant, mothers completed standardized questionnaires concerning depressiveness/hopelessness, child-rearing attitudes and perception of infant behaviour. Varying with different diagnostic features of the infants' AD, mothers of AD infants described themselves as more depressive/hopeless, as more anxious/overprotective and characterized their infant as less frequently positive and more frequently negative in its emotional behaviour compared to the control group. The results underline the importance of psychological support for mothers of infants with AD.

Response of avian embryonic brain to spatially segmented x-ray microbeams.

Science.gov (United States)

Dilmanian, F A; Morris, G M; Le Duc, G; Huang, X; Ren, B; Bacarian, T; Allen, J C; Kalef-Ezra, J; Orion, I; Rosen, E M; Sandhu, T; Sathé, P; Wu, X Y; Zhong, Z; Shivaprasad, H L

2001-05-01

Duck embryo was studied as a model for assessing the effects of microbeam radiation therapy (MRT) on the human infant brain. Because of the high risk of radiation-induced disruption of the developmental process in the immature brain, conventional wide-beam radiotherapy of brain tumors is seldom carried out in infants under the age of three. Other types of treatment for pediatric brain tumors are frequently ineffective. Recent findings from studies in Grenoble on the brain of suckling rats indicate that MRT could be of benefit for the treatment of early childhood tumors. In our studies, duck embryos were irradiated at 3-4 days prior to hatching. Irradiation was carried out using a single exposure of synchrotron-generated X-rays, either in the form of parallel microplanar beams (microbeams), or as non-segmented broad beam. The individual microplanar beams had a width of 27 microm and height of 11 mm, and a center-to-center spacing of 100 microm. Doses to the exposed areas of embryo brain were 40, 80, 160 and 450 Gy (in-slice dose) for the microbeam, and 6, 12 and 18 Gy for the broad beam. The biological end point employed in the study was ataxia. This neurological symptom of radiation damage to the brain developed within 75 days of hatching. Histopathological analysis of brain tissue did not reveal any radiation induced lesions for microbeam doses of 40-160 Gy (in-slice), although some incidences of ataxia were observed in that dose group. However, severe brain lesions did occur in animals in the 450 Gy microbeam dose groups, and mild lesions in the 18 Gy broad beam dose group. These results indicate that embryonic duck brain has an appreciably higher tolerance to the microbeam modality, as compared to the broad beam modality. When the microbeam dose was normalized to the full volume of the irradiated tissue. i.e., the dose averaged over microbeams and the space between the microbeams, brain tolerance was estimated to be about three times higher to microbeam

The infant mirror neuron system studied with high density EEG.

Science.gov (United States)

Nyström, Pär

2008-01-01

The mirror neuron system has been suggested to play a role in many social capabilities such as action understanding, imitation, language and empathy. These are all capabilities that develop during infancy and childhood, but the human mirror neuron system has been poorly studied using neurophysiological measures. This study measured the brain activity of 6-month-old infants and adults using a high-density EEG net with the aim of identifying mirror neuron activity. The subjects viewed both goal-directed movements and non-goal-directed movements. An independent component analysis was used to extract the sources of cognitive processes. The desynchronization of the mu rhythm in adults has been shown to be a marker for activation of the mirror neuron system and was used as a criterion to categorize independent components between subjects. The results showed significant mu desynchronization in the adult group and significantly higher ERP activation in both adults and 6-month-olds for the goal-directed action observation condition. This study demonstrate that infants as young as 6 months display mirror neuron activity and is the first to present a direct ERP measure of the mirror neuron system in infants.

The Cerebellar-Cerebral Microstructure Is Disrupted at Multiple Sites in Very Preterm Infants with Cerebellar Haemorrhage.

Science.gov (United States)

Neubauer, Vera; Djurdjevic, Tanja; Griesmaier, Elke; Biermayr, Marlene; Gizewski, Elke Ruth; Kiechl-Kohlendorfer, Ursula

