Optimizing infant neuroimaging methods to understand the neurodevelopmental impacts of early nutrition and feeding
There is strong evidence proper nutrition is imperative for healthy infant neurodevelopment, providing the neural foundations for later cognition and behavior. Over the first years of life infants are supported by unique sources of nutrition (e.g., human milk, alternative milk sources). It is during...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878929324001427 |
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| author | Claudia A. Carreno Megan E. Evans Blakely K. Lockhart Oziomachukwu Chinaka Benjamin Katz Martha Ann Bell Brittany R. Howell |
| author_facet | Claudia A. Carreno Megan E. Evans Blakely K. Lockhart Oziomachukwu Chinaka Benjamin Katz Martha Ann Bell Brittany R. Howell |
| author_sort | Claudia A. Carreno |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | There is strong evidence proper nutrition is imperative for healthy infant neurodevelopment, providing the neural foundations for later cognition and behavior. Over the first years of life infants are supported by unique sources of nutrition (e.g., human milk, alternative milk sources). It is during this time that the brain undergoes its most drastic changes during postnatal development. Past research has examined associations between infant feeding and nutrition and morphological features of the brain, yet there remains a paucity of information on functional characteristics of neural activity during feeding. Within this article, we discuss how neuroimaging modalities can be optimized for researching the impacts of infant feeding and nutrition on brain function. We review past research utilizing EEG and fNIRS and describe our efforts to further develop neuroimaging approaches that allow for measurement of brain activity during active feeding with greater spatial resolution (e.g., fMRI and OPM-MEG). We also discuss current challenges, as well as the scientific and logistical limitations of each method. Once protocols have been optimized, these methods will provide the requisite insight into the underlying mechanisms of nutritional and feeding impacts on neurodevelopment, providing the missing piece in the field’s efforts to understand this essential and ubiquitous part of early life. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-73b5cda8667f4d48b97bf048666d09f9 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1878-9293 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj-art-73b5cda8667f4d48b97bf048666d09f92025-01-22T05:41:16ZengElsevierDevelopmental Cognitive Neuroscience1878-92932025-01-0171101481Optimizing infant neuroimaging methods to understand the neurodevelopmental impacts of early nutrition and feedingClaudia A. Carreno0Megan E. Evans1Blakely K. Lockhart2Oziomachukwu Chinaka3Benjamin Katz4Martha Ann Bell5Brittany R. Howell6Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, USA; Department of Human Development and Family Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USAFralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, USA; Translational Biology, Medicine, & Health Graduate Program, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, USAFralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, USA; Translational Biology, Medicine, & Health Graduate Program, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, USAFralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, USA; Translational Biology, Medicine, & Health Graduate Program, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, USADepartment of Human Development and Family Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USADepartment of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USAFralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, USA; Department of Human Development and Family Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA; Correspondence to: Virginia Tech, 2 Riverside Circle, Roanoke, VA 24016, USA.There is strong evidence proper nutrition is imperative for healthy infant neurodevelopment, providing the neural foundations for later cognition and behavior. Over the first years of life infants are supported by unique sources of nutrition (e.g., human milk, alternative milk sources). It is during this time that the brain undergoes its most drastic changes during postnatal development. Past research has examined associations between infant feeding and nutrition and morphological features of the brain, yet there remains a paucity of information on functional characteristics of neural activity during feeding. Within this article, we discuss how neuroimaging modalities can be optimized for researching the impacts of infant feeding and nutrition on brain function. We review past research utilizing EEG and fNIRS and describe our efforts to further develop neuroimaging approaches that allow for measurement of brain activity during active feeding with greater spatial resolution (e.g., fMRI and OPM-MEG). We also discuss current challenges, as well as the scientific and logistical limitations of each method. Once protocols have been optimized, these methods will provide the requisite insight into the underlying mechanisms of nutritional and feeding impacts on neurodevelopment, providing the missing piece in the field’s efforts to understand this essential and ubiquitous part of early life.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878929324001427EEGFNIRSFMRIOPM-MEGInfant NeuroimagingInfant Feeding |
| spellingShingle | Claudia A. Carreno Megan E. Evans Blakely K. Lockhart Oziomachukwu Chinaka Benjamin Katz Martha Ann Bell Brittany R. Howell Optimizing infant neuroimaging methods to understand the neurodevelopmental impacts of early nutrition and feeding Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience EEG FNIRS FMRI OPM-MEG Infant Neuroimaging Infant Feeding |
| title | Optimizing infant neuroimaging methods to understand the neurodevelopmental impacts of early nutrition and feeding |
| title_full | Optimizing infant neuroimaging methods to understand the neurodevelopmental impacts of early nutrition and feeding |
| title_fullStr | Optimizing infant neuroimaging methods to understand the neurodevelopmental impacts of early nutrition and feeding |
| title_full_unstemmed | Optimizing infant neuroimaging methods to understand the neurodevelopmental impacts of early nutrition and feeding |
| title_short | Optimizing infant neuroimaging methods to understand the neurodevelopmental impacts of early nutrition and feeding |
| title_sort | optimizing infant neuroimaging methods to understand the neurodevelopmental impacts of early nutrition and feeding |
| topic | EEG FNIRS FMRI OPM-MEG Infant Neuroimaging Infant Feeding |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878929324001427 |
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