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Cusack R, Ranzato M, Charvet CJ. Helpless infants are learning a foundation model. Trends Cogn Sci 2024:S1364-6613(24)00114-1. [PMID: 38839537 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2024.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Humans have a protracted postnatal helplessness period, typically attributed to human-specific maternal constraints causing an early birth when the brain is highly immature. By aligning neurodevelopmental events across species, however, it has been found that humans are not born with especially immature brains compared with animal species with a shorter helpless period. Consistent with this, the rapidly growing field of infant neuroimaging has found that brain connectivity and functional activation at birth share many similarities with the mature brain. Inspired by machine learning, where deep neural networks also benefit from a 'helpless period' of pre-training, we propose that human infants are learning a foundation model: a set of fundamental representations that underpin later cognition with high performance and rapid generalisation.
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França LGS, Ciarrusta J, Gale-Grant O, Fenn-Moltu S, Fitzgibbon S, Chew A, Falconer S, Dimitrova R, Cordero-Grande L, Price AN, Hughes E, O'Muircheartaigh J, Duff E, Tuulari JJ, Deco G, Counsell SJ, Hajnal JV, Nosarti C, Arichi T, Edwards AD, McAlonan G, Batalle D. Neonatal brain dynamic functional connectivity in term and preterm infants and its association with early childhood neurodevelopment. Nat Commun 2024; 15:16. [PMID: 38331941 PMCID: PMC10853532 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44050-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Brain dynamic functional connectivity characterises transient connections between brain regions. Features of brain dynamics have been linked to emotion and cognition in adult individuals, and atypical patterns have been associated with neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism. Although reliable functional brain networks have been consistently identified in neonates, little is known about the early development of dynamic functional connectivity. In this study we characterise dynamic functional connectivity with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in the first few weeks of postnatal life in term-born (n = 324) and preterm-born (n = 66) individuals. We show that a dynamic landscape of brain connectivity is already established by the time of birth in the human brain, characterised by six transient states of neonatal functional connectivity with changing dynamics through the neonatal period. The pattern of dynamic connectivity is atypical in preterm-born infants, and associated with atypical social, sensory, and repetitive behaviours measured by the Quantitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (Q-CHAT) scores at 18 months of age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas G S França
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
- Department of Computer and Information Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Environment, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST, UK
| | - Judit Ciarrusta
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Oliver Gale-Grant
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Sunniva Fenn-Moltu
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Sean Fitzgibbon
- Oxford Centre for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Andrew Chew
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Shona Falconer
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Ralica Dimitrova
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Lucilio Cordero-Grande
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
- Biomedical Image Technologies, ETSI Telecomunicación, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Anthony N Price
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Emer Hughes
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Jonathan O'Muircheartaigh
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Eugene Duff
- Oxford Centre for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, W12 0BZ, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at Imperial College London, London, W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Jetro J Tuulari
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, 20500, Turku, Finland
- Turku Collegium for Science and Medicine and Technology, University of Turku, 20500, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, 20500, Turku, Finland
| | - Gustavo Deco
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Computational Neuroscience Group, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Pompeu Fabra University, 08002, Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, 08010, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Serena J Counsell
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Joseph V Hajnal
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Chiara Nosarti
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Tomoki Arichi
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, SE1 1UL, UK
- Department of Paediatric Neurosciences, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, SE1 7EH, UK
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - A David Edwards
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Grainne McAlonan
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Dafnis Batalle
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK.
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Khalilian M, Toba MN, Roussel M, Tasseel-Ponche S, Godefroy O, Aarabi A. Age-related differences in structural and resting-state functional brain network organization across the adult lifespan: A cross-sectional study. AGING BRAIN 2024; 5:100105. [PMID: 38273866 PMCID: PMC10809105 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbas.2023.100105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
We investigated age-related trends in the topology and hierarchical organization of brain structural and functional networks using diffusion-weighted imaging and resting-state fMRI data from a large cohort of healthy aging adults. At the cross-modal level, we explored age-related patterns in the RC involvement of different functional subsystems using a high-resolution functional parcellation. We further assessed age-related differences in the structure-function coupling as well as the network vulnerability to damage to rich club connectivity. Regardless of age, the structural and functional brain networks exhibited a rich club organization and small-world topology. In older individuals, we observed reduced integration and segregation within the frontal-occipital regions and the cerebellum along the brain's medial axis. Additionally, functional brain networks displayed decreased integration and increased segregation in the prefrontal, centrotemporal, and occipital regions, and the cerebellum. In older subjects, structural networks also exhibited decreased within-network and increased between-network RC connectivity. Furthermore, both within-network and between-network RC connectivity decreased in functional networks with age. An age-related decline in structure-function coupling was observed within sensory-motor, cognitive, and subcortical networks. The structural network exhibited greater vulnerability to damage to RC connectivity within the language-auditory, visual, and subcortical networks. Similarly, for functional networks, increased vulnerability was observed with damage to RC connectivity in the cerebellum, language-auditory, and sensory-motor networks. Overall, the network vulnerability decreased significantly in subjects older than 70 in both networks. Our findings underscore significant age-related differences in both brain functional and structural RC connectivity, with distinct patterns observed across the adult lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maedeh Khalilian
- Laboratory of Functional Neuroscience and Pathologies (UR UPJV 4559), University Research Center (CURS), University of Picardy Jules Verne, Amiens, France
| | - Monica N. Toba
- Laboratory of Functional Neuroscience and Pathologies (UR UPJV 4559), University Research Center (CURS), University of Picardy Jules Verne, Amiens, France
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Picardy Jules Verne, Amiens, France
| | - Martine Roussel
- Laboratory of Functional Neuroscience and Pathologies (UR UPJV 4559), University Research Center (CURS), University of Picardy Jules Verne, Amiens, France
| | - Sophie Tasseel-Ponche
- Laboratory of Functional Neuroscience and Pathologies (UR UPJV 4559), University Research Center (CURS), University of Picardy Jules Verne, Amiens, France
- Neurological Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, Amiens University Hospital, University of Picardy Jules Verne, Amiens, France
| | - Olivier Godefroy
- Laboratory of Functional Neuroscience and Pathologies (UR UPJV 4559), University Research Center (CURS), University of Picardy Jules Verne, Amiens, France
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Picardy Jules Verne, Amiens, France
- Neurology Department, Amiens University Hospital, Amiens, France
| | - Ardalan Aarabi
- Laboratory of Functional Neuroscience and Pathologies (UR UPJV 4559), University Research Center (CURS), University of Picardy Jules Verne, Amiens, France
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Picardy Jules Verne, Amiens, France
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Abstract
Neurological insults, such as congenital blindness, deafness, amputation, and stroke, often result in surprising and impressive behavioural changes. Cortical reorganisation, which refers to preserved brain tissue taking on a new functional role, is often invoked to account for these behavioural changes. Here, we revisit many of the classical animal and patient cortical remapping studies that spawned this notion of reorganisation. We highlight empirical, methodological, and conceptual problems that call this notion into doubt. We argue that appeal to the idea of reorganisation is attributable in part to the way that cortical maps are empirically derived. Specifically, cortical maps are often defined based on oversimplified assumptions of 'winner-takes-all', which in turn leads to an erroneous interpretation of what it means when these maps appear to change. Conceptually, remapping is interpreted as a circuit receiving novel input and processing it in a way unrelated to its original function. This implies that neurons are either pluripotent enough to change what they are tuned to or that a circuit can change what it computes. Instead of reorganisation, we argue that remapping is more likely to occur due to potentiation of pre-existing architecture that already has the requisite representational and computational capacity pre-injury. This architecture can be facilitated via Hebbian and homeostatic plasticity mechanisms. Crucially, our revised framework proposes that opportunities for functional change are constrained throughout the lifespan by the underlying structural 'blueprint'. At no period, including early in development, does the cortex offer structural opportunities for functional pluripotency. We conclude that reorganisation as a distinct form of cortical plasticity, ubiquitously evoked with words such as 'take-over'' and 'rewiring', does not exist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar R Makin
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - John W Krakauer
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- The Santa Fe InstituteSanta FeUnited States
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Feeding difficulty is common in infants with CHD. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to describe the feeding skills and behaviours of infants with CHD at 6-12 months of age and explore relationships between feeding, gastrointestinal distress, and gastroesophageal reflux. METHODS Parents of 30 infants with CHD completed online surveys when their infant was 6, 8, 10, and 12 months old. Surveys included parent-report measures of feeding skills (Child Oral and Motor Proficiency Scale), feeding behaviours (Pediatric Eating Assessment Tool), symptoms of gastrointestinal distress (Infant Gastrointestinal Symptoms Questionnaire), and gastroesophageal reflux (Infant Gastroesophageal Reflux Questionnaire-Revised). RESULTS We found that 95, 32, 67, and 30% of infants were delayed in their feeding skill development at 6, 8, 10, and 12 months, respectively. Symptoms of problematic feeding behaviours were similarly high, with 90, 62, 29, and 38% of infants meeting criteria for problematic feeding at 6, 8, 10, and 12 months, respectively. Feeding skills and behaviours were related but unique contributors. Feeding behaviours were related to both gastrointestinal distress and gastroesophageal reflux, but feeding skills were rarely related to either. CONCLUSIONS Delayed acquisition of feeding skills and problematic feeding were common in infants with CHD. Infants with more gastrointestinal and gastroesophageal reflux symptoms had more symptoms of problematic feeding behaviours. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS Comprehensive assessment, targeted interventions, and early involvement of feeding specialists are important to support feeding in infants with CHD through at least the first year of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Britt F Pados
- School of Nursing, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
- Infant Feeding Care, Wellesley, MA, USA
| | - Tondi M Harrison
- College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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6
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Yang J, Ganea N, Kanazawa S, Yamaguchi MK, Bhattacharya J, Bremner AJ. Cortical signatures of visual body representation develop in human infancy. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14696. [PMID: 37679386 PMCID: PMC10484977 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41604-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Human infants cannot report their experiences, limiting what we can learn about their bodily awareness. However, visual cortical responses to the body, linked to visual awareness and selective attention in adults, can be easily measured in infants and provide a promising marker of bodily awareness in early life. We presented 4- and 8-month-old infants with a flickering (7.5 Hz) video of a hand being stroked and recorded steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs). In half of the trials, the infants also received tactile stroking synchronously with visual stroking. The 8-month-old, but not the 4-month-old infants, showed a significant enhancement of SSVEP responses when they received tactile stimulation concurrent with the visually observed stroking. Follow-up experiments showed that this enhancement did not occur when the visual hand was presented in an incompatible posture with the infant's own body or when the visual stimulus was a body-irrelevant video. Our findings provide a novel insight into the development of bodily self-awareness in the first year of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiale Yang
- School of Psychology, Chukyo University, Nagoya, Japan.