2018-01-01

Recent advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques have prompted reconsideration of the anatomical correlates of adverse outcomes in preterm infants. The importance of the contribution made by the cerebellum is now increasingly appreciated. The effect of cerebellar haemorrhage (CBH) on the microstructure of the cerebellar-cerebral circuit is largely unexplored. To investigate the effect of CBH on the microstructure of cerebellar-cerebral connections in preterm infants aged microstructure (fractional anisotropy [FA] and apparent diffusion coefficient) were quantified in 5 vulnerable regions (the centrum semiovale, posterior limb of the internal capsule, corpus callosum, and superior and middle cerebellar peduncles). Group differences between infants with CBH and infants without CBH were assessed. There were 267 infants included in the study. Infants with CBH (isolated and combined) had significantly lower FA values in all regions investigated. Infants with isolated CBH showed lower FA in the middle and superior cerebellar peduncles and in the posterior limb of the internal capsule. This study provides evidence that CBH causes alterations in localised and remote WM pathways in the developing brain. The disruption of the cerebellar-cerebral microstructure at multiple sites adds further support for the concept of developmental diaschisis, which is propagated as an explanation for the consequences of early cerebellar injury on cognitive and affective domains. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Oh! What a Smart Baby: What You Need to Know about Children's Brain Development

Science.gov (United States)

Arnold, Renea; Colburn, Nell

2005-01-01

Brain research is complicated, but its message is simple: babies are born learning and what they learn is up to us. New research on infant brain development shows that a child's experiences in the first three years of life have a distinct impact on her later development and learning. Here's why. All babies are born with one organ that is not fully…

Isolated acute non-cystic white matter injury in term infants presenting with neonatal encephalopathy.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Barrett, Michael Joseph

2013-03-01

We discuss possible aetiological factors, MRI evolution of injury and neuro-developmental outcomes of neonatal encephalopathy (NE). Thirty-six consecutive infants diagnosed with NE were included. In this cohort, four infants (11%) were identified with injury predominantly in the deep white matter on MRI who were significantly of younger gestation, lower birthweight with higher Apgars at one and five minutes compared to controls. Placental high grade villitis of unknown aetiology (VUA) was identified in all four of these infants. Our hypothesis states VUA may induce white matter injury by causing a local inflammatory response and\\/or oxidative stress during the perinatal period. We underline the importance of continued close and systematic evaluation of all cases of NE, including examination of the placenta, in order to come to a better understanding of the clinical presentation, the patterns of brain injury and the underlying pathophysiological processes.

Serial cranial ultrasonography or early MRI for detecting preterm brain injury?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Plaisier, Annemarie; Raets, Marlou M A; Ecury-Goossen, Ginette M; Govaert, Paul; Feijen-Roon, Monique; Reiss, Irwin K M; Smit, Liesbeth S; Lequin, Maarten H; Dudink, Jeroen

OBJECTIVE: To investigate detection ability and feasibility of serial cranial ultrasonography (CUS) and early MRI in preterm brain injury. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Level III neonatal intensive care unit. PATIENTS: 307 infants, born below 29 weeks of gestation. METHODS: Serial CUS

Neurotoxic response of infant monkeys to methylmercury.

Science.gov (United States)

Willes, R F; Truelove, J F; Nera, E A

1978-02-01

Four infant monkeys were dosed orally with 500 microgram Hg/kg body wt./day /as methylmercury (MeHg) chloride dissolved sodium carbonate) beginning at 1 day of age. Neurological and behavioral signs of MeHg toxicity and blood Hg levels were monitored weekly. At first sign of MeHg intoxication, dosing with MeHg was terminated and the infants were monitored to assess reversal of the signs of MeHg toxicity. The first signs of MeHg toxicity, exhibited as a loss in dexterity and locomotor ability, were observed after 28--29 days of treatment; the blood Hg levels were 8.0--9.4 microgram Hg/g blood. Dosing was terminated at 28--29 days of treatment but the signs of MeHg toxicity continued to develop. The infants became ataxic, blind, comatose and were necropsied at 35--43 days after initiating treatment with MgHg. The mercury concentrations in tissues analyzed after necropsy were highest in liver (55.8 +/- 3.2 microgram Hg/g) followed by occipital cortex (35.6 +/- 4.8 microgram Hg/g) renal cortex (32.8 +/- 1.6 microgram Hg/g). The frontal and temporal cortices had 27.0 +/- 3.4 and 29.6 +/- 4.9 microgram Hg/g respectively while the cerebellar Hg concentration averaged 13.0 +/- 1.5 microgram Hg/g. The mean blood/brain ratio was 0.21 +/- 0.4. Histopathologic lesions were marked in the cerebrum with less severe lesions in the cerebellar nuclei. The Purkinje and granular cells of the cerebellar vermis appeared histologically normal. Lesions were not observed in the peripheral nervous system. The signs of MeHg intoxication, the tissue distribution of MeHg and histopathologic lesions observed in the infant monkeys were similar to those reported for adult monkeys.

