Sonal Thaker BS, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

P. Ellen Grant MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Kara Arvin MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Heather Bortfeld PHD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Tina Chaves BS, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

George Themelis PHD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Pamela Almeida, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Eric Wruck PHD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Kalpathy S Krishnamoorthy MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Maria Angela Franceschini PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

et al, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Consistent developmental patterns are seen on FDG-PET, with regional increases in glucose metabolism and cerebral blood flow noted in areas undergoing active synaptogenesis. This information would be useful in assessing brain development in normal and injured neonates but PET is often not ethically justified. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) enables continuous, safe, and noninvasive monitoring of cerebral blood volume (HbT) and oxygen saturation (StO2). With synaptogenesis, there is also an increase in capillary blood volume and therefore we hypothesized that NIRS could be used to assess early brain development.

Thirty-eight term neonates were studied between 1 and 50 weeks of life. A frequency domain NIRS instrument (Imagent, ISS Inc.) with 8 laser sources at 8 wavelengths and 4 photomultiplier tube detectors was used. Eight seconds of measurements of HbT and StO2 were performed in 8 regions on the infant head.

HbT in the first 2 weeks of age was about 40-50 μM in all 8 locations. After 8 weeks, HbT in the occipital region pleateaued at 65-70 μM. HbT in the frontal areas pleateaued at 60-65 μM at 20 weeks. In the left and right sensory-motor regions, HbT increased linearly up to 40 weeks of age. StO2 varied between 60-70% in infants without a specific pattern for age or location.

Regional increases in HbT occurred over age. Regional timing of the HbT increases and plateaus were similar to results of PET. The lack of significant change in regional StO2 suggests that in healthy infants, the capillary development keeps pace with increasing oxygen demand. NIRS has potential as a noninvasive tool for assessing early brain development. This research is supported by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) Grant No. RO1-HD42908.

H.B.,E.W.: Dr. Bortfeld and Dr. Wruck are employees of the Psychology Department at Texas A&M University.P.E.G.: Dr. Ellen Grant is an employee of the department of pediatric radiology at MGH.K.S.K.: Dr. Kalpathy Krishnamoorthy is an employee of the department of pediatric neurology at MGH.K.A.: Dr. Kara Arvin is an employee of the Department of Pediatrics at MGH.P.A.: Ms. Pamela Almeida was a nurse practioner in the department of pediatrics at MGH. Now, she is relocated to Kapi'olani Medical Center, HonoluluS.T.,T.C.,M.F.,G.T.: Ms. Thaker, Ms. Chaves, Dr. Themelis, and Dr. Franceschini are employees of the Athinoula A. Martinos Center at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Thaker, S, Grant, P, Arvin, K, Bortfeld, H, Chaves, T, Themelis, G, Almeida, P, Wruck, E, Krishnamoorthy, K, Franceschini, M, et al, , Cerebral Measurements of Hemoglobin Concentration and Oxygenation with Near-infrared Spectroscopy in Neonates.  Radiological Society of North America 2005 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 27 - December 2, 2005 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2005/4412370.html