| | - Natasa Ganea
- Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - So Kanazawa
- Department of Psychology, Japan Women's University, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | | | - Andrew J Bremner
- Centre for Developmental Science, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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7
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Williams LZJ, Fitzgibbon SP, Bozek J, Winkler AM, Dimitrova R, Poppe T, Schuh A, Makropoulos A, Cupitt J, O'Muircheartaigh J, Duff EP, Cordero-Grande L, Price AN, Hajnal JV, Rueckert D, Smith SM, Edwards AD, Robinson EC. Structural and functional asymmetry of the neonatal cerebral cortex. Nat Hum Behav 2023; 7:942-955. [PMID: 36928781 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01542-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Features of brain asymmetry have been implicated in a broad range of cognitive processes; however, their origins are still poorly understood. Here we investigated cortical asymmetries in 442 healthy term-born neonates using structural and functional magnetic resonance images from the Developing Human Connectome Project. Our results demonstrate that the neonatal cortex is markedly asymmetric in both structure and function. Cortical asymmetries observed in the term cohort were contextualized in two ways: by comparing them against cortical asymmetries observed in 103 preterm neonates scanned at term-equivalent age, and by comparing structural asymmetries against those observed in 1,110 healthy young adults from the Human Connectome Project. While associations with preterm birth and biological sex were minimal, significant differences exist between birth and adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan Z J Williams
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Science, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Sean P Fitzgibbon
- Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Jelena Bozek
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Anderson M Winkler
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ralica Dimitrova
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Tanya Poppe
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Andreas Schuh
- Department of Computing, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Antonios Makropoulos
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - John Cupitt
- Department of Computing, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Jonathan O'Muircheartaigh
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
- Department for Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Eugene P Duff
- Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Lucilio Cordero-Grande
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
- Biomedical Image Technologies, ETSI Telecomunicación, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and CIBER-BBN, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - Anthony N Price
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Science, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Joseph V Hajnal
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Science, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Daniel Rueckert
- Department of Computing, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Stephen M Smith
- Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - A David Edwards
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Evelina London Children's Hospital, London, UK
| | - Emma C Robinson
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Science, King's College London, London, UK.
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8
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Nielsen AN, Graham AM, Sylvester CM. Baby Brains at Work: How Task-Based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Can Illuminate the Early Emergence of Psychiatric Risk. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 93:880-892. [PMID: 36935330 PMCID: PMC10149573 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Psychiatric disorders are complex, often emerging from multiple atypical processes within specified domains over the course of development. Characterizing the development of the neural circuits supporting these domains may help break down the components of complex disorders and reveal variations in functioning associated with psychiatric risk. This review highlights the current and potential role of infant task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in elucidating the developmental neurobiology of psychiatric disorders. Task-fMRI measures evoked brain activity in response to specific stimuli through changes in the blood oxygen level-dependent signal. First, we review extant studies using task fMRI from birth through the first few years of life and synthesize current evidence for when, where, and how different neural computations are performed across the infant brain. Neural circuits for sensory perception, the perception of abstract categories, and the detection of statistical regularities have been characterized with task fMRI in infants, providing developmental context for identifying and interpreting variation in the functioning of neural circuits related to psychiatric risk. Next, we discuss studies that specifically examine variation in the functioning of these neural circuits during infancy in relation to risk for psychiatric disorders. These studies reveal when maturation of specific neural circuits diverges, the influence of environmental risk factors, and the potential utility for task fMRI to facilitate early treatment or prevention of later psychiatric problems. Finally, we provide considerations for future infant task-fMRI studies with the potential to advance understanding of both functioning of neural circuits during infancy and subsequent risk for psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley N Nielsen
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
| | - Alice M Graham
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health and Sciences University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Chad M Sylvester
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
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9
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Lazar L, Chand P, Rajan R, Mohammed H, Jain N. Somatosensory cortex of macaque monkeys is designed for opposable thumb. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:195-206. [PMID: 35226918 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolution of opposable thumb has enabled fine grasping ability and precision grip, therefore the ability to finely manipulate the objects and refined tool use. Since tactile inputs to an opposable thumb are often spatially and temporally out of sync with inputs from the fingers, we hypothesized that inputs from the opposable thumb would be processed in an independent module in the primary somatosensory cortex (area 3b). Here we show that in area 3b of macaque monkeys, most neurons in the thumb representation do not respond to tactile stimulation of other digits and receive few intrinsic cortical inputs from other digits. However, neurons in the representations of other 4 digits respond to touch on any of the 4 digits and interconnect significantly more. The thumb inputs are thus processed in an independent module, whereas there is a significantly more interdigital information exchange between the other digits. This cortical organization reflects behavioral use of a hand with an opposable thumb.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslee Lazar
- National Brain Research Centre, Manesar 122052, India.,Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, 322385, India
| | - Prem Chand
- National Brain Research Centre, Manesar 122052, India.,Department of Zoology, Tilak Dhari Post Graduate College, V.B.S. Purvanchal University, Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, 222002, India
| | - Radhika Rajan
- National Brain Research Centre, Manesar 122052, India.,Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | - Neeraj Jain
- National Brain Research Centre, Manesar 122052, India.,Department of Bioscience and Bioengineering; and School of AI and Data Science, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, Karwar, Jodhpur 342030, India
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10
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Koleske J, Amar JY, Chou CA, Varadhachary AS. Bilateral Painful Hand Seizures: An Atypical Somatotopic Syndrome. Neurohospitalist 2022; 12:706-707. [PMID: 36147758 PMCID: PMC9485685 DOI: 10.1177/19418744221107502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Painful Hand Seizures are a rarely reported form of secondary sensory seizures (SSS) characterized by painful, bilateral sensorimotor hand involvement and preserved consciousness. We report our case to aid neurologists in recognizing SSS as an atypical presentation of seizures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Koleske
- Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jordan Y. Amar
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Chris A. Chou
- Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Arun S. Varadhachary
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
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11
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Ciarrusta J, Christiaens D, Fitzgibbon SP, Dimitrova R, Hutter J, Hughes E, Duff E, Price AN, Cordero-Grande L, Tournier JD, Rueckert D, Hajnal JV, Arichi T, McAlonan G, Edwards AD, Batalle D. The developing brain structural and functional connectome fingerprint. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2022; 55:101117. [PMID: 35662682 PMCID: PMC9344310 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
In the mature brain, structural and functional 'fingerprints' of brain connectivity can be used to identify the uniqueness of an individual. However, whether the characteristics that make a given brain distinguishable from others already exist at birth remains unknown. Here, we used neuroimaging data from the developing Human Connectome Project (dHCP) of preterm born neonates who were scanned twice during the perinatal period to assess the developing brain fingerprint. We found that 62% of the participants could be identified based on the congruence of the later structural connectome to the initial connectivity matrix derived from the earlier timepoint. In contrast, similarity between functional connectomes of the same subject at different time points was low. Only 10% of the participants showed greater self-similarity in comparison to self-to-other-similarity for the functional connectome. These results suggest that structural connectivity is more stable in early life and can represent a potential connectome fingerprint of the individual: a relatively stable structural connectome appears to support a changing functional connectome at a time when neonates must rapidly acquire new skills to adapt to their new environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judit Ciarrusta
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Center for Brain and Cognition (CBC), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daan Christiaens
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Electrical Engineering, ESAT/PSI, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sean P Fitzgibbon
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Ralica Dimitrova
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jana Hutter
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Emer Hughes
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Eugene Duff
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, UK; Paediatric Neuroimaging Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Anthony N Price
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lucilio Cordero-Grande
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Biomedical Image Technologies, ETSI Telecomunicación, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid & CIBER-BBN, Madrid, Spain
| | - J-Donald Tournier
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Rueckert
- Biomedical Image Analysis Group, Department of Computing, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Joseph V Hajnal
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tomoki Arichi
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom; Children's Neurosciences, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Grainne McAlonan
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - A David Edwards
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dafnis Batalle
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
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12
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Taoudi-Benchekroun Y, Christiaens D, Grigorescu I, Gale-Grant O, Schuh A, Pietsch M, Chew A, Harper N, Falconer S, Poppe T, Hughes E, Hutter J, Price AN, Tournier JD, Cordero-Grande L, Counsell SJ, Rueckert D, Arichi T, Hajnal JV, Edwards AD, Deprez M, Batalle D. Predicting age and clinical risk from the neonatal connectome. Neuroimage 2022; 257:119319. [PMID: 35589001 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of perinatal brain connectivity underpins motor, cognitive and behavioural abilities in later life. Diffusion MRI allows the characterisation of subtle inter-individual differences in structural brain connectivity. Individual brain connectivity maps (connectomes) are by nature high in dimensionality and complex to interpret. Machine learning methods are a powerful tool to uncover properties of the connectome which are not readily visible and can give us clues as to how and why individual developmental trajectories differ. In this manuscript we used Deep Neural Networks and Random Forests to predict demographic and neurodevelopmental characteristics from neonatal structural connectomes in a large sample of babies (n = 524) from the developing Human Connectome Project. We achieved an accurate prediction of post menstrual age (PMA) at scan in term-born infants (mean absolute error (MAE) = 0.72 weeks, r = 0.83 and p<0.001). We also achieved good accuracy when predicting gestational age at birth in a cohort of term and preterm babies scanned at term equivalent age (MAE = 2.21 weeks, r = 0.82, p<0.001). We subsequently used sensitivity analysis to obtain feature relevance from our prediction models, with the most important connections for prediction of PMA and GA found to predominantly involve frontal and temporal regions, thalami, and basal ganglia. From our models of PMA at scan for infants born at term, we computed a brain maturation index (predicted age minus actual age) of individual preterm neonates and found a significant correlation between this index and motor outcome at 18 months corrected age. Our results demonstrate the applicability of machine learning techniques in analyses of the neonatal connectome and suggest that a neural substrate of brain maturation with implications for future neurodevelopment is detectable at term equivalent age from the neonatal connectome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yassine Taoudi-Benchekroun
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Daan Christiaens
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Electrical Engineering, ESAT/PSI, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Irina Grigorescu
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Oliver Gale-Grant
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andreas Schuh
- Biomedical Image Analysis Group, Department of Computing, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Maximilian Pietsch
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Chew
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas Harper
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Shona Falconer
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tanya Poppe
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Emer Hughes
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jana Hutter
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony N Price
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - J-Donald Tournier
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lucilio Cordero-Grande
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Biomedical Image Technologies, ETSI Telecomunicación, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid & CIBER-BBN, Madrid, Spain
| | - Serena J Counsell
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Rueckert
- Biomedical Image Analysis Group, Department of Computing, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Informatics in Medicine, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Tomoki Arichi
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; Children's Neurosciences, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph V Hajnal
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - A David Edwards
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Deprez
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dafnis Batalle
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
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13
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Tringides CM, Mooney DJ. Materials for Implantable Surface Electrode Arrays: Current Status and Future Directions. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2022; 34:e2107207. [PMID: 34716730 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202107207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Surface electrode arrays are mainly fabricated from rigid or elastic materials, and precisely manipulated ductile metal films, which offer limited stretchability. However, the living tissues to which they are applied are nonlinear viscoelastic materials, which can undergo significant mechanical deformation in dynamic biological environments. Further, the same arrays and compositions are often repurposed for vastly different tissues rather than optimizing the materials and mechanical properties of the implant for the target application. By first characterizing the desired biological environment, and then designing a technology for a particular organ, surface electrode arrays may be more conformable, and offer better interfaces to tissues while causing less damage. Here, the various materials used in each component of a surface electrode array are first reviewed, and then electrically active implants in three specific biological systems, the nervous system, the muscular system, and skin, are described. Finally, the fabrication of next-generation surface arrays that overcome current limitations is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina M Tringides