Data quality in diffusion tensor imaging studies of the preterm brain: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Pieterman, Kay; Plaisier, Annemarie; Govaert, Paul; Leemans, Alexander; Lequin, Maarten H; Dudink, Jeroen

2015-08-01

To study early neurodevelopment in preterm infants, evaluation of brain maturation and injury is increasingly performed using diffusion tensor imaging, for which the reliability of underlying data is paramount. To review the literature to evaluate acquisition and processing methodology in diffusion tensor imaging studies of preterm infants. We searched the Embase, Medline, Web of Science and Cochrane databases for relevant papers published between 2003 and 2013. The following keywords were included in our search: prematurity, neuroimaging, brain, and diffusion tensor imaging. We found 74 diffusion tensor imaging studies in preterm infants meeting our inclusion criteria. There was wide variation in acquisition and processing methodology, and we found incomplete reporting of these settings. Nineteen studies (26%) reported the use of neonatal hardware. Data quality assessment was not reported in 13 (18%) studies. Artefacts-correction and data-exclusion was not reported in 33 (45%) and 18 (24%) studies, respectively. Tensor estimation algorithms were reported in 56 (76%) studies but were often suboptimal. Diffusion tensor imaging acquisition and processing settings are incompletely described in current literature, vary considerably, and frequently do not meet the highest standards.

Carbon Dioxide Fluctuations Are Associated with Changes in Cerebral Oxygenation and Electrical Activity in Infants Born Preterm.

Science.gov (United States)

Dix, Laura Marie Louise; Weeke, Lauren Carleen; de Vries, Linda Simone; Groenendaal, Floris; Baerts, Willem; van Bel, Frank; Lemmers, Petra Maria Anna

2017-08-01

To evaluate the effects of acute arterial carbon dioxide partial pressure changes on cerebral oxygenation and electrical activity in infants born preterm. This retrospective observational study included ventilated infants born preterm with acute fluctuations of continuous end-tidal CO 2 (etCO 2 ) as a surrogate marker for arterial carbon dioxide partial pressure, during the first 72 hours of life. Regional cerebral oxygen saturation and fractional tissue oxygen extraction were monitored with near-infrared spectroscopy. Brain activity was monitored with 2-channel electroencephalography. Spontaneous activity transients (SATs) rate (SATs/minute) and interval between SATs (in seconds) were calculated. Ten-minute periods were selected for analysis: before, during, and after etCO 2 fluctuations of ≥5  mm Hg. Thirty-eight patients (mean ± SD gestational age of 29 ± 1.8 weeks) were included, with 60 episodes of etCO 2 increase and 70 episodes of etCO 2 decrease. During etCO 2 increases, brain oxygenation increased (regional cerebral oxygen saturation increased, fractional tissue oxygen extraction decreased; P carbon dioxide partial pressure that may be harmful to the neonatal brain. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Blood Cytokine Profiles Associated with Distinct Patterns of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia among Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Angio, Carl T; Ambalavanan, Namasivayam; Carlo, Waldemar A; McDonald, Scott A; Skogstrand, Kristin; Hougaard, David M; Shankaran, Seetha; Goldberg, Ronald N; Ehrenkranz, Richard A; Tyson, Jon E; Stoll, Barbara J; Das, Abhik; Higgins, Rosemary D

2016-07-01

To explore differences in blood cytokine profiles among distinct bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) patterns. We evaluated blood spots collected from 943 infants born at ≤1000 g and surviving to 28 days on postnatal days 1, 3, 7, 14, and 21 for 25 cytokines. Infants were assigned to the following lung disease patterns: (1) no lung disease (NLD); (2) respiratory distress syndrome without BPD; (3) classic BPD (persistent exposure to supplemental oxygen until 28 days of age); or (4) atypical BPD (period without supplemental oxygen before 28 days). Median cytokine levels for infants with BPD were compared with the IQR of results among infants with NLD. The distribution of enrolled infants by group was as follows: 69 (NLD), 73 (respiratory distress syndrome), 381 (classic BPD), and 160 (atypical BPD). The remaining 260 infants could not be classified because of missing data (104) or not fitting a predefined pattern (156). Median levels of 3 cytokines (elevated interleukin [IL]-8, matrix metalloproteinase-9; decreased granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor) fell outside the IQR for at least 2 time points in both infants with atypical and classic BPD. Profiles of 7 cytokines (IL-6, IL-10, IL-18, macrophage inflammatory protein-1α, C-reactive protein, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted) differed between infants with classic and atypical BPD. Blood cytokine profiles may differ between infants developing classic and atypical BPD. These dissimilarities suggest the possibility that differing mechanisms could explain the varied patterns of pathophysiology of lung disease in extremely premature infants. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automatic segmentation of MR brain images of preterm infants using supervised classification.

