Neural Markers of Developmental Delays in Premature and Full Term Infants

Project Summary/Abstract Premature infants are vulnerable to long-term social, cognitive, and behavioral difficulties. However, not all premature infants go on to have developmental delays. Moderate to late preterm infants (born after 32 weeks) represent a missed clinical population as they do not automatically qualify for federally provided health screening and intervention programs. Therefore, the investigation into the neural mechanisms underlying heterogeneities in behavioral development is a promising approach to improve our ability to identify infants in need of additional services and inform treatment responses. This is also an important public health mission and a NICHD funding priority. The proposed K99 study will chart brain development using electroencephalography (EEG) during well-baby visits (4, 9, and 12 months) at a primary care clinic and a follow-up lab visit (24 months). Participants (N = 720 target recruitment) will be drawn from an ongoing R01 (PI Nelson: 5R01NS120986) study that examines if EEG is feasible in the context of a primary care facility and aids in the early identification of children who go on to receive an autism diagnosis. To this end, I will assess the longitudinal trajectories of brain development in preterm and full term infants across the first two years of life (aim 1). Next, I will determine the link between brain development and development delays (aim 2). Finally, in the R00 phase, I will recruit and longitudinally follow a new sample of preterm (1 month chronological, 1 month corrected, 4 months chronological, and 4 months corrected) and full term infants (1 month chronological and 4 months chronological). Using a multimethod neuroimaging approach (simultaneous functional Near- Infrared Spectroscopy and EEG) I will explore when disruptions in cerebral blood flow responses and brain activity first emerge and their associations with developmental delay. Overall, understanding neurodevelopmental processes before and when delays first emerge provides a tractable approach to improving psychological outcomes and well-being across the lifespan. The training and experience gained during the award period will support my transition to becoming an independent investigator and will contribute to my long-term research goals of investigating infant brain mechanisms underlying heterogeneities in social and cognitive development.