- Harvard Program in Biophysics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- Harvard-MIT Division in Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - David J Mooney
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
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14
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Jones L, Verriotis M, Cooper RJ, Laudiano-Dray MP, Rupawala M, Meek J, Fabrizi L, Fitzgerald M. Widespread nociceptive maps in the human neonatal somatosensory cortex. eLife 2022; 11:71655. [PMID: 35451960 PMCID: PMC9090328 DOI: 10.7554/elife.71655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Topographic cortical maps are essential for spatial localisation of sensory stimulation and generation of appropriate task-related motor responses. Somatosensation and nociception are finely mapped and aligned in the adult somatosensory (S1) cortex, but in infancy, when pain behaviour is disorganised and poorly directed, nociceptive maps may be less refined. We compared the topographic pattern of S1 activation following noxious (clinically required heel lance) and innocuous (touch) mechanical stimulation of the same skin region in newborn infants (n = 32) using multioptode functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Within S1 cortex, touch and lance of the heel elicit localised, partially overlapping increases in oxygenated haemoglobin concentration (Δ[HbO]), but while touch activation was restricted to the heel area, lance activation extended into cortical hand regions. The data reveals a widespread cortical nociceptive map in infant S1, consistent with their poorly directed pain behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Jones
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Madeleine Verriotis
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Robert J Cooper
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Pureza Laudiano-Dray
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mohammed Rupawala
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Judith Meek
- Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Obstetric Wing, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lorenzo Fabrizi
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Fitzgerald
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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15
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Morita T, Hirose S, Kimura N, Takemura H, Asada M, Naito E. Hyper-Adaptation in the Human Brain: Functional and Structural Changes in the Foot Section of the Primary Motor Cortex in a Top Wheelchair Racing Paralympian. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:780652. [PMID: 35498215 PMCID: PMC9039206 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.780652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The human brain has the capacity to drastically alter its somatotopic representations in response to congenital or acquired limb deficiencies and dysfunctions. The main purpose of the present study was to elucidate such extreme adaptability in the brain of an active top wheelchair racing Paralympian (participant P1) who has congenital paraplegia (dysfunction of bilateral lower limbs). Participant P1 has undergone long-term wheelchair racing training using bilateral upper limbs and has won a total of 19 medals in six consecutive summer Paralympic games as of 2021. We examined the functional and structural changes in the foot section of the primary motor cortex (M1) in participant P1 as compared to able-bodied control participants. We also examined the functional and structural changes in three other individuals (participants P2, P3, and P4) with acquired paraplegia, who also had long-term non-use period of the lower limbs and had undergone long-term training for wheelchair sports (but not top athletes at the level of participant P1). We measured brain activity in all the participants using functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) when bimanual wrist extension-flexion movement was performed, and the structural MRI images were collected. Compared to 37 control participants, participant P1 showed significantly greater activity in the M1 foot section during the bimanual task, and significant local GM expansion in this section. Significantly greater activity in the M1 foot section was also observed in participant P4, but not in P2 and P3, and the significant local GM expansion was observed in participant P2, but not in P3 and P4. Thus, functional or structural change was observed in an acquired paraplegic participant, but was not observed in all the paraplegic participants. The functional and structural changes typically observed in participant P1 may represent extreme adaptability of the human brain. We discuss the results in terms of a new idea of hyper-adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoyo Morita
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Osaka, Japan
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Satoshi Hirose
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Osaka, Japan
- Otemon Gakuin University, Faculty of Psychology, Osaka, Japan
| | - Nodoka Kimura
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Osaka, Japan
| | - Hiromasa Takemura
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Osaka, Japan
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
- Division of Sensory and Cognitive Brain Mapping, Department of System Neuroscience, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Japan
- Department of Physiological Sciences, School of Life Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Minoru Asada
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Osaka, Japan
- Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
- International Professional University of Technology in Osaka, Osaka, Japan
| | - Eiichi Naito
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Osaka, Japan
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
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16
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Pollatou A, Filippi CA, Aydin E, Vaughn K, Thompson D, Korom M, Dufford AJ, Howell B, Zöllei L, Martino AD, Graham A, Scheinost D, Spann MN. An ode to fetal, infant, and toddler neuroimaging: Chronicling early clinical to research applications with MRI, and an introduction to an academic society connecting the field. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2022; 54:101083. [PMID: 35184026 PMCID: PMC8861425 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Fetal, infant, and toddler neuroimaging is commonly thought of as a development of modern times (last two decades). Yet, this field mobilized shortly after the discovery and implementation of MRI technology. Here, we provide a review of the parallel advancements in the fields of fetal, infant, and toddler neuroimaging, noting the shifts from clinical to research use, and the ongoing challenges in this fast-growing field. We chronicle the pioneering science of fetal, infant, and toddler neuroimaging, highlighting the early studies that set the stage for modern advances in imaging during this developmental period, and the large-scale multi-site efforts which ultimately led to the explosion of interest in the field today. Lastly, we consider the growing pains of the community and the need for an academic society that bridges expertise in developmental neuroscience, clinical science, as well as computational and biomedical engineering, to ensure special consideration of the vulnerable mother-offspring dyad (especially during pregnancy), data quality, and image processing tools that are created, rather than adapted, for the young brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angeliki Pollatou
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Courtney A Filippi
- Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Ezra Aydin
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Kelly Vaughn
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Deanne Thompson
- Clinical Sciences, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Marta Korom
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Alexander J Dufford
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Brittany Howell
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, USA; Department of Human Development and Family Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Lilla Zöllei
- Laboratory for Computational Neuroimaging, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | | | - Alice Graham
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | | | - Dustin Scheinost
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA; Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Marisa N Spann
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
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17
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Wang Q, Wang X, Xu L. Intelligent Somatosensory Interactive Activities Restore Motor Function to Children with Autism. JOURNAL OF HEALTHCARE ENGINEERING 2022; 2022:4516005. [PMID: 35388325 PMCID: PMC8977316 DOI: 10.1155/2022/4516005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
So far, the biomedical community has not provided clear etiological conclusions and targeted drug treatments. Educational intervention and rehabilitation are the main ways to promote the development of autistic children's ability and change the quality of life. This research mainly explores how intelligent somatosensory interactive activities can restore motor function to children with autism. Case studies are used to investigate the current problems of hand movement training for children with autism and the effect of somatosensory games on rehabilitation training for autism. The experience of autistic children using somatosensory games for hand movement training was analyzed. Through the collection, sorting, and analysis of data, the influence of different factors on users' immersive experience is explored. It designs and implements the system's somatosensory game module, including a detailed introduction to the development platform and key technologies used in the development of the somatosensory game module, and shows the functions, program flow, main features, and implementation effects of the somatosensory game. The development process of the somatosensory interaction system is introduced in detail, including model making, character control, task flow control, collision detection, interactive interface, and natural interaction methods of gesture interaction and voice interaction. This study outlines the concepts related to autism and the characteristics of children with autism. It discusses the feasibility of applying somatosensory games to the hand movement training of children with autism and analyzes the development status and application of somatosensory games in detail to lay the foundation for follow-up research. Moreover, it defines the research content of somatosensory interactive training products and clarifies the design content and direction of the product. The comfort evaluation of the somatosensory game products designed in the study reached 92.9%. This research further proves that somatosensory games have a positive effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Wang
- School of Physical Education and Training, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China
- School of Sports and Health, Guangdong Polytechnic of Science and Technology, Zhuhai 519090, Guangdong, China
| | - Xing Wang
- School of Physical Education and Training, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Lei Xu
- School of Physical Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, Guangdong, China
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18
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Liu Y, Huang S, Wang Z, Ji F, Ming D. Functional Reorganization After Four-Week Brain-Computer Interface-Controlled Supernumerary Robotic Finger Training: A Pilot Study of Longitudinal Resting-State fMRI. Front Neurosci 2022; 15:766648. [PMID: 35221886 PMCID: PMC8873384 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.766648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans have long been fascinated by the opportunities afforded through motor augmentation provided by the supernumerary robotic fingers (SRFs) and limbs (SRLs). However, the neuroplasticity mechanism induced by the motor augmentation equipment still needs further investigation. This study focused on the resting-state brain functional reorganization during longitudinal brain-computer interface (BCI)-controlled SRF training in using the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and degree centrality (DC) metrics. Ten right-handed subjects were enrolled for 4 weeks of BCI-controlled SRF training. The behavioral data and the neurological changes were recorded at baseline, training for 2 weeks, training for 4 weeks immediately after, and 2 weeks after the end of training. One-way repeated-measure ANOVA was used to investigate long-term motor improvement [F(2.805,25.24) = 43.94, p < 0.0001] and neurological changes. The fALFF values were significantly modulated in Cerebelum_6_R and correlated with motor function improvement (r = 0.6887, p < 0.0402) from t0 to t2. Besides, Cerebelum_9_R and Vermis_3 were also significantly modulated and showed different trends in longitudinal SRF training in using ReHo metric. At the same time, ReHo values that changed from t0 to t1 in Vermis_3 was significantly correlated with motor function improvement (r = 0.7038, p < 0.0344). We conclude that the compensation and suppression mechanism of the cerebellum existed during BCI-controlled SRF training, and this current result provided evidence to the neuroplasticity mechanism brought by the BCI-controlled motor-augmentation devices.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Dong Ming
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine (AMT), Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
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19
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Dall'Orso S, Arichi T, Fitzgibbon SP, Edwards AD, Burdet E, Muceli S. Development of functional organization within the sensorimotor network across the perinatal period. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:2249-2261. [PMID: 35088920 PMCID: PMC8996360 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In the mature human brain, the neural processing related to different body parts is reflected in patterns of functional connectivity, which is strongest between functional homologs in opposite cortical hemispheres. To understand how this organization is first established, we investigated functional connectivity between limb regions in the sensorimotor cortex in 400 preterm and term infants aged across the equivalent period to the third trimester of gestation (32–45 weeks postmenstrual age). Masks were obtained from empirically derived functional responses in neonates from an independent data set. We demonstrate the early presence of a crude but spatially organized functional connectivity, that rapidly matures across the preterm period to achieve an adult‐like configuration by the normal time of birth. Specifically, connectivity was strongest between homolog regions, followed by connectivity between adjacent regions (different limbs but same hemisphere) already in the preterm brain, and increased with age. These changes were specific to the sensorimotor network. Crucially, these trajectories were strongly dependent on age more than age of birth. This demonstrates that during the perinatal period the sensorimotor cortex undergoes preprogrammed changes determining the functional movement organization that are not altered by preterm birth in absence of brain injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Dall'Orso
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg.,Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London
| | - Tomoki Arichi
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London.,Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London, UK.,Paediatric Neurosciences, Evelina London Children's Hospital, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, UK.,Medical Research Council Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Sean P Fitzgibbon
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - A David Edwards
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London.,Medical Research Council Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Etienne Burdet
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London, UK
| | - Silvia Muceli
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg.,Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London
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20
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Jaimini A, Chopra J, D'souza M, Sharma R, Saw S, Pandey S, Solanki Y. 18F-FDG positron emission tomography imaging of cortical reorganization in spinal trauma. Indian J Nucl Med 2022; 37:126-132. [PMID: 35982816 PMCID: PMC9380813 DOI: 10.4103/ijnm.ijnm_133_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: Spinal cord injury (SCI) extensively impacts the sensorimotor reorganization in the brain. The effects can be both anatomical and functional. To date, not many studies using 18F-Fluoro-2-Deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG PET) to evaluate metabolic changes in the brain are done. Understanding such changes is crucial for developing clinical management and evidence-based rehabilitation strategies for these patients. Subjects and Methods: In this study, we compared 18F-FDG PET imaging of 6 SCI patients with complete paraplegia and 19 controls. Statistical parametric mapping software was utilized to compare the images on a voxel to voxel basis (significance level P < 0.05 and clusters having >50 voxels). Results: The study showed raised metabolism in supplementary motor areas, comprehension centers, some areas in the parietal and temporal lobe, putamen and cerebellum while reduced metabolic uptake in areas like anterior cingulate gyrus, hippocampus and sensory cortical areas when SCI patients were compared against healthy controls. The frontal lobe showed varied results where certain regions showed higher metabolism while the others showed lower in patients compared with controls. Conclusion: Cerebral deafferentation or disuse atrophy can be linked with reduced metabolism while raised uptake can be associated with initiation and planning of movement and cognitive changes in the brain posttrauma.