Science.gov (United States)

Moeskops, Pim; Benders, Manon J N L; Chiţ, Sabina M; Kersbergen, Karina J; Groenendaal, Floris; de Vries, Linda S; Viergever, Max A; Išgum, Ivana

2015-09-01

Preterm birth is often associated with impaired brain development. The state and expected progression of preterm brain development can be evaluated using quantitative assessment of MR images. Such measurements require accurate segmentation of different tissue types in those images. This paper presents an algorithm for the automatic segmentation of unmyelinated white matter (WM), cortical grey matter (GM), and cerebrospinal fluid in the extracerebral space (CSF). The algorithm uses supervised voxel classification in three subsequent stages. In the first stage, voxels that can easily be assigned to one of the three tissue types are labelled. In the second stage, dedicated analysis of the remaining voxels is performed. The first and the second stages both use two-class classification for each tissue type separately. Possible inconsistencies that could result from these tissue-specific segmentation stages are resolved in the third stage, which performs multi-class classification. A set of T1- and T2-weighted images was analysed, but the optimised system performs automatic segmentation using a T2-weighted image only. We have investigated the performance of the algorithm when using training data randomly selected from completely annotated images as well as when using training data from only partially annotated images. The method was evaluated on images of preterm infants acquired at 30 and 40weeks postmenstrual age (PMA). When the method was trained using random selection from the completely annotated images, the average Dice coefficients were 0.95 for WM, 0.81 for GM, and 0.89 for CSF on an independent set of images acquired at 30weeks PMA. When the method was trained using only the partially annotated images, the average Dice coefficients were 0.95 for WM, 0.78 for GM and 0.87 for CSF for the images acquired at 30weeks PMA, and 0.92 for WM, 0.80 for GM and 0.85 for CSF for the images acquired at 40weeks PMA. Even though the segmentations obtained using training data

Relationship between Concentrations of Lutein and StARD3 among Pediatric and Geriatric Human Brain Tissue.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jirayu Tanprasertsuk

Full Text Available Lutein, a dietary carotenoid, selectively accumulates in human retina and brain. While many epidemiological studies show evidence of a relationship between lutein status and cognitive health, lutein's selective uptake in human brain tissue and its potential function in early neural development and cognitive health have been poorly evaluated at a molecular level. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cross-sectional relationship between concentrations of brain lutein and StARD3 (identified as its binding protein in retinal tissue among three age groups: infants (1-4 months, n = 10, older adults (55-86 years, n = 8, and centenarians (98-105 years, n = 10. Brain lutein concentrations were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography and StARD3 levels were analyzed by Western Blot analysis. The strong relationship in infant brains (r = 0.75, P 0.05, seven of whom had mild cognitive impairment (MCI or dementia. These exploratory findings suggest an age-related decrease or abnormality of StARD3 activity in human brain. Given that StARD3 is also involved in cholesterol transportation, a process that is aberrant in neurodegenerative diseases, the potential protective function of lutein against these diseases remains to be explored.

Infant Mortality Statistics From the 2013 Period Linked Birth/Infant Death Data Set.

Science.gov (United States)

Matthews, T J; MacDorman, Marian F; Thoma, Marie E

2015-08-06

This report presents 2013 period infant mortality statistics from the linked birth/infant death data set (linked file) by maternal and infant characteristics. The linked file differs from the mortality file, which is based entirely on death certificate data. Descriptive tabulations of data are presented and interpreted. The U.S. infant mortality rate was 5.96 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2013, similar to the rate of 5.98 in 2012. The number of infant deaths was 23,446 in 2013, a decline of 208 infant deaths from 2012. From 2012 to 2013, infant mortality rates were stable for most race and Hispanic origin groups; declines were reported for two Hispanic subgroups: Cuban and Puerto Rican. Since 2005, the most recent high, the U.S. infant mortality rate has declined 13% (from 6.86), with declines in both neonatal and postneonatal mortality overall and for most groups. In 2013, infants born at 37–38 weeks of gestation (early term) had mortality rates that were 63% higher than for full-term (39–40 week) infants. For multiple births, the infant mortality rate was 25.84, 5 times the rate of 5.25 for singleton births. In 2013, 36% of infant deaths were due to preterm-related causes of death, and an additional 15% were due to causes grouped into the sudden unexpected infant death category. All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.

