SBIR-STTR Award

While it is well known that the brain undergoes rapid developmental changes from birth to early childhood, remarkably little is understood about the relationship between changes in brain size and composition and normal cognitive development. Yet we now know that several potentially debilitating disorders, among them the Autism Spectral Disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Schizophrenia, are a consequence of delays or abnormalities in brain development. In children, the study of normal cognitive and brain development is best accomplished using non-invasive techniques that are not overly restrictive of movement and do not require ionizing radiation. Of available techniques, electroencephalography (EEG), particularly with the advent of high density sensor arrays, provides the ability to assess cognitive function safely and non-invasively. However, to provide functional localization of cognitively important brain regions and networks requires an accurate model of head tissue geometry and conductivity, particularly in the first years of life, when skull and brain change rapidly in composition and size. This Phase I project will create age-group head models based on measured conductivity values of skull and brain for five age groups to determine when changes in head shape, size and composition significantly impact the ability to accurately localize seizure activity. By introducing advanced computational resources for creating patient-specific head models, we will allow to optimize the use of non-invasive dense-array EEG to elucidate the developmental trajectory of neural networks underlying cognition in normal children.

Public Health Relevance:
The product innovation proposed in this project will create age-group pediatric head models for neuroimaging . By introducing advanced computational resources for creating age-specific child head models, this technology will provide clinicians and researchers with a tool for optimal use of non-invasive high density EEG in localizing seizure activities and elucidating the developmental trajectory of neural networks underlying cognition in normal children.

Thesaurus Terms:
0-11 Years Old; 2 Year Old; 21+ Years Old; 4 Year Old; 6 Year Old; Ad/Hd; Adhd; Address; Adult; Age; Age Group Unspecified; Arts; Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; Attention-Deficit Disorder, Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type; Autism; Autism, Early Infantile; Autism, Infantile; Autistic Disorder; Binding; Binding (Molecular Function); Biological Neural Networks; Birth; Body Tissues; Bone Structure Of Cranium; Brain; Brain Imaging; Brain Region; Cat Scan, X-Ray; Cat Scan; Ct X Ray; Ct Scan; Cerebrospinal Fluid; Child; Child Youth; Childhood; Children (0-21); Clinical; Clinical Research; Clinical Study; Cognition; Cognition Disorders; Cognitive; Computed Tomography; Computer Architectures; Computer Programs; Computer Software; Computerized Axial Tomography (Computerized Tomography); Computerized Tomography, X-Ray; Cranium; Data Set; Dataset; Dependence; Development; Disease; Disorder; Eeg; Emi Scan; Electrical Impedance; Electroencephalography; Electromagnetic Radiation, Ionizing; Encephalon; Encephalons; Functional Imaging; Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Goals; Gray; Gray Unit Of Radiation Dose; Head; Human, Adult; Human, Child; Hyperactivity Disorder Nos; Hyperactivity Disorder, Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type; Hyperkinetic Syndrome; Image; Image Reconstructions; Imaging Device; Imaging Procedures; Imaging Techniques; Imaging Tool; Impedance; Institutes; Investigators; Ionizing Radiation; Kanner's Syndrome; Knowledge; Life; Mr Imaging; Mr Tomography; Mri; Mri, Functional; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scan; Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Functional; Magnetoencephalography; Manufacturer; Manufacturer Name; Measurement; Measures; Medical Imaging; Medical Imaging, Magnetic Resonance / Nuclear Magnetic Resonance; Methods; Methods And Techniques; Methods, Other; Modeling; Molecular Interaction; Morphology; Movement; Nmr Imaging; Nmr Tomography; Nervous System, Brain; Neurobiology; Neurologic; Neurological; Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Parturition; Patients; Phase; Physiologic Imaging; Population; Radiation-Ionizing Total; Radiology; Radiology Specialty; Radiology, General; Relative; Relative (Related Person); Research Personnel; Researchers; Resolution; Scalp; Scalp Structure; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenic Disorders; Seizures; Shapes; Simulate; Skull; Software; Solutions; Source; Technics, Imaging; Techniques; Technology; Testing; Tissues; Tomodensitometry; Tomography, Xray Computed; Uncertainty; Universities; Variant; Variation; Washington; Work; X-Ray Computed Tomography; Zeugmatography; Adult Human (21+); Age Group; Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder; Base; Body Movement; Brain Morphology; Brain Size; Brain Visualization; Catscan; Children; Cognitive Control; Cognitive Disease; Cognitive Disorder; Cognitive Function; Computed Axial Tomography; Computer Program/Software; Computerized Axial Tomography; Computerized Tomography; Computing Resources; Cranium; Dementia Praecox; Density; Diffuse Optical Tomography; Disease/Disorder; Doubt; Early Childhood; Electric Impedance; Fmri; Four Year Old; Imaging; Improved; Innovate; Innovation; Innovative; Member; Network Architecture; Neural Network; Neurobiological; Neuroimaging; Optic Imaging; Optical Imaging; Pediatric; Phase 1 Study; Public Health Relevance; Schizophrenic; Sensor; Six Year Old; Spinal Fluid; Substantia Alba; Tomography; Tool; Two Year Old; White Matter; Youngster