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21
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Lehnert BP, Santiago C, Huey EL, Emanuel AJ, Renauld S, Africawala N, Alkislar I, Zheng Y, Bai L, Koutsioumpa C, Hong JT, Magee AR, Harvey CD, Ginty DD. Mechanoreceptor synapses in the brainstem shape the central representation of touch. Cell 2021; 184:5608-5621.e18. [PMID: 34637701 PMCID: PMC8556359 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.09.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Mammals use glabrous (hairless) skin of their hands and feet to navigate and manipulate their environment. Cortical maps of the body surface across species contain disproportionately large numbers of neurons dedicated to glabrous skin sensation, in part reflecting a higher density of mechanoreceptors that innervate these skin regions. Here, we find that disproportionate representation of glabrous skin emerges over postnatal development at the first synapse between peripheral mechanoreceptors and their central targets in the brainstem. Mechanoreceptor synapses undergo developmental refinement that depends on proximity of their terminals to glabrous skin, such that those innervating glabrous skin make synaptic connections that expand their central representation. In mice incapable of sensing gentle touch, mechanoreceptors innervating glabrous skin still make more powerful synapses in the brainstem. We propose that the skin region a mechanoreceptor innervates controls the developmental refinement of its central synapses to shape the representation of touch in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan P Lehnert
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Celine Santiago
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Erica L Huey
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Alan J Emanuel
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sophia Renauld
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Nusrat Africawala
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ilayda Alkislar
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Yang Zheng
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ling Bai
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Charalampia Koutsioumpa
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jennifer T Hong
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Alexandra R Magee
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Christopher D Harvey
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - David D Ginty
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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22
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Shen G, Weiss SM, Meltzoff AN, Allison ON, Marshall PJ. Exploring developmental changes in infant anticipation and perceptual processing: EEG responses to tactile stimulation. INFANCY 2021; 27:97-114. [PMID: 34617671 DOI: 10.1111/infa.12438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
There is an increasing interest in alpha-range rhythms in the electroencephalogram (EEG) in relation to perceptual and attentional processes. The infant mu rhythm has been extensively studied in the context of linkages between action observation and action production in infancy, but less is known about the mu rhythm in relation to cross-modal processes involving somatosensation. We investigated differences in mu responses to cued vibrotactile stimulation of the hand in two age groups of infants: From 6 to 7 months and 13 to 14 months. We were also interested in anticipatory neural responses in the alpha frequency range prior to tactile stimulation. Tactile stimulation of infants' left or right hand was preceded by an audiovisual cue signaling which hand would be stimulated. In response to the tactile stimulus, infants demonstrated significant mu desynchronization over the central areas contralateral to the hand stimulated, with higher mu peak frequency and greater contralateral mu desynchronization for older infants. Prior to the tactile stimulus, both age groups showed significant bilateral alpha desynchronization over frontocentral sites, which may be indicative of generalized anticipation of an upcoming stimulus. The findings highlight the potential of examining the sensorimotor mu rhythm in the context of infant attentional development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guannan Shen
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Staci M Weiss
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Andrew N Meltzoff
- Institute for Learning and Brain Science, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Olivia N Allison
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadephia, Philadephia, USA
| | - Peter J Marshall
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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23
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Reissland N, Einbeck J, Wood R, Lane A. Effects of maternal mental health on prenatal movement profiles in twins and singletons. Acta Paediatr 2021; 110:2553-2558. [PMID: 34105185 DOI: 10.1111/apa.15903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
AIM Prenatal experiences, including maternal stress, depression and anxiety, form crucial building blocks affecting the maturation of the foetal central nervous system. Previous research has examined foetal movements without considering effects of maternal mental health factors critical for healthy foetal development. The aim of this research is to assess the effects of maternal mental health factors on foetal twin compared with singleton movement profiles. METHOD We coded foetal touch and head movements in 56 ultrasound scans, from a prospective opportunity sample of 30 mothers with a healthy pregnancy (mean gestational age 27.8 weeks for singleton and 27.2 for twins). At the ultrasound scan appointment, participants completed questionnaires assessing their stress, depression and anxiety. RESULTS Maternal depression increased foetal self-touch significantly. In foetal twins, maternal stress significantly decreased and maternal depression significantly increased other twin touch. Maternal mental health factors affected the head movements of twins significantly more than singletons, with maternal depression decreasing head movement frequency for twins significantly. CONCLUSION These results indicate that maternal mental health might have an impact on types of body schemata formed in utero, in twin compared with singleton pregnancies. Future research needs to examine whether these prenatal effects affect postnatal differences in body awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jochen Einbeck
- Durham Research Methods Centre (DRMC) Durham University Durham UK
| | - Rebecca Wood
- Department of Psychology Durham University Durham UK
| | - Alison Lane
- Department of Psychology Durham University Durham UK
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24
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McClelland VM, Lin JP. Sensorimotor Integration in Childhood Dystonia and Dystonic Cerebral Palsy-A Developmental Perspective. Front Neurol 2021; 12:668081. [PMID: 34367047 PMCID: PMC8343097 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.668081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Dystonia is a disorder of sensorimotor integration, involving dysfunction within the basal ganglia, cortex, cerebellum, or their inter-connections as part of the sensorimotor network. Some forms of dystonia are also characterized by maladaptive or exaggerated plasticity. Development of the neuronal processes underlying sensorimotor integration is incompletely understood but involves activity-dependent modeling and refining of sensorimotor circuits through processes that are already taking place in utero and which continue through infancy, childhood, and into adolescence. Several genetic dystonias have clinical onset in early childhood, but there is evidence that sensorimotor circuit development may already be disrupted prenatally in these conditions. Dystonic cerebral palsy (DCP) is a form of acquired dystonia with perinatal onset during a period of rapid neurodevelopment and activity-dependent refinement of sensorimotor networks. However, physiological studies of children with dystonia are sparse. This discussion paper addresses the role of neuroplasticity in the development of sensorimotor integration with particular focus on the relevance of these mechanisms for understanding childhood dystonia, DCP, and implications for therapy selection, including neuromodulation and timing of intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verity M McClelland
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.,Children's Neurosciences Department, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jean-Pierre Lin
- Children's Neurosciences Department, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
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25
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Fouladivanda M, Kazemi K, Makki M, Khalilian M, Danyali H, Gervain J, Aarabi A. Multi-scale structural rich-club organization of the brain in full-term newborns: a combined DWI and fMRI study. J Neural Eng 2021; 18. [PMID: 33930878 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/abfd46] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Objective.Our understanding of early brain development is limited due to rapid changes in white matter pathways after birth. In this study, we introduced a multi-scale cross-modal approach to investigate the rich club (RC) organization and topology of the structural brain networks in 40 healthy neonates using diffusion-weighted imaging and resting-state fMRI data.Approach.A group independent component analysis was first performed to identify eight resting state networks (RSNs) used as functional modules. A groupwise whole-brain functional parcellation was also performed at five scales comprising 100-900 parcels. The distribution of RC nodes was then investigated within and between the RSNs. We further assessed the distribution of short and long-range RC, feeder and local connections across different parcellation scales.Main results.Sharing the scale-free characteristic of small-worldness, the neonatal structural brain networks exhibited an RC organization at different nodal scales (NSs). The subcortical, sensory-motor and default mode networks were found to be strongly involved in the RC organization of the structural brain networks, especially in the zones where the RSNs overlapped, with an average cross-scale proportion of 45.9%, 28.5% and 10.5%, respectively. A large proportion of the connector hubs were found to be RC members for the coarsest (73%) to finest (92%) NSs. Our results revealed a prominent involvement of cortico-subcortical and cortico-cerebellar white matter pathways in the RC organization of the neonatal brain. Regardless of the NS, the majority (more than 65.2%) of the inter-RSN connections were long distance RC or feeder with an average physical connection of 105.5 and 97.4 mm, respectively. Several key RC regions were identified, including the insula and cingulate gyri, middle and superior temporal gyri, hippocampus and parahippocampus, fusiform gyrus, precuneus, superior frontal and precentral gyri, calcarine fissure and lingual gyrus.Significance.Our results emphasize the importance of the multi-scale connectivity analysis in assessing the cross-scale reproducibility of the connectivity results concerning the global and local topological properties of the brain networks. Our findings may improve our understanding of the early brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahshid Fouladivanda
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Shiraz University of Technology, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Kamran Kazemi
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Shiraz University of Technology, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Malek Makki
- Laboratory of Functional Neuroscience and Pathologies (LNFP), University Research Center (CURS), University Hospital, Amiens, France
| | - Maedeh Khalilian
- Laboratory of Functional Neuroscience and Pathologies (LNFP), University Research Center (CURS), University Hospital, Amiens, France
| | - Habibollah Danyali
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Shiraz University of Technology, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Judit Gervain
- Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center, CNRS & Université de Paris, Paris, France.,Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Ardalan Aarabi
- Laboratory of Functional Neuroscience and Pathologies (LNFP), University Research Center (CURS), University Hospital, Amiens, France.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Picardy Jules Verne, Amiens, France
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26
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Kieliba P, Clode D, Maimon-Mor RO, Makin TR. Robotic hand augmentation drives changes in neural body representation. Sci Robot 2021; 6:eabd7935. [PMID: 34043536 PMCID: PMC7612043 DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.abd7935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Humans have long been fascinated by the opportunities afforded through augmentation. This vision not only depends on technological innovations but also critically relies on our brain's ability to learn, adapt, and interface with augmentation devices. Here, we investigated whether successful motor augmentation with an extra robotic thumb can be achieved and what its implications are on the neural representation and function of the biological hand. Able-bodied participants were trained to use an extra robotic thumb (called the Third Thumb) over 5 days, including both lab-based and unstructured daily use. We challenged participants to complete normally bimanual tasks using only the augmented hand and examined their ability to develop hand-robot interactions. Participants were tested on a variety of behavioral and brain imaging tests, designed to interrogate the augmented hand's representation before and after the training. Training improved Third Thumb motor control, dexterity, and hand-robot coordination, even when cognitive load was increased or when vision was occluded. It also resulted in increased sense of embodiment over the Third Thumb. Consequently, augmentation influenced key aspects of hand representation and motor control. Third Thumb usage weakened natural kinematic synergies of the biological hand. Furthermore, brain decoding revealed a mild collapse of the augmented hand's motor representation after training, even while the Third Thumb was not worn. Together, our findings demonstrate that motor augmentation can be readily achieved, with potential for flexible use, reduced cognitive reliance, and increased sense of embodiment. Yet, augmentation may incur changes to the biological hand representation. Such neurocognitive consequences are crucial for successful implementation of future augmentation technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Kieliba
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AZ, UK
| | - Danielle Clode
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AZ, UK
- Dani Clode design, 40 Hillside Road, London SW2 3HW, UK
| | - Roni O Maimon-Mor
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AZ, UK
- WIN Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Tamar R Makin
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AZ, UK.