Hearing Loss in Infants with Microcephaly and Evidence of Congenital Zika Virus Infection - Brazil, November 2015-May 2016.

Science.gov (United States)

Leal, Mariana C; Muniz, Lilian F; Ferreira, Tamires S A; Santos, Cristiane M; Almeida, Luciana C; Van Der Linden, Vanessa; Ramos, Regina C F; Rodrigues, Laura C; Neto, Silvio S Caldas

2016-09-02

Congenital infection with Zika virus causes microcephaly and other brain abnormalities (1). Hearing loss associated with other congenital viral infections is well described; however, little is known about hearing loss in infants with congenital Zika virus infection. A retrospective assessment of a series of 70 infants aged 0-10 months with microcephaly and laboratory evidence of Zika virus infection was conducted by the Hospital Agamenon Magalhães in Brazil and partners. The infants were enrolled during November 2015-May 2016 and had screening and diagnostic hearing tests. Five (7%) infants had sensorineural hearing loss, all of whom had severe microcephaly; however, one child was tested after receiving treatment with an ototoxic antibiotic. If this child is excluded, the prevalence of sensorineural hearing loss was 5.8% (four of 69), which is similar to that seen in association with other congenital viral infections. Additional information is needed to understand the prevalence and spectrum of hearing loss in children with congenital Zika virus infection; all infants born to women with evidence of Zika virus infection during pregnancy should have their hearing tested, including infants who appear normal at birth.

Preparation and handling of powdered infant formula: a commentary by the ESPGHAN Committee on Nutrition.

Science.gov (United States)

Agostoni, Carlo; Axelsson, Irene; Goulet, Olivier; Koletzko, Berthold; Michaelsen, Kim F; Puntis, John W L; Rigo, Jacques; Shamir, Raanan; Szajewska, Hania; Turck, Dominique; Vandenplas, Yvan; Weaver, Lawrence T

2004-10-01

Powdered infant formulae are not sterile and may contain pathogenic bacteria. In addition, milk products are excellent media for bacterial proliferation. Multiplication of Enterobacter sakazakii in prepared formula feeds can cause devastating sepsis, particularly in the first 2 months of life. In approximately 50 published case reports of severe infection, there are high rates of meningitis, brain abscesses and necrotizing enterocolitis, with an overall mortality from 33% to 80%. Breast feeding provides effective protection against infection, one of the many reasons why it deserves continued promotion and support. To minimize the risk of infection in infants not fully breastfed, recommendations are made for preparation and handling of powdered formulae for children younger than 2 months of age. In the home setting, powdered infant formulae should be freshly prepared for each feed. Any milk remaining should be discarded rather than used in the following feed. Infant feeds should never be kept warm in bottle heaters or thermoses. In hospitals and other institutions written guidelines for preparation and handling of infant formulae should be established and their implementation monitored. If formula needs to be prepared in advance, it should be prepared on a daily basis and kept at 4 degrees C or below. Manufacturers of infant formulae should make every effort to minimize bacterial contamination of powdered products.

Clinical utility of partial flip angle T2-weighted spin-echo imaging of the brain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, K.H.; Yi, J.G.; Han, M.H.; Han, M.C.; Kim, C.W.; Cho, M.H.; Cho, Z.H.

1990-01-01

To assess the clinical usefulness of partial flip angle (PFA) spin-echo (SE) brain imaging, a total of eighty patients were examined with both conventional double echo T2-weighted SE (2500/30, 80/90deg/one excitation) and PFA double echo SE (1200/30, 70/45deg/two excitations) on 2.0T system. Two comparative studies were performed: (1) In 65 patients PFA SE technique was compared with conventional SE without flow compensating gradients, and (2) in 15 patients the former was compared with the latter with flow compensating gradients. Imaging time was nearly identical in each sequence. In both studies we found that PFA T2-weighted SE images were almost identical to those obtained with the conventional SE technique in the contrast characteristics and the detection rate of the abnormalities (100%, 85/85 lesions), and more importantly, PFA SE revealed few flow artifacts in the brain stem, temporal lobes and basal ganglia which were frequently seen on conventional SE without flow compensating gradients. Additionally, PFA SE images demonstrated no suppression of CSF flow void in the aqueduct which was commonly seen on conventional SE with flow compensating gradients. In overall image quality, the PFA SE images, particularly the second echo images, were almost comparable with those of conventional SE with flow compensating gradients. A flip angle of 45deg seems to be close to Ernst angle, the angle at which maximum signal occurs, for a given TR of 1200 msec for CSF and most of the abnormalities containing higher water content. In conclusion, PFA SE sequence (i.e. 1200/30, 70/45deg/2) appears to be useful as a primary or an adjunctive technique in certain clinical circumstances, particularly in imaging of hydrocephalic patients for assessing aqueductal patency. (orig.)