While it is well known that the brain undergoes rapid developmental changes from birth to early childhood, remarkably little is understood about the relationship between changes in brain size and composition and normal cognitive development. Yet we now know that several potentially debilitating disorders, among them the Autism Spectral Disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Schizophrenia, are a consequence of delays or abnormalities in brain development. In children, the study of normal cognitive and brain development is best accomplished using non-invasive techniques that are not overly restrictive of movement and do not require ionizing radiation. Of available techniques, electroencephalography (EEG), particularly with the advent of high density sensor arrays, provides the ability to assess cognitive function safely and non-invasively. However, to provide functional localization of cognitively important brain regions and networks requires an accurate model of head tissue geometry and conductivity, particularly in the first years of life, when skull and brain change rapidly in composition and size. This Phase I project will create age-group head models based on measured conductivity values of skull and brain for five age groups to determine when changes in head shape, size and composition significantly impact the ability to accurately localize seizure activity. By introducing advanced computational resources for creating patient-specific head models, we will allow to optimize the use of non-invasive dense-array EEG to elucidate the developmental trajectory of neural networks underlying cognition in normal children.

Public Health Relevance:
The product innovation proposed in this project will create age-group pediatric head models for neuroimaging . By introducing advanced computational resources for creating age-specific child head models, this technology will provide clinicians and researchers with a tool for optimal use of non-invasive high density EEG in localizing seizure activities and elucidating the developmental trajectory of neural networks underlying cognition in normal children.

Thesaurus Terms:
0-11 Years Old;2 Year Old;21+ Years Old;4 Year Old;Ad/Hd;Adhd;Address;Adult;Age;Age Group Unspecified;Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder;Attention-Deficit Disorder, Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type;Autism;Autism, Early Infantile;Autism, Infantile;Autistic Disorder;Biological Neural Networks;Birth;Body Tissues;Bone Structure Of Cranium;Brain;Brain Imaging;Brain Region;Cat Scan, X-Ray;Cat Scan;Ct X Ray;Ct Scan;Cerebrospinal Fluid;Child;Child Youth;Childhood;Children (0-21);Clinical;Clinical Research;Clinical Study;Cognition;Cognition Disorders;Cognitive;Computed Tomography;Computer Architectures;Computer Programs;Computer Software;Computerized Axial Tomography (Computerized Tomography);Computerized Tomography, X-Ray;Cranium;Data Set;Dataset;Dependence;Development;Disease;Disorder;Eeg;Emi Scan;Electrical Impedance;Electroencephalography;Electromagnetic Radiation, Ionizing;Encephalon;Encephalons;Functional Imaging;Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging;Goals;Head;Human, Adult;Human, Child;Hyperactivity Disorder Nos;Hyperactivity Disorder, Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type;Hyperkinetic Syndrome;Image;Image Reconstructions;Imaging Device;Imaging Procedures;Imaging Techniques;Imaging Tool;Impedance;Institutes;Investigators;Ionizing Radiation;Kanner's Syndrome;Knowledge;Life;Mr Imaging;Mr Tomography;Mri;Mri, Functional;Magnetic Resonance Imaging;Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scan;Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Functional;Magnetoencephalography;Manufacturer;Manufacturer Name;Measurement;Measures;Medical Imaging;Medical Imaging, Magnetic Resonance / Nuclear Magnetic Resonance;Methods;Methods And Techniques;Methods, Other;Modeling;Morphology;Movement;Nmr Imaging;Nmr Tomography;Nervous System, Brain;Neurobiology;Neurologic;Neurological;Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging;Parturition;Patients;Phase;Physiologic Imaging;Population;Radiation-Ionizing Total;Radiology;Radiology Specialty;Radiology, General;Relative;Relative (Related Person);Research Personnel;Researchers;Resolution;Scalp;Scalp Structure;Schizophrenia;Schizophrenic Disorders;Seizures;Shapes;Simulate;Skull;Software;Solutions;Source;Technics, Imaging;Techniques;Technology;Testing;Tissues;Tomodensitometry;Tomography, Xray Computed;Uncertainty;Universities;Variant;Variation;Washington;Work;X-Ray Computed Tomography;Zeugmatography;Adult Human (21+);Age Group;Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder;Base;Body Movement;Brain Morphology;Brain Size;Brain Tissue;Brain Visualization;Catscan;Children;Cognitive Control;Cognitive Disease;Cognitive Disorder;Cognitive Function;Computed Axial Tomography;Computer Program /Software;Computer Program/Software;Computerized Axial Tomography;Computerized Tomography;Computing Resources;Cranium;Dementia Praecox;Density;Diffuse Optical Tomography;Disease /Disorder;Disease/Disorder;Doubt;Early Childhood;Electric Impedance;Fmri;Four Year Old;Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging;Gray Matter;Imaging;Improved;Innovate;Innovation;Innovative;Member;Model;Network Architecture;Neural Network;Neurobiological;Neuroimaging;Optic Imaging;Optical Imaging;Pediatric;Phase 1 Study;Public Health Relevance;Schizophrenic;Sensor;Spinal Fluid;Substantia Alba;Substantia Grisea;Tomography;Tool;Two Year Old;University;White Matter;Youngster