title: Functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to assess cognitive function in infants in rural Africa.
abstract: Cortical mapping of cognitive function during infancy is poorly understood in low-income countries due to the lack of transportable neuroimaging methods. We have successfully piloted functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) as a neuroimaging tool in rural Gambia. Four-to-eight month old infants watched videos of Gambian adults perform social movements, while haemodynamic responses were recorded using fNIRS. We found distinct regions of the posterior superior temporal and inferior frontal cortex that evidenced either visual-social activation or vocally selective activation (vocal > non-vocal). The patterns of selective cortical activation in Gambian infants replicated those observed within similar aged infants in the UK. These are the first reported data on the measurement of localized functional brain activity in young infants in Africa and demonstrate the potential that fNIRS offers for field-based neuroimaging research of cognitive function in resource-poor rural communities.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lloyd-Fox
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics and Bioengineering, University College London.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Papademetriou
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council (MRC) International Nutrition Group, MRC Keneba, MRC Unit, The Gambia.
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Darboe
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics and Bioengineering, University College London.
authors.forename: N L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Everdell
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council (MRC) International Nutrition Group, MRC Keneba, MRC Unit, The Gambia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wegmuller
authors.affiliation: 1] Medical Research Council (MRC) International Nutrition Group, MRC Keneba, MRC Unit, The Gambia [2] MRC International Nutrition Group, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Prentice
authors.affiliation: 1] Medical Research Council (MRC) International Nutrition Group, MRC Keneba, MRC Unit, The Gambia [2] MRC International Nutrition Group, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics and Bioengineering, University College London.
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Elwell
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D059906:Neuroimaging; D010108:Oxyhemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D062486:Public Health Surveillance; D012423:Rural Health; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D010108:Oxyhemoglobins
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