Tolerance to early human milk feeding is not compromised by indomethacin in preterm infants with persistent ductus arteriosus.

Science.gov (United States)

Bellander, M; Ley, D; Polberger, S; Hellström-Westas, L

2003-09-01

Early human milk feeding is beneficial for gut and brain development. Persistent ductus arteriosus (PDA) and indomethacin may compromise enteral function in preterm infants. For many years enteral milk feedings have continued in preterm infants receiving indomethacin for PDA. The aim of this study was to investigate whether this strategy is efficient in terms of risks and tolerance to early enteral feeding. This retrospective study included 64 inborn infants of respiratory morbidity; 90.6% versus 50% of controls needed mechanical ventilation (p = 0.000). Case infants received human milk from a median (range) age of 4.0 h (1.5-27.5), and controls from 5.3 h (2.0-38.0) (p = 0.092). The first dose of indomethacin was given at a mean age of 1.7 d (1.0). There were no differences between the two groups in feeding volumes or gastric residuals on days 1 to 7. Mean (SD) feeding volume on day 7 was 64 ml/kg (31) in case infants and 76 ml/kg (30) in controls (p = 0.23). Four infants developed necrotizing enterocolitis: two case infants and two controls (p = 1.00). Early enteral feeding with human milk, starting within the first hours of life, seems to be as well tolerated in preterm infants treated with indomethacin for PDA as in their matched controls.

Coregistering functional near-infrared spectroscopy with underlying cortical areas in infants

Science.gov (United States)

Lloyd-Fox, Sarah; Richards, John E.; Blasi, Anna; Murphy, Declan G. M.; Elwell, Clare E.; Johnson, Mark H.

2014-01-01

Abstract. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is becoming a popular tool in developmental neuroscience for mapping functional localized brain responses. However, as it cannot provide information about underlying anatomy, researchers have begun to conduct spatial registration of fNIRS channels to cortical anatomy in adults. The current work investigated this issue with infants by coregistering fNIRS and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from 55 individuals. Our findings suggest that fNIRS channels can be reliably registered with regions in the frontal and temporal cortex of infants from 4 to 7 months of age. Although some macro-anatomical regions are difficult to consistently define, others are more stable and fNIRS channels on an age-appropriate MRI template are often consistent with individual infant MRIs. We have generated a standardized scalp surface map of fNIRS channel locators to reliably locate cortical regions for fNIRS developmental researchers. This new map can be used to identify the inferior frontal gyrus, superior temporal sulcus (STS) region [which includes the superior and middle temporal gyri (MTG) nearest to the STS], and MTG and temporal-parietal regions in 4- to 7-month-old infants. Future work will model data for the whole head, taking into account the properties of light transport in tissue, and expanding to different ages across development. PMID:25558463

Prenatal methadone exposure is associated with altered neonatal brain development

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Victoria J. Monnelly

Full Text Available Methadone is used for medication-assisted treatment of heroin addiction during pregnancy. The neurodevelopmental outcome of children with prenatal methadone exposure can be sub-optimal. We tested the hypothesis that brain development is altered among newborn infants whose mothers were prescribed methadone.20 methadone-exposed neonates born after 37weeks' postmenstrual age (PMA and 20 non-exposed controls underwent diffusion MRI at mean PMA of 39+2 and 41+1weeks, respectively. An age-optimized Tract-based Spatial Statistics (TBSS pipeline was used to perform voxel-wise statistical comparison of fractional anisotropy (FA data between exposed and non-exposed neonates.Methadone-exposed neonates had decreased FA within the centrum semiovale, inferior longitudinal fasciculi (ILF and the internal and external capsules after adjustment for GA at MRI (p<0.05, TFCE corrected. Median FA across the white matter skeleton was 12% lower among methadone-exposed infants. Mean head circumference (HC z-scores were lower in the methadone-exposed group (−0.52 (0.99 vs 1.15 (0.84, p<0.001; after adjustment for HC z-scores, differences in FA remained in the anterior and posterior limbs of the internal capsule and the ILF. Polydrug use among cases was common.Prenatal methadone exposure is associated with microstructural alteration in major white matter tracts, which is present at birth and is independent of head growth. Although the findings cannot be attributed to methadone per se, the data indicate that further research to determine optimal management of opioid use disorder during pregnancy is required. Future studies should evaluate childhood outcomes including infant brain development and long-term neurocognitive function. Keywords: Prenatal, Methadone, Brain, Neonate, MRI, Opioid

Why do premature newborn infants display elevated blood adenosine levels?

