Fast Optical Tomography On Neonates (FOTON)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Development of three-dimensional fast optical tomography to study the brain of healthy infants and newborn infants at high risk of brain injury
IRAS ID
128234
Contact name
Topun Austin
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Research summary
The newborn brain is sensitive to injury with brain injury in the newborn being a major cause of death and serious lifelong disability. From 24 weeks gestation, the brain undergoes rapid growth with brain function evolving through the organisation of neuronal pathways. Insults to the brain during this period can disrupt brain development.
Structural brain imaging provides information on brain development and injury, however significant cognitive and neurobehavioural problems can be apparent in some children who do not have structural brain lesions. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can provide detailed structural and functional information about the neonatal brain. The complex procedure of transferring a newborn with a brain injury to the MRI environment is both time consuming and with significant risk. To be able to assess the functional integrity of the brain at the cot-side would provide a major advance in the brain-orientated care of critically ill neonates.
Diffuse optical imaging (DOI) exploits the relative transparency of biological tissue to near-infrared light (700-1000nm), and the wavelength dependent absorption characteristics of haemoglobin. By monitoring the intensity of light passing through brain tissue at two or more wavelengths, observed changes in attenuation can be converted into changes in the cerebral concentrations of oxy- and deoxyhaemoglobin, a method of monitoring cerebral haemodynamics and oxygenation.
Using an array of 32 light sources and detectors arranged over the infant scalp, 3D optical images can be generated that represent the absolute absorbing and scattering properties of the infant brain. The first 3D optical tomography system was developed at UCL and 3D images were constructed that identified intraventricular haemorrhage and changes in blood volume and oxygenation induced by small changes to ventilator settings. The FOTON study will use a new smaller and faster 3D optical tomography system in order to study functional brain function in newborn infants.
REC name
East of England - Cambridge Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/EE/0064
Date of REC Opinion
21 Mar 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion