An fMRI compatible smart device for measuring palmar grasping actions in newborns
Journal article, 2020
Grasping is one of the first dominant motor behaviors that enable interaction of a newborn infant with its surroundings. Although atypical grasping patterns are considered predictive of neuromotor disorders and injuries, their clinical assessment suffers from examiner subjectivity, and the neuropathophysiology is poorly understood. Therefore, the combination of technology with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) may help to precisely map the brain activity associated with grasping and thus provide important insights into how functional outcomes can be improved following cerebral injury. This work introduces an MR-compatible device (i.e., smart graspable device (SGD)) for detecting grasping actions in newborn infants. Electromagnetic interference immunity (EMI) is achieved using a fiber Bragg grating sensor. Its biocompatibility and absence of electrical signals propagating through the fiber make the safety profile of the SGD particularly favorable for use with fragile infants. Firstly, the SGD design, fabrication, and metrological characterization are described, followed by preliminary assessments on a preterm newborn infant and an adult during an fMRI experiment. The results demonstrate that the combination of the SGD and fMRI can safely and precisely identify the brain activity associated with grasping behavior, which may enable early diagnosis of motor impairment and help guide tailored rehabilitation programs.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
Grasping actions detection
Motor assessment
Fiber Bragg grating sensors (FBGs)
MR-compatible measuring systems
Author
Daniela Lo Presti
Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma
Sofia Dall'orso
King's College London
Chalmers, Electrical Engineering, Signal Processing and Biomedical Engineering
Silvia Muceli
King's College London
Chalmers, Electrical Engineering, Signal Processing and Biomedical Engineering
Tomoki Arichi
Evelina London Children's Healthcare
King's College London
Sara Neumane
Neurodevelopmental and Neurovascular Disorders
University Paris-Saclay
King's College London
Anna Lukens
Evelina London Children's Healthcare
Riccardo Sabbadini
Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma
Carlo Massaroni
Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma
Michele Arturo Caponero
ENEA
Domenico Formica
Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma
E. Burdet
Imperial College London
Emiliano Schena
Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma
Sensors
1424-8220 (ISSN) 1424-3210 (eISSN)
Vol. 20 21 1-16 6040Subject Categories
Pediatrics
Other Medical Engineering
Neurosciences
DOI
10.3390/s20216040
PubMed
33114180