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Panfoli, Isabella; Cassanello, Michela; Bruschettini, Matteo; Colella, Marina; Cerone, Roberto; Ravera, Silvia; Calzia, Daniela; Candiano, Giovanni; Ramenghi, Luca

2016-05-01

Our preliminary data show high levels of adenosine in the blood of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants, positively correlating to their prematurity (i.e. body weight class). This prompted us to look for a mechanism promoting such impressive adenosine increase. We hypothesized a correlation with oxygen challenge. In fact, it is recognized that either oxygen lack or its excess contribute to the pathogenesis of the injuries of prematurity, such as retinopathy (ROP) and periventricular white matter lesions (PWMI). The optimal concentration of oxygen for resuscitation of VLBW infants is currently under revision. We propose that the elevated adenosine blood concentrations of VLBW infants recognizes two sources. The first could be its activity-dependent release from unmyelinated brain axons. Adenosine in this respect would be an end-product of the hypometabolic VLBW newborn unmyelinated axon intensely firing in response to the environmental stimuli consequent to premature birth. Adenosine would be eventually found in the blood due to blood-brain barrier immaturity. In fact, adenosine is the primary activity-dependent signal promoting differentiation of premyelinating oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPC) into myelinating cells in the Central Nervous System, while inhibiting their proliferation and inhibiting synaptic function. The second, would be the ecto-cellular ATP synthesized by the endothelial cell plasmalemma exposed to ambient oxygen concentrations due to premature breathing, especially in lung. ATP would be rapidly transformed into adenosine by the ectonucleotidase activities such as NTPDase I (CD39), and NT5E (CD73). An ectopic extra-mitochondrial aerobic ATP synthetic ability was reported in many cell plasma-membranes, among which endothelial cells. The potential implications of the cited hypotheses for the neonatology area would be great. The amount of oxygen administration for reviving of newborns would find a molecular basis for its assessment. VLBW

Development of the Cell Population in the Brain White Matter of Young Children

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sigaard, Rasmus Krarup; Kjær, Majken; Pakkenberg, Bente

2014-01-01

While brain gray matter is primarily associated with sensorimotor processing and cognition, white matter modulates the distribution of action potentials, coordinates communication between different brain regions, and acts as a relay for input/output signals. Previous studies have described......, and microglia) in the cerebral white matter of 9 infants aged 0-33 months, using design-based stereological methods to obtain quantitative data about brain development. There were linear increases with age in the numbers of oligodendrocytes (7-28 billion) and astrocytes (1.5-6.7 billion) during the first 3...

Infant Abuse, Neglect, and Failure-to-Thrive: Mother-Infant Interaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Dietrich, Kim N.; And Others

This study was designed to investigate whether or not degree of child maltreatment is related in some meaningful way to the interactional characteristics of the mother/infant dyad and to the infant's developmental status. A group of 53 mother/infant dyads was divided into five diagnostic groups: nonaccidental trauma combined with…

Medical, social and societal issues in infants with abusive head trauma.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Koe, S

2010-04-01

Abusive head trauma (AHT) is the leading cause of death from traumatic brain injury in under 2 year olds. AHT presents with acute encephalopathy, subdural hemorrhages and retinal hemorrhages occurring in the context of an inappropriate or inconsistent history. We retrospectively analyzed, over a 10 year period, admissions and transfers to our hospital with suspected AHT to assess patterns of presentation, presenting symptoms, investigations, subsequent confirmation, social work input and both neurological and social outcomes. We analyzed all suspected AHT infants and children looking for the time of presentation, presenting symptoms, caregivers concerns prior to presentation, a family profile including stressors, investigations (in particular neuroradiology and ophthalmology assessments), treatment in hospital, length of stay in hospital, social work involvement, subsequent discharge, neurological outcome and subsequent social work follow up. Data was collected from the hospital HIPE system, RIS (radiology reports system) and records from the social work department from a period October 1998 to January 2009 inclusive. Of 22 patients with confirmed AHT, ages seizures and irritability followed by vomiting, poor feeding, a bulging fontanelle and lethargy. The father was the sole minder in 5 cases. There was a delayed history in 4 cases. One had multiple visits to his GP. All cases had subdural hemorrhages proven by either CT or MRI scans and retinal hemorrhages diagnosed by ophthalmology. One infant presented with a torn frenulum. Four had suspicious bruising. All had normal coagulation profiles, skeletal surveys and extensive metabolic tests. Hospital stays ranged from 1 to 124 days (the median was 28 days and mean 33 days). Ten (45%) infants required ventilatory support. Sixteen infants had social work involvement within 4 days of admission (7 of these were interviewed immediately). Outcomes after case conferences were that 6 returned home with parents, 9 were