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
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27
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Dubois J, Alison M, Counsell SJ, Hertz‐Pannier L, Hüppi PS, Benders MJ. MRI of the Neonatal Brain: A Review of Methodological Challenges and Neuroscientific Advances. J Magn Reson Imaging 2021; 53:1318-1343. [PMID: 32420684 PMCID: PMC8247362 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.27192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, exploration of the developing brain has become a major focus for researchers and clinicians in an attempt to understand what allows children to acquire amazing and unique abilities, as well as the impact of early disruptions (eg, prematurity, neonatal insults) that can lead to a wide range of neurodevelopmental disorders. Noninvasive neuroimaging methods such as MRI are essential to establish links between the brain and behavioral changes in newborns and infants. In this review article, we aim to highlight recent and representative studies using the various techniques available: anatomical MRI, quantitative MRI (relaxometry, diffusion MRI), multiparametric approaches, and functional MRI. Today, protocols use 1.5 or 3T MRI scanners, and specialized methodologies have been put in place for data acquisition and processing to address the methodological challenges specific to this population, such as sensitivity to motion. MR sequences must be adapted to the brains of newborns and infants to obtain relevant good soft-tissue contrast, given the small size of the cerebral structures and the incomplete maturation of tissues. The use of age-specific image postprocessing tools is also essential, as signal and contrast differ from the adult brain. Appropriate methodologies then make it possible to explore multiple neurodevelopmental mechanisms in a precise way, and assess changes with age or differences between groups of subjects, particularly through large-scale projects. Although MRI measurements only indirectly reflect the complex series of dynamic processes observed throughout development at the molecular and cellular levels, this technique can provide information on brain morphology, structural connectivity, microstructural properties of gray and white matter, and on the functional architecture. Finally, MRI measures related to clinical, behavioral, and electrophysiological markers have a key role to play from a diagnostic and prognostic perspective in the implementation of early interventions to avoid long-term disabilities in children. EVIDENCE LEVEL: 2 TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: 1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Dubois
- University of ParisNeuroDiderot, INSERM,ParisFrance
- UNIACT, NeuroSpin, CEA; Paris‐Saclay UniversityGif‐sur‐YvetteFrance
| | - Marianne Alison
- University of ParisNeuroDiderot, INSERM,ParisFrance
- Department of Pediatric RadiologyAPHP, Robert‐Debré HospitalParisFrance
| | - Serena J. Counsell
- Centre for the Developing BrainSchool of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Lucie Hertz‐Pannier
- University of ParisNeuroDiderot, INSERM,ParisFrance
- UNIACT, NeuroSpin, CEA; Paris‐Saclay UniversityGif‐sur‐YvetteFrance
| | - Petra S. Hüppi
- Division of Development and Growth, Department of Woman, Child and AdolescentUniversity Hospitals of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Manon J.N.L. Benders
- Department of NeonatologyUniversity Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht UniversityUtrechtthe Netherlands
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28
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Eyre M, Fitzgibbon SP, Ciarrusta J, Cordero-Grande L, Price AN, Poppe T, Schuh A, Hughes E, O'Keeffe C, Brandon J, Cromb D, Vecchiato K, Andersson J, Duff EP, Counsell SJ, Smith SM, Rueckert D, Hajnal JV, Arichi T, O'Muircheartaigh J, Batalle D, Edwards AD. The Developing Human Connectome Project: typical and disrupted perinatal functional connectivity. Brain 2021; 144:2199-2213. [PMID: 33734321 PMCID: PMC8370420 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The Developing Human Connectome Project is an Open Science project that provides the
first large sample of neonatal functional MRI data with high temporal and spatial
resolution. These data enable mapping of intrinsic functional connectivity between
spatially distributed brain regions under normal and adverse perinatal circumstances,
offering a framework to study the ontogeny of large-scale brain organization in humans.
Here, we characterize in unprecedented detail the maturation and integrity of resting
state networks (RSNs) at term-equivalent age in 337 infants (including 65 born preterm).
First, we applied group independent component analysis to define 11 RSNs in term-born
infants scanned at 43.5–44.5 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA). Adult-like topography was
observed in RSNs encompassing primary sensorimotor, visual and auditory cortices. Among
six higher-order, association RSNs, analogues of the adult networks for language and
ocular control were identified, but a complete default mode network precursor was not.
Next, we regressed the subject-level datasets from an independent cohort of infants
scanned at 37–43.5 weeks PMA against the group-level RSNs to test for the effects of age,
sex and preterm birth. Brain mapping in term-born infants revealed areas of positive
association with age across four of six association RSNs, indicating active maturation in
functional connectivity from 37 to 43.5 weeks PMA. Female infants showed increased
connectivity in inferotemporal regions of the visual association network. Preterm birth
was associated with striking impairments of functional connectivity across all RSNs in a
dose-dependent manner; conversely, connectivity of the superior parietal lobules within
the lateral motor network was abnormally increased in preterm infants, suggesting a
possible mechanism for specific difficulties such as developmental coordination disorder,
which occur frequently in preterm children. Overall, we found a robust, modular,
symmetrical functional brain organization at normal term age. A complete set of
adult-equivalent primary RSNs is already instated, alongside emerging connectivity in
immature association RSNs, consistent with a primary-to-higher order ontogenetic sequence
of brain development. The early developmental disruption imposed by preterm birth is
associated with extensive alterations in functional connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Eyre
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Sean P Fitzgibbon
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (WIN FMRIB), University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Judit Ciarrusta
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, UK.,Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Lucilio Cordero-Grande
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Anthony N Price
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Tanya Poppe
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Andreas Schuh
- Biomedical Image Analysis Group, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Emer Hughes
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Camilla O'Keeffe
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Jakki Brandon
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Daniel Cromb
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Katy Vecchiato
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, UK.,Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Jesper Andersson
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (WIN FMRIB), University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Eugene P Duff
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (WIN FMRIB), University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Serena J Counsell
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Stephen M Smith
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (WIN FMRIB), University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Daniel Rueckert
- Biomedical Image Analysis Group, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Joseph V Hajnal
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Tomoki Arichi
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, UK.,Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Jonathan O'Muircheartaigh
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, UK.,Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Dafnis Batalle
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, UK.,Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - A David Edwards
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, UK
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29
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Abstract
AbstractSafe human-robot interactions require robots to be able to learn how to behave appropriately in spaces populated by people and thus to cope with the challenges posed by our dynamic and unstructured environment, rather than being provided a rigid set of rules for operations. In humans, these capabilities are thought to be related to our ability to perceive our body in space, sensing the location of our limbs during movement, being aware of other objects and agents, and controlling our body parts to interact with them intentionally. Toward the next generation of robots with bio-inspired capacities, in this paper, we first review the developmental processes of underlying mechanisms of these abilities: The sensory representations of body schema, peripersonal space, and the active self in humans. Second, we provide a survey of robotics models of these sensory representations and robotics models of the self; and we compare these models with the human counterparts. Finally, we analyze what is missing from these robotics models and propose a theoretical computational framework, which aims to allow the emergence of the sense of self in artificial agents by developing sensory representations through self-exploration.
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30
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Sensational developments in somatosensory development? Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 66:212-223. [PMID: 33454646 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2020.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
This is an overview of the most recent advances pertaining to the development of the cardinal components of the somatosensory system: the peripheral sensory neurons that perceive somatosensory stimuli, the first line central nervous system circuits that modulate them, and the higher structures such as the somatosensory cortex that eventually compute a motor response to them. Here, I also review the most recent findings concerning the role of neuronal activity in somatosensory development, formation of somatotopic maps, insights into human somatosensory development and the link between aberrant somatosensation and neurodevelopmental disorders.
