Research project The biological vulnerability associated with an Extremely Preterm (EPT) birth may have a profound impact on neurodevelopmental processes and with consequences (deficits) that may extend over the lifespan.
Vetenskapsrådet
Oskarfonden
Umeå universitet
The aim of this project is to in depth characterize impairments related to neurodevelopmental disabilities and sensorimotor control in children born EPT constituted during the follow-up investigations when at 12-years age, and compared with age-matched, term-born controls.
Further, to get deeper understanding of neurobiological processes related to the long-term impact of an extremely preterm birth on neuro-motor-developmental and behavioral processes, with the assumption that the associated brain structure and function (detected by magnetic resonance imaging, MRI/fMRI) we will do 1) detailed laboratory based movement analysis (kinematics), and 2) investigations of sensorimotor and executive function in the context of brain structures and combining kinematic and cognitive assessments with MRI/DTI outcomes.
Thus, to further increase the understanding of to which extent sensorimotor and kinematic assessment may capture the long-term underlying brain deficits and thereby offer better rehabilitation and prognostic guidance in children suffering from moderate to severe brain injury.