RECOGNIZING INFANTS' EMOTIONAL EXPRESSIONS: ARE ADOLESCENTS LESS SENSITIVE TO INFANTS' CUES?

Science.gov (United States)

Niessen, Anke; Konrad, Kerstin; Dahmen, Brigitte; Herpertz-Dahlmann, Beate; Firk, Christine

2017-07-01

Previous studies have shown that adolescent mothers interact less sensitively with their infants than do adult mothers. This difference might be due to developmental difficulties in the recognition of infants' emotional states in adolescents. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to explore differences in the recognition of infant signals between nonparous adolescent girls and boys as compared to female and male adults. To this end, we examined 54 childless adolescents and 54 childless adults (50% female). Participants were shown a series of 20 short videos of infants aged 3 to 6 months presenting different emotional states ranging from very distressed to very happy. In addition, participants were asked to report their own parental experiences using the German version, Fragebogen zum erinnerten elterlichen Erziehungsverhalten (J. Schumacher, M. Eisemann, & E. Brähler, ), of the Egna Minnen Befräffande Uppfostran (Own Memories of Parental Rearing Experiences in Childhood; C. Perris, L. Jacobsson, H. Lindstrom, L. von Knorring, & H. Perris, ). Adolescents rated distressed infants as more distressed than did the adults. Furthermore, female participants rated the very distressed infants as more distressed than did male participants. These data suggest that adolescents, in general, are not impaired in recognizing infant emotional states, as compared to adults. Thus, we suggest that more extreme ratings of infant signals of discomfort together with immature sociocognitive regulation processes during adolescence might contribute to reduced sensitivity observed in adolescent mothers. © 2017 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

Attentional prioritization of infant faces is limited to own-race infants.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Hodsoll

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Recent evidence indicates that infant faces capture attention automatically, presumably to elicit caregiving behavior from adults and leading to greater probability of progeny survival. Elsewhere, evidence demonstrates that people show deficiencies in the processing of other-race relative to own-race faces. We ask whether this other-race effect impacts on attentional attraction to infant faces. Using a dot-probe task to reveal the spatial allocation of attention, we investigate whether other-race infants capture attention.South Asian and White participants (young adults aged 18-23 years responded to a probe shape appearing in a location previously occupied by either an infant face or an adult face; across trials, the race (South Asian/White of the faces was manipulated. Results indicated that participants were faster to respond to probes that appeared in the same location as infant faces than adult faces, but only on own-race trials.Own-race infant faces attract attention, but other-race infant faces do not. Sensitivity to face-specific care-seeking cues in other-race kindenschema may be constrained by interracial contact and experience.

Central coordination difficulty and brain CT in infancy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hiraiwa, Mikio; Nonaka, Chizuru; Abe, Toshiaki; Ohmi, Kazuhiko; Togo, Tomoko

1980-01-01

Brain CT (Computed Tomography) was performed in eighteen infants, eight males and ten females, one-month-old to twelve-month-old with central coordination difficulty (CCD) in General Electrics (U.S.A.) model CT/T-8800. Analyses of CT findings were enforced with two dimensional measurement which we previously reported. We measured intracranial area, brain area, ventricular area, and bifrontal fluid collection (low density area between skull and anterior side of the frontal lobe). Each slices we measured were through foramen of Monro by fifteen-degree declined from cantho-meatal line. Patients with CCD had higher amount of accumulated bifrontal fluid collection on the CT compared with those without CCD. Brain area index (brain area x100/intracranial area) also showed diagnostic value for CCD. Patients with CCD had lower brain area index than those without CCD. Ventricular area index (ventricular area x100/intracranial area) was less appropriate index for CCD than accumulated bifrontal fluid collection and brain area index. We thought that CT findings of the patients with CCD in infancy were characteristic in accumulated bifrontal fluid collection and reduced brain area index. (author)