A multimodal neuroimaging investigation of changes in neural circuitry during early interventions for neurodevelopmental disorders

Abstract

The objective of the proposed fellowship project is to design and implement longitudinal multimodal neuroimaging methods for investigating changes in neural circuitry in infants and young children that are associated with early interventions for neurodevelopmental disorders (NDs). Brain activity will be assessed using two neuroimaging techniques, electroencephalography (EEG) and functional near infra-red spectroscopy (fNIRS), to measure brain circuits on complementary spatiotemporal scales. Neuroimaging data will be collected in a prospective longitudinal design with assessments conducted pre- and post- early interventions. These methods will be employed across three randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of early interventions for different neurodevelopmental problems (autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and infants of adolescent mothers living in poverty). Across all three interventions, graph-theoretical and longitudinal statistical analysis methods will be used to compute and analyse pre- vs. post-intervention changes in neural circuitry of the participating infants and young children and assess how those changes relate to improvements in children's cognition, behaviour and symptoms of NDs. The results of this project will yield novel information about the neurobiological effects of currently available early interventions for a range of neurodevelopmental problems, which could be used to promote the use of specific interventions and in supporting public policies for early intervention use in vulnerable populations.