Treatment Study Will Use Unique MRI for Infants

Scientists at London's Lawson Health Research Institute are planning a study to help determine which medications and therapies are actually working in the treatment of premature baby brain injuries.

The doctors will utilize an MRI scanner that has been specially designed for babies. It is the only MRI scanner like it in the world.

Stillness is required of those who are being scanned in an MRI, and babies do not listen when you tell them to hold still. “It has been one of the big challenges,” said Dr. Neil Gelman, a member of Lawson's imaging program.

Thus far, the researchers have been working around the babies' schedules. The babies are brought in, fed as they would normally be fed, and then when they fall asleep, they are placed in a specially designed MRI cradle. No sedation is used.

“Then we tiptoe in and try to slip that cradle in the MRI while the infant is asleep,” Gelman said.

Using this MRI scanner, the researchers hope to be able to more accurately track brain development in premature babies, and prevent cerebral palsy. Without the MRI it can take two years to see if any progress has been made.

“You are not going to make much progress if every time you make a change to a drug you have to wait two years to see what its effect is,” Gelman said.

The researchers plan to study 90 premature babies over three years. The researchers have already received funding and plan to begin the study soon.

How is this MRI Scanner Unique?

This neonatal MRI is designed to be baby-friendly. Once the baby is asleep in the specially designed MRI cradle, and placed within the MRI, its heart rate, body temperature, ECG waveforms, and oxygen saturation are monitored.

“The magnet is much shorter than those used for standard clinical imaging, allowing easy access and visualization of the baby,” said Dr. Gelman. “It is the world's first dedicated 3 Telsa MRI neonatal MRI system.”

Gelman continued to say, “Our MRI protocol involves imaging techniques that have been optimized and adapted in our laboratory to take consideration of the vastly different MRI characteristics of the immature neonatal brain compared to the adult brain. As well, reconstruction of the obtained images involves the use of specialized motion correction software developed in our laboratory, which greatly increases the chances of obtaining successful images, especially without the use of sedation.”

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