Quantifying brain development in the HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study: The magnetic resonance imaging...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Early life brain development is crucial but challenging to study with MRI.
• Existing neuroimaging methods face technical hurdles in pediatric populations.
• A standardized protocol is needed for multi-site studies on early neurodevelopment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a core, harmonized Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) acquisition protocol for the HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study.
• To enable consistent measurement of brain structure, function, microstructure, and metabolites across all HBCD sites.
• To overcome technical challenges in pediatric neuroimaging for early life development research.

Main Methods:

• Developed a harmonized MRI protocol for 27 HBCD study sites.
• Matched acquisition parameters across different MRI scanner platforms.
• Employed state-of-the-art, motion-robust imaging technologies for faster acquisition.
• Focused on age-appropriate protocols and specialized pediatric neuroimaging strategies.

Main Results:

• Established a core MRI acquisition protocol for multi-site, longitudinal study of early neurodevelopment.
• Preliminary data indicates feasibility and robustness of the harmonized protocol.
• The protocol facilitates measurement of multimodal brain data from birth through early childhood.

Conclusions:

• The HBCD MRI protocol provides a standardized, innovative approach to studying early brain development.
• This resource will enable assessment of normative neurodevelopmental trajectories.
• It will support research into genetic, biological, and environmental influences on the developing brain.