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31
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Willoughby WR, Thoenes K, Bolding M. Somatotopic Arrangement of the Human Primary Somatosensory Cortex Derived From Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Front Neurosci 2021; 14:598482. [PMID: 33488347 PMCID: PMC7817621 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.598482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to estimate neuronal activity in the primary somatosensory cortex of six participants undergoing cutaneous tactile stimulation on skin areas spread across the entire body. Differences between the accepted somatotopic maps derived from Penfield's work and those generated by this fMRI study were sought, including representational transpositions or replications across the cortex. MR-safe pneumatic devices mimicking the action of a Wartenberg wheel supplied touch stimuli in eight areas. Seven were on the left side of the body: foot, lower, and upper leg, trunk beneath ribcage, anterior forearm, middle fingertip, and neck above the collarbone. The eighth area was the glabella. Activation magnitude was estimated as the maximum cross-correlation coefficient at a certain phase shift between ideal time series and measured blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) time courses on the cortical surface. Maximally correlated clusters associated with each cutaneous area were calculated, and cortical magnification factors were estimated. Activity correlated to lower limb stimulation was observed in the paracentral lobule and superomedial postcentral region. Correlations to upper extremity stimulation were observed in the postcentral area adjacent to the motor hand knob. Activity correlated to trunk, face and neck stimulation was localized in the superomedial one-third of the postcentral region, which differed from Penfield's cortical homunculus.
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Affiliation(s)
- W. R. Willoughby
- Department of Radiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Kristina Thoenes
- Department of Neurobiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Mark Bolding
- Department of Radiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
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32
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Zhao H, Frijia EM, Vidal Rosas E, Collins-Jones L, Smith G, Nixon-Hill R, Powell S, Everdell NL, Cooper RJ. Design and validation of a mechanically flexible and ultra-lightweight high-density diffuse optical tomography system for functional neuroimaging of newborns. NEUROPHOTONICS 2021; 8:015011. [PMID: 33778094 PMCID: PMC7995199 DOI: 10.1117/1.nph.8.1.015011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Significance: Neonates are a highly vulnerable population. The risk of brain injury is greater during the first days and weeks after birth than at any other time of life. Functional neuroimaging that can be performed longitudinally and at the cot-side has the potential to improve our understanding of the evolution of multiple forms of neurological injury over the perinatal period. However, existing technologies make it very difficult to perform repeated and/or long-duration functional neuroimaging experiments at the cot-side. Aim: We aimed to create a modular, high-density diffuse optical tomography (HD-DOT) technology specifically for neonatal applications that is ultra-lightweight, low profile and provides high mechanical flexibility. We then sought to validate this technology using an anatomically accurate dynamic phantom. Approach: An advanced 10-layer rigid-flexible printed circuit board technology was adopted as the basis for the DOT modules, which allows for a compact module design that also provides the flexibility needed to conform to the curved infant scalp. Two module layouts were implemented: dual-hexagon and triple-hexagon. Using in-built board-to-board connectors, the system can be configured to provide a vast range of possible layouts. Using epoxy resin, thermochromic dyes, and MRI-derived 3D-printed moulds, we constructed an electrically switchable, anatomically accurate dynamic phantom. This phantom was used to quantify the imaging performance of our flexible, modular HD-DOT system. Results: Using one particular module configuration designed to cover the infant sensorimotor system, the device provided 36 source and 48 detector positions, and over 700 viable DOT channels per wavelength, ranging from 10 to ∼ 45 mm over an area of approximately 60 cm 2 . The total weight of this system is only 70 g. The signal changes from the dynamic phantom, while slow, closely simulated real hemodynamic response functions. Using difference images obtained from the phantom, the measured 3D localization error provided by the system at the depth of the cortex was in the of range 3 to 6 mm, and the lateral image resolution at the depth of the neonatal cortex is estimated to be as good as 10 to 12 mm. Conclusions: The HD-DOT system described is ultra-low weight, low profile, can conform to the infant scalp, and provides excellent imaging performance. It is expected that this device will make functional neuroimaging of the neonatal brain at the cot-side significantly more practical and effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hubin Zhao
- University College London, DOT-HUB, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Biomedical Optics Research Laboratory, London, United Kingdom
- University of Glasgow, James Watt School of Engineering, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Elisabetta M. Frijia
- University College London, DOT-HUB, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Biomedical Optics Research Laboratory, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ernesto Vidal Rosas
- University College London, DOT-HUB, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Biomedical Optics Research Laboratory, London, United Kingdom
| | - Liam Collins-Jones
- University College London, DOT-HUB, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Biomedical Optics Research Laboratory, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Reuben Nixon-Hill
- Gowerlabs Ltd., London, United Kingdom
- Imperial College London, Department of Mathematics, London, United Kingdom
| | - Samuel Powell
- Gowerlabs Ltd., London, United Kingdom
- Nottingham University, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | | | - Robert J. Cooper
- University College London, DOT-HUB, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Biomedical Optics Research Laboratory, London, United Kingdom
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33
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Säisänen L, Könönen M, Niskanen E, Lakka T, Lintu N, Vanninen R, Julkunen P, Määttä S. Primary hand motor representation areas in healthy children, preadolescents, adolescents, and adults. Neuroimage 2020; 228:117702. [PMID: 33385558 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of the organization of the motor representation areas in children and adolescents is not well-known. This cross-sectional study aimed to provide an understanding for the development of the functional motor areas of the upper extremity muscles by studying healthy right-handed children (6-9 years, n = 10), preadolescents (10-12 years, n = 13), adolescents (15-17 years, n = 12), and adults (22-34 years, n = 12). The optimal representation site and resting motor threshold (rMT) for the abductor pollicis brevis (APB) were assessed in both hemispheres using navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS). Motor mapping was performed at 110% of the rMT while recording the EMG of six upper limb muscles in the hand and forearm. The association between the motor map and manual dexterity (box and block test, BBT) was examined. The mapping was well-tolerated and feasible in all but the youngest participant whose rMT exceeded the maximum stimulator output. The centers-of-gravity (CoG) for individual muscles were scattered to the greatest extent in the group of preadolescents and centered and became more focused with age. In preadolescents, the CoGs in the left hemisphere were located more laterally, and they shifted medially with age. The proportion of hand compared to arm representation increased with age (p = 0.001); in the right hemisphere, this was associated with greater fine motor ability. Similarly, there was less overlap between hand and forearm muscles representations in children compared to adults (p<0.001). There was a posterior-anterior shift in the APB hotspot coordinate with age, and the APB coordinate in the left hemisphere exhibited a lateral to medial shift with age from adolescence to adulthood (p = 0.006). Our results contribute to the elucidation of the developmental course in the organization of the motor cortex and its associations with fine motor skills. It was shown that nTMS motor mapping in relaxed muscles is feasible in developmental studies in children older than seven years of age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Säisänen
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Kuopio University Hospital, P.O. Box 100, 70029 KYS, Kuopio, Finland; Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Finland; Department of Applied Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
| | - Mervi Könönen
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Kuopio University Hospital, P.O. Box 100, 70029 KYS, Kuopio, Finland; Department of Applied Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland; Department of Clinical Radiology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Eini Niskanen
- Department of Applied Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Timo Lakka
- Institute of Biomedicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Finland; Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Niina Lintu
- Institute of Biomedicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Finland
| | - Ritva Vanninen
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Finland; Department of Clinical Radiology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Petro Julkunen
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Kuopio University Hospital, P.O. Box 100, 70029 KYS, Kuopio, Finland; Department of Applied Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Sara Määttä
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Kuopio University Hospital, P.O. Box 100, 70029 KYS, Kuopio, Finland
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34
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Dall'Orso S, Fifer WP, Balsam PD, Brandon J, O'Keefe C, Poppe T, Vecchiato K, Edwards AD, Burdet E, Arichi T. Cortical Processing of Multimodal Sensory Learning in Human Neonates. Cereb Cortex 2020; 31:1827-1836. [PMID: 33207366 PMCID: PMC7869081 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Following birth, infants must immediately process and rapidly adapt to the array of unknown sensory experiences associated with their new ex-utero environment. However, although it is known that unimodal stimuli induce activity in the corresponding primary sensory cortices of the newborn brain, it is unclear how multimodal stimuli are processed and integrated across modalities. The latter is essential for learning and understanding environmental contingencies through encoding relationships between sensory experiences; and ultimately likely subserves development of life-long skills such as speech and language. Here, for the first time, we map the intracerebral processing which underlies auditory-sensorimotor classical conditioning in a group of 13 neonates (median gestational age at birth: 38 weeks + 4 days, range: 32 weeks + 2 days to 41 weeks + 6 days; median postmenstrual age at scan: 40 weeks + 5 days, range: 38 weeks + 3 days to 42 weeks + 1 days) with blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance (MR) compatible robotics. We demonstrate that classical conditioning can induce crossmodal changes within putative unimodal sensory cortex even in the absence of its archetypal substrate. Our results also suggest that multimodal learning is associated with network wide activity within the conditioned neural system. These findings suggest that in early life, external multimodal sensory stimulation and integration shapes activity in the developing cortex and may influence its associated functional network architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Dall'Orso
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.,Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, Kings College London, London SE1 7EH, UK.,Department of Electrical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg 412 96, Sweden
| | - W P Fifer
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York 10032, NY
| | - P D Balsam
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York 10032, NY
| | - J Brandon
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, Kings College London, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - C O'Keefe
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, Kings College London, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - T Poppe
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, Kings College London, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - K Vecchiato
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, Kings College London, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - A D Edwards
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.,Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, Kings College London, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - E Burdet
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - T Arichi
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.,Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, Kings College London, London SE1 7EH, UK.,Paediatric Neurosciences, Evelina London Children's Hospital, St Thomas' Hospital, London SE1 7EH, UK
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35
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Howell AL, Osher DE, Li J, Saygin ZM. The intrinsic neonatal hippocampal network: rsfMRI findings. J Neurophysiol 2020; 124:1458-1468. [DOI: 10.1152/jn.00362.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Although both animal data and human data suggest that the hippocampus is immature at birth, to date, there are no direct assessments of human hippocampal functional connectivity (FC) very early in life. Our study explores the FC of the hippocampus to the cortex at birth, allowing insight into the development of human memory systems. In particular, we find that adults and neonates exhibit vastly different hippocampal connectivity profiles—a finding that likely has large developmental implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athena L. Howell
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - David E. Osher
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Jin Li
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Zeynep M. Saygin
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
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36
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Lo Presti D, Dall’Orso S, Muceli S, Arichi T, Neumane S, Lukens A, Sabbadini R, Massaroni C, Caponero MA, Formica D, Burdet E, Schena E. An fMRI Compatible Smart Device for Measuring Palmar Grasping Actions in Newborns. SENSORS 2020; 20:s20216040. [PMID: 33114180 PMCID: PMC7660640 DOI: 10.3390/s20216040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Grasping is one of the first dominant motor behaviors that enable interaction of a newborn infant with its surroundings. Although atypical grasping patterns are considered predictive of neuromotor disorders and injuries, their clinical assessment suffers from examiner subjectivity, and the neuropathophysiology is poorly understood. Therefore, the combination of technology with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) may help to precisely map the brain activity associated with grasping and thus provide important insights into how functional outcomes can be improved following cerebral injury. This work introduces an MR-compatible device (i.e., smart graspable device (SGD)) for detecting grasping actions in newborn infants. Electromagnetic interference immunity (EMI) is achieved using a fiber Bragg grating sensor. Its biocompatibility and absence of electrical signals propagating through the fiber make the safety profile of the SGD particularly favorable for use with fragile infants. Firstly, the SGD design, fabrication, and metrological characterization are described, followed by preliminary assessments on a preterm newborn infant and an adult during an fMRI experiment. The results demonstrate that the combination of the SGD and fMRI can safely and precisely identify the brain activity associated with grasping behavior, which may enable early diagnosis of motor impairment and help guide tailored rehabilitation programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Lo Presti
- Unit of Measurements and Biomedical Instrumentation, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 00128 Rome, Italy; (D.L.P.); (R.S.); (C.M.)
