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Scanning Dos and Don'ts: Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Awake Children Aged 3 to 5 Years to Assess Brain Structure and Function
Published on: March 10, 2026
fMRI during natural sleep as a method to study brain function during early childhood
Elizabeth Redcay1, Daniel P Kennedy, Eric Courchesne
1Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. eredcay@ucsd.edu
Neuroimage
|October 2, 2007
Summary
Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during sleep, researchers studied brain responses in young children. Findings show distinct auditory processing and functional connectivity in the developing brain.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Brain Imaging
Background:
- Studying early brain development is crucial for understanding cognitive and behavioral trajectories.
- Existing methods often lack the whole-brain spatial resolution necessary for detailed analysis.
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) offers high spatial resolution but is challenging to implement in young children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate functional brain organization in typically developing 2-4-year-old children using fMRI during natural sleep.
- To examine stimulus-evoked brain responses to auditory and visual stimuli.
- To explore stimulus-independent functional brain networks in early childhood.
Main Methods:
- fMRI data were collected from children aged 2-4 years during natural sleep.
- Auditory stimuli (tones, vocal, nonvocal sounds) and visual stimuli (flashing lights) were presented.
- Analyses included stimulus-evoked responses and functional connectivity MRI (fcMRI) to identify brain networks.
Main Results:
- fMRI revealed significant activation in the superior temporal gyri/sulci (STG/S) and cerebellum for auditory stimuli compared to rest.
- Differential responses were observed within the auditory modality, with nonvocal sounds and tones eliciting stronger responses than vocal sounds.
- Visual stimuli activated the occipital cortex.
- fcMRI demonstrated functional connectivity between STG/S and prefrontal regions, as well as between occipital regions and parietal cortex.
Conclusions:
- Sleep fMRI is a viable method for assessing functional brain organization in young children.
- The 2-4-year-old brain exhibits modality-specific responses to sensory input.
- Developing auditory regions show significant functional connectivity with higher-order brain areas during sleep.
