Cot-side functional imaging in neonates for early neurodevelopment monitoring using functional ultrasound (fUS) connectivity imaging and the combination of fUS with diffuse optical tomography (fUS-DOT): A feasibility study

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Levi

The newborn infant, especially those born preterm, faces brain injury that can lead to long-term neurodevelopmental sequelae. Structural imaging often correlates weakly with later individual trajectories, motivating earlier assessment of brain integrity via functional connectivity neuroimaging. Existing tools are limited in neonatal clinical settings due to portability and access constraints. This proof-of-concept demonstrates functional ultrasound for portable, sensitive, deep spatiotemporal monitoring, and a multimodal fUS with high-density diffuse optical tomography system.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

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A R T I C L E I N F O

A B S T R A C T

Introduction

Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience 77 (2026) 101652 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience journal [homepage:](homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/dcn)[ www.elsevier.com/locate/dcn](homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/dcn) | Cot-side functional imaging in neonates for early neurodevelopment monitoring using functional ultrasound (fUS) connectivity imaging and the combination of fUS with diffuse optical tomography (fUS-DOT): A feasibility study
Flora Faurea, Julie Uchitel b, Sara De Crescenzo c,d, Andrea Edwards c, Je´roˆme Baranger b, Kelly Pammenter c, Katharine Lee e, Samuel Powell a,f, Greg Smith f, Olivier Baud g, Robert Coopera, Lauren Saadeh, Alice Fre´roth, Vale´rie Biran h,i, Topun Austin c, Charlie Demene´ b,j,*
a University College of London, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering / DOT-HUB lab, London, United Kingdom b Institute Physics for Medicine, Inserm U1273, ESPCI Paris, PSL University, CNRS UMR, Paris 8063, France
c Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Rosie Hospital / NeoLAB, Cambridge, United Kingdom
d Scuola di Specializzazione in Pediatria, Alma Mater Studiorum, Universit`a di Bologna, Italy e University of Cambridge, Department of Paediatrics, Cambridge, United Kingdom f Gowerlabs Ltd., London, United Kingdom
g FHU Prem’IMPACT, AP-HP, Paris, Department of Neonatology, Cochin Port Royal University Hospital, AP-HP, Paris, France h Assistance Publique-Hˆopitaux de Paris, Neonatal intensive care unit, Robert Debr´e children’s hospital, Paris, France
i I2D2, INSERM U1141, University Paris Cite Paris, France
j University of Cambridge, Department of Paediatrics, Royal Society Wolfson Visiting Fellow, Cambridge, United Kingdom | | | | --- | --- | --- | | A R T I C L E I N F O | | A B S T R A C T | | Keywords:
Functional ultrasound
Functional connectivity Neurodevelopment Neonatal brain monitoring Diffuse optical tomography Near infrared spectroscopy Prematurity | | The newborn infant, particularly those born preterm, is vulnerable to brain injury resulting in lifelong neurodevelopmental sequalae. Conventional structural brain imaging correlates poorly with later individual neurodevelopmental trajectories. Therefore, assessing brain integrity with functional (particularly functional connectivity (FC)) neuroimaging, would be beneficial, as studies showed correlation between early FC assessment and later neurodevelopmental outcomes. However, these tools are absent of neonatal clinical settings, probably either due to lack of portability or restricted access to the deep structures. In this proof of concept (poc) work, we show that functional ultrasound imaging (fUS) has key characteristics for this challenge: including portability, sensitivity and spatiotemporal resolution. fUS can monitor fine grain brain activity in deep cerebral nuclei, detect changes in FC dynamics at different developmental stages, with capabilities for 3D imaging. Furthermore, we present a multimodal poc combining fUS with high-density diffuse optical tomography (HDDOT). The results demonstrate correlation between fUS and HD-DOT signals in spatially overlapping areas of the brain. The complementary fields of view offUS (in depth) and HD-DOT (shallow cortex) could enable for the first time cot-side whole brain assessment of FC. In the future, a system combining fUS and HD-DOT could be developed as a clinical tool to monitor the developing brain in high-risk infants. | 1. Introduction Preterm birth is the largest cause of death in children under 5 years of age globally (Ohuma et al., 2023), with 10–20 % of these deaths related to cerebral pathologies (Lawn et al., 2005). Preterm birth can be associated with haemorrhagic and ischaemic injury impairing brain development and resulting in lifelong neurodisability, affecting 1 million newborns in Europe each year (France´s et al., 2022). Neurodevelopmental disorders can manifest as moto

FAQs

Why is early functional connectivity assessment important for preterm newborns?

Preterm infants are vulnerable to brain injury, and conventional structural imaging correlates poorly with later neurodevelopmental outcomes. Early functional connectivity assessment can better reflect later trajectories.

What advantages does functional ultrasound provide for bedside neonatal monitoring?

Functional ultrasound offers portability, sensitivity, and high spatiotemporal resolution. It can monitor deep brain activity, detect changes in functional connectivity dynamics across developmental stages, and enable 3D imaging.

How does combining fUS with diffuse optical tomography support whole-brain connectivity assessment?

The multimodal proof-of-concept shows correlated signals between fUS and high-density diffuse optical tomography in overlapping regions. Complementary fields of view from depth (fUS) and shallow cortex (HD-DOT) could enable bedside whole-brain functional connectivity assessment.

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Levi