| | - Sofia Dall’Orso
- Division of Signal Processing and Biomedical Engineering, Department of Electrical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden; (S.D.); (S.M.)
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK; (T.A.); (S.N.)
| | - Silvia Muceli
- Division of Signal Processing and Biomedical Engineering, Department of Electrical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden; (S.D.); (S.M.)
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK; (T.A.); (S.N.)
| | - Tomoki Arichi
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK; (T.A.); (S.N.)
- Paediatric Neurosciences, Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London SE1 7EH, UK;
| | - Sara Neumane
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK; (T.A.); (S.N.)
- NeuroDiderot Unit UMR1141, Université de Paris, INSERM, F-75019 Paris, France
- UNIACT, Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, NeuroSpin, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Anna Lukens
- Paediatric Neurosciences, Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London SE1 7EH, UK;
| | - Riccardo Sabbadini
- Unit of Measurements and Biomedical Instrumentation, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 00128 Rome, Italy; (D.L.P.); (R.S.); (C.M.)
| | - Carlo Massaroni
- Unit of Measurements and Biomedical Instrumentation, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 00128 Rome, Italy; (D.L.P.); (R.S.); (C.M.)
| | - Michele Arturo Caponero
- Photonics Micro- and Nanostructures Laboratory, ENEA Research Center of Frascati, 00044 Frascati (RM), Italy;
| | - Domenico Formica
- Unit of Neurophysiology and Neuroengineering of Human-Technology Interaction (NeXt Lab), Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 00128 Rome, Italy;
| | - Etienne Burdet
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK;
| | - Emiliano Schena
- Unit of Measurements and Biomedical Instrumentation, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 00128 Rome, Italy; (D.L.P.); (R.S.); (C.M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-062-2541-9650
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37
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Collins-Jones LH, Arichi T, Poppe T, Billing A, Xiao J, Fabrizi L, Brigadoi S, Hebden JC, Elwell CE, Cooper RJ. Construction and validation of a database of head models for functional imaging of the neonatal brain. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 42:567-586. [PMID: 33068482 PMCID: PMC7814762 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The neonatal brain undergoes dramatic structural and functional changes over the last trimester of gestation. The accuracy of source localisation of brain activity recorded from the scalp therefore relies on accurate age-specific head models. Although an age-appropriate population-level atlas could be used, detail is lost in the construction of such atlases, in particular with regard to the smoothing of the cortical surface, and so such a model is not representative of anatomy at an individual level. In this work, we describe the construction of a database of individual structural priors of the neonatal head using 215 individual-level datasets at ages 29-44 weeks postmenstrual age from the Developing Human Connectome Project. We have validated a method to segment the extra-cerebral tissue against manual segmentation. We have also conducted a leave-one-out analysis to quantify the expected spatial error incurred with regard to localising functional activation when using a best-matching individual from the database in place of a subject-specific model; the median error was calculated to be 8.3 mm (median absolute deviation 3.8 mm). The database can be applied for any functional neuroimaging modality which requires structural data whereby the physical parameters associated with that modality vary with tissue type and is freely available at www.ucl.ac.uk/dot-hub.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam H Collins-Jones
- DOT-HUB, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, UK.,Biomedical Optics Research Laboratory, Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Tomoki Arichi
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, King's Health Partners, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK.,Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College of Science, Technology, and Medicine, London, UK
| | - Tanya Poppe
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, King's Health Partners, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
| | - Addison Billing
- DOT-HUB, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, UK.,Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jiaxin Xiao
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, King's Health Partners, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
| | - Lorenzo Fabrizi
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sabrina Brigadoi
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.,Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Jeremy C Hebden
- DOT-HUB, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, UK.,Biomedical Optics Research Laboratory, Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Clare E Elwell
- DOT-HUB, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Robert J Cooper
- DOT-HUB, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, UK.,Biomedical Optics Research Laboratory, Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
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38
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Huang Z, Wang Q, Zhou S, Tang C, Yi F, Nie J. Exploring functional brain activity in neonates: A resting-state fMRI study. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2020; 45:100850. [PMID: 32882651 PMCID: PMC7474406 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2020.100850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The human brain is born with a certain maturity, but quantitatively measuring the maturation and development of functional brain activity in neonates remains a topic of vigorous scientific research, especially the dynamic characteristics. To address this, T1w, T2w, and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data from 40 full-term healthy neonates and 38 adults were adopted in this study. Group differences of local brain activity and functional connectivity between neonates and adults from both static and dynamic perspectives were explored. We found that the neonatal brain is largely immature in general. Sensorimotor areas were the most active, well-connected, and temporally dynamic. Compared with adults, visual and primary auditory areas in neonates showed higher or similar local activity but lower static and dynamic connections with other brain regions. Our findings provide new references and valuable insights for time-varying and local brain functional activity in neonates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyi Huang
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, China; School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, China; School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, China
| | - Senyu Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, China; School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, China
| | - Chao Tang
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, China; School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, China
| | - Fa Yi
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, China; School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, China
| | - Jingxin Nie
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, China; School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, China.
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39
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Ciarrusta J, Dimitrova R, McAlonan G. Early maturation of the social brain: How brain development provides a platform for the acquisition of social-cognitive competence. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2020; 254:49-70. [PMID: 32859293 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2020.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Across the last century psychology has provided a lot of insight about social-cognitive competence. Recognizing facial expressions, joint attention, discrimination of cues and experiencing empathy are just a few examples of the social skills humans acquire from birth to adolescence. However, how very early brain maturation provides a platform to support the attainment of highly complex social behavior later in development remains poorly understood. Magnetic Resonance Imaging provides a safe means to investigate the typical and atypical maturation of regions of the brain responsible for social cognition in as early as the perinatal period. Here, we first review some technical challenges and advances of using functional magnetic resonance imaging on developing infants to then describe current knowledge on the development of diverse systems associated with social function. We will then explain how these characteristics might differ in infants with genetic or environmental risk factors, who are vulnerable to atypical neurodevelopment. Finally, given the rapid early development of systems necessary for social skills, we propose a new framework to investigate sensitive time windows of development when neural substrates might be more vulnerable to impairment due to a genetic or environmental insult.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judit Ciarrusta
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London, United Kingdom; Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment and Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ralica Dimitrova
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London, United Kingdom; Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment and Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Grainne McAlonan
- Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment and Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.
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Importance of body representations in social-cognitive development: New insights from infant brain science. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2020; 254:25-48. [PMID: 32859291 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2020.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
There is significant interest in the ways the human body, both one's own and that of others, is represented in the human brain. In this chapter we focus on body representations in infancy and synthesize relevant findings from both infant cognitive neuroscience and behavioral experiments. We review six experiments in infant neuroscience that have used novel EEG and MEG methods to explore infant neural body maps. We then consider results from behavioral studies of social imitation and examine what they contribute to our understanding of infant body representations at a psychological level. Finally, we interweave both neuroscience and behavioral lines of research to ground new theoretical claims about early infant social cognition. We propose, based on the evidence, that young infants can represent the bodily acts of others and their own bodily acts in commensurate terms. Infants initially recognize correspondences between self and other-they perceive that others are "like me" in terms of bodies and bodily actions. This capacity for registering and using self-other equivalence mappings has far-reaching implications for mechanisms of developmental change. Infants can learn about the affordances and powers of their own body by watching adults' actions and their causal consequences. Reciprocally, infants can enrich their understanding of other people's internal states by taking into account the way they themselves feel when they perform similar acts. The faces, bodies, and matching actions of people are imbued with unique meaning because they can be mapped to the infant's own body and behavior.
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Whitehead K, Meek J, Fabrizi L, Smith BA. Long-range temporal organisation of limb movement kinematics in human neonates. Clin Neurophysiol Pract 2020; 5:194-198. [PMID: 32984665 PMCID: PMC7493046 DOI: 10.1016/j.cnp.2020.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Movement provides crucial sensorimotor information to the developing brain, evoking somatotopic cortical EEG activity. Indeed, temporal-spatial organisation of these movements, including a diverse repertoire of accelerations and limb combinations (e.g. unilateral progressing to bilateral), predicts positive sensorimotor outcomes. However, in current clinical practice, movements in human neonates are qualitatively characterised only during brief periods (a few minutes) of wakefulness, meaning that the vast majority of sensorimotor experience remains unsampled. Here our objective was to quantitatively characterise the long-range temporal organisation of the full repertoire of newborn movements, over multi-hour recordings. METHODS We monitored motor activity across 2-4 h in 11 healthy newborn infants (median 1 day old), who wore limb sensors containing synchronised tri-axial accelerometers and gyroscopes. Movements were identified using acceleration and angular velocity, and their organisation across the recording was characterised using cluster analysis and spectral estimation. RESULTS Movement occurrence was periodic, with a 1-hour cycle. Peaks in movement occurrence were associated with higher acceleration, and a higher proportion of movements being bilateral. CONCLUSIONS Neonatal movement occurrence is cyclical, with periods consistent with sleep-wake behavioural architecture. Movement kinematics are organised by these fluctuations in movement occurrence. Recordings that exceed 1-hour are necessary to capture the long-range temporal organisation of the full repertoire of newborn limb movements. SIGNIFICANCE Future work should investigate the prognostic value of combining these movement recordings with synchronised EEG, in at-risk infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberley Whitehead
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Judith Meek
- Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing, University College London Hospitals, London WC1E 6DB, United Kingdom
| | - Lorenzo Fabrizi
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Beth A. Smith
- Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy and Department of Pediatrics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, United States
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Marshall PJ, Meltzoff AN. Body maps in the infant brain: implications for neurodevelopmental disabilities. Dev Med Child Neurol 2020; 62:778-783. [PMID: 32277484 DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.14540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
This review and synthesis discusses recent work that has utilized brain imaging methods, such as the electroencephalogram (EEG) and magnetoencephalogram, to provide insights into the ways that the body is represented in the infant brain. One aspect of body representation concerns somatotopic maps of the body surface in somatosensory cortex. A good deal is known about the properties of these maps in adults, but there has been relatively little developmental work. Recent studies have provided new insights into the organization of infant neural body maps and have laid the foundations for examining their plasticity in relation to behavioral development. Other work has suggested that neural body maps may be involved in the registration of correspondences between self and other, with implications for early social development. Here, body representations are discussed in the context of preterm birth and autism spectrum disorder, providing novel perspectives relevant to developmental medicine and child neurology. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: ●Somatotopic body maps develop prenatally through intrinsic and activity-dependent mechanisms. ●There is increasing interest in understanding postnatal plasticity in body maps. ●Body representations may be involved in the registration of preverbal, interpersonal relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Marshall
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Andrew N Meltzoff
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Whitehead K, Papadelis C, Laudiano-Dray MP, Meek J, Fabrizi L. The Emergence of Hierarchical Somatosensory Processing in Late Prematurity. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:2245-2260. [PMID: 30843584 PMCID: PMC6458926 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2017] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The somatosensory system has a hierarchical organization. Information processing increases in complexity from the contralateral primary sensory cortex to bilateral association cortices and this is represented by a sequence of somatosensory-evoked potentials recorded with scalp electroencephalographies. The mammalian somatosensory system matures over the early postnatal period in a rostro-caudal progression, but little is known about the development of hierarchical information processing in the human infant brain. To investigate the normal human development of the somatosensory hierarchy, we recorded potentials evoked by mechanical stimulation of hands and feet in 34 infants between 34 and 42 weeks corrected gestational age, with median postnatal age of 3 days. We show that the shortest latency potential was evoked for both hands and feet at all ages with a contralateral somatotopic source in the primary somatosensory cortex (SI). However, the longer latency responses, localized in SI and beyond, matured with age. They gradually emerged for the foot and, although always present for the hand, showed a shift from purely contralateral to bilateral hemispheric activation. These results demonstrate the rostro-caudal development of human somatosensory hierarchy and suggest that the development of its higher tiers is complete only just before the time of normal birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Whitehead
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, UK
| | - C Papadelis
- Laboratory of Children's Brain Dynamics, Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging and Developmental Science Center, Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - M P Laudiano-Dray
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, UK
| | - J Meek
- Neonatal Unit, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing, University College London Hospitals, London, UK
| | - L Fabrizi
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, UK
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Pados BF, Fuller K. Establishing a Foundation for Optimal Feeding Outcomes in the NICU. Nurs Womens Health 2020; 24:202-209. [PMID: 32387143 DOI: 10.1016/j.nwh.2020.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Many infants in the NICU experience difficulties with oral feeding, which contribute to prolonged length of stay. Oral feeding is a complex task involving sensorimotor functioning of the face, mouth, and larynx, as well as coordination of sucking, swallowing, and breathing. The care provided in the NICU starting at birth sets the stage for future oral feeding. The purpose of this article is to describe strategies that will establish a positive foundation to support optimal oral feeding. Nurses can use these strategies to protect newborns from noxious stimuli and promote positive auditory, tactile, gustatory, and olfactory experiences to optimize neurodevelopment for the complex task of feeding.
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Argyropoulou MI, Astrakas LG, Xydis VG, Drougia A, Mouka V, Goel I, Giapros V, Andronikou S. Is Low-Grade Intraventricular Hemorrhage in Very Preterm Infants an Innocent Condition? Structural and Functional Evaluation of the Brain Reveals Regional Neurodevelopmental Abnormalities. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2020; 41:542-547. [PMID: 32054617 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a6438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE There is increasing evidence of abnormal neurodevelopmental outcomes in very preterm infants with low-grade intraventricular hemorrhage grades I and II. Our purpose was to evaluate the effects of low-grade intraventricular hemorrhage on gray and white matter integrity. MATERIALS AND METHODS MR imaging at around term-equivalent age was performed in 16 very preterm infants (mean gestational age, 28.8 ± 5.3 weeks) with mild intraventricular hemorrhage on brain sonography and 13 control subjects (mean gestational age, 29.6 ± 4.1 weeks) without intraventricular hemorrhage. Structural and functional evaluation of the cortex was performed using regional measurements of surface area, thickness and volume, and resting-state fMRI, respectively, and of WM microstructural integrity, applying Tract-Based Spatial Statistics to diffusion tensor imaging data. RESULTS Compared with the control infants, the infants with low-grade intraventricular hemorrhage had decreases in the following: 1) GM surface area in Brodmann areas 19 left and 9 and 45 right, and GM volume in Brodmann areas 9 and 10 right; 2) fractional anisotropy bilaterally in major WM tracts; and 3) brain activity in the left lower lateral and in the right higher medial somatosensory cortex. CONCLUSIONS Very premature infants with low-grade intraventricular hemorrhage at around term-equivalent age may present with regional abnormalities, appearing on imaging studies as cortical underdevelopment, functional impairment, and microstructural immaturity of major WM tracts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - V G Xydis
- From the Departments of Radiology (M.I.A., V.G.X., V.M., I.G.)
| | - A Drougia
- Neonatology Unit (A.D., V.G., S.A.), Faculty of Medicine, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - V Mouka
- From the Departments of Radiology (M.I.A., V.G.X., V.M., I.G.)
| | - I Goel
- From the Departments of Radiology (M.I.A., V.G.X., V.M., I.G.)
| | - V Giapros
- Neonatology Unit (A.D., V.G., S.A.), Faculty of Medicine, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - S Andronikou
- Neonatology Unit (A.D., V.G., S.A.), Faculty of Medicine, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
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Abstract
Topographic sensory maps are a prominent feature of the adult primate brain. Here, we asked whether topographic representations of the body are present at birth. Using functional MRI (fMRI), we find that the newborn somatomotor system, spanning frontoparietal cortex and subcortex, comprises multiple topographic representations of the body. The organization of these large-scale body maps was indistinguishable from those in older monkeys. Finer-scale differentiation of individual fingers increased over the first 2 y, suggesting that topographic representations are refined during early development. Last, we found that somatomotor representations were unchanged in 2 visually impaired monkeys who relied on touch for interacting with their environment, demonstrating that massive shifts in early sensory experience in an otherwise anatomically intact brain are insufficient for driving cross-modal plasticity. We propose that a topographic scaffolding is present at birth that both directs and constrains experience-driven modifications throughout somatosensory and motor systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Arcaro
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104;
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Peter F Schade
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
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Correia AI, Branco P, Martins M, Reis AM, Martins N, Castro SL, Lima CF. Resting-state connectivity reveals a role for sensorimotor systems in vocal emotional processing in children. Neuroimage 2019; 201:116052. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Revised: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Mowbray R, Gottwald JM, Zhao M, Atkinson AP, Cowie D. The development of visually guided stepping. Exp Brain Res 2019; 237:2875-2883. [PMID: 31471678 PMCID: PMC6794234 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-019-05629-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Adults use vision during stepping and walking to fine-tune foot placement. However, the developmental profile of visually guided stepping is unclear. We asked (1) whether children use online vision to fine-tune precise steps and (2) whether precision stepping develops as part of broader visuomotor development, alongside other fundamental motor skills like reaching. With 6-(N = 11), 7-(N = 11), 8-(N = 11)-year-olds and adults (N = 15), we manipulated visual input during steps and reaches. Using motion capture, we measured step and reach error, and postural stability. We expected (1) both steps and reaches would be visually guided (2) with similar developmental profiles (3) foot placement biases that promote stability, and (4) correlations between postural stability and step error. Children used vision to fine-tune both steps and reaches. At all ages, foot placement was biased (albeit not in the predicted directions). Contrary to our predictions, step error was not correlated with postural stability. By 8 years, children’s step and reach error were adult-like. Despite similar visual control mechanisms, stepping and reaching had different developmental profiles: step error reduced with age whilst reach error was lower and stable with age. We argue that the development of both visually guided and non-visually guided action is limb-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Mowbray
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK.
| | - Janna M Gottwald
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK.,Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Box 1225, 75121, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Manfei Zhao
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Anthony P Atkinson
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Dorothy Cowie
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
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Naser Moghadasi A. When an octopus has MS: Application of neurophysiology and immunology of octopuses for multiple sclerosis. Med Hypotheses 2019; 131:109297. [PMID: 31443774 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2019.109297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Revised: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated disease which can cause different symptoms due to the involvement of different regions of the central nervous system (CNS). Although this disease is characterized by the demyelination process, the most important feature of the disease is its degenerative nature. This nature is clinically manifested as progressive symptoms, especially in patients' walking, which can even lead to complete debilitation. Therefore, finding a treatment to prevent the degenerative processes is one of the most important goals in MS studies. To better understand the process and the effect of drugs, scientists use animal models which mostly consisting of mouse, rat, and monkey. In evolutionary terms, octopuses belong to the invertebrates which have many substantial differences with vertebrates. One of these differences is related to the nervous system of these organisms, which is divided into central and peripheral parts. The difference lies in the fact that the main volume of this system expands in the limbs of these organisms instead of their brain. This offers a kind of freedom of action and processing strength in the octopus limbs. Also, the brain of these organisms follows a non-somatotopic model. Although the complex actions of this organism are stimulated by the brain, in contrast to the human brain, this activity is not related to a specific region of the brain; rather the entire brain area of the octopus is activated during a process. Indeed, the brain mapping or the topological perception of a particular action, such as moving the limbs, reflects itself in how that activity is distributed in the octopus brain neurons. Accordingly, various actions are known with varying degrees of activity of neurons in the brain of octopus. Another important feature of octopuses is their ability to regenerate defective tissues including the central and peripheral nervous system. These characteristics raise the question of what features can an octopus show when it is used as an organism to create experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Can the immune system damage of the octopus brain cause a regeneration process? Will the autonomy of the organs reduce the severity of the symptoms? This article seeks to provide evidence to prove that use of octopuses as laboratory samples for generation of EAE may open up new approaches for researchers to better approach MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdorreza Naser Moghadasi
- Multiple Sclerosis Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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