Health TrialsbyHealthPanel

fNIRS Grasping Task in Infants

ConditionPreterm and Term Infants
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot listed
Trial typeObservational
Biological sexAll
Age3-9
SponsorUniversity Ghent

About this trial

This study aims to investigate the neural mechanisms involved in the development of reach-to-grasp function in infants. Reaching and grasping are crucial motor skills that develop early in infancy and are essential for later motor and cognitive milestones. Understanding how these skills emerge and the underlying neural processes can provide valuable insights into both typical and atypical development.

The study will focus on infants aged 3 to 9 months, a critical period for the development of reach-to-grasp skills. A total of 100 infants will be recruited, including 50 full-term infants and 50 preterm infants (born \<36 weeks gestational age). Reach-to-grasp function will be evaluated through a cross-sectional assessment at a single time point. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) will be used as the brain imaging technique to measure brain activity during the reach-to-grasp task. The use of fNIRS will allow for a non-invasive assessment of neural activity in real time, providing insights into the brain mechanisms supporting the development of motor skills. The findings may offer important information about the neural basis of motor development in infancy, particularly in the context of preterm birth.

Eligibility criteria

This trial accepts healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

3-9 months old

can tolerate the fNIRS cap

performs at least 2 grapsing attempts with one hand within one minute when prompting the hand with a toy

Disqualifiers

history of periferal neurological lesion such as plexus brachialis lesion

presence of epilepsia, congenital brain malformation,

no informed consent

severe visual impairments

Trial population

infants between 3 an 9 months old, living in Flanders (Belgium) born full term or preterm.

Trial design

Design model

Cohort

Time perspective

Cross-sectional

Treatments tested in this trial

Not listed

Trial groups

100 Participants
are grouped into 2 trial groups
Group A: full term infants
Group B: preterm infants

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

1

fNIRS laterality index

Difference in brain activitity over the sensorimotor cortex between left and right hemisphere during bilateral grasping. Averaged brain activity of the 10 blocks of bimanual grasping.

Time frame
Baseline

Secondary outcomes

1

fNIRS bimanual activity

Averaged brain activity during the 10 blocks of bimanual reach-to-grasp movements.

Time frame
baseline
2

fNIRS unmanual left-sided activity

Averaged brain activity during the 10 blocks of unilateral left-sided reach-to-grasp movements.

Time frame
baseline
3

Hand assessment for Infants (HAI)

An assessment of hand function. It has been developed for infants at risk of developing cerebral palsy (CP) in the age range of 3-12 months. The HAI intends to measure the degree and quality of goal directed actions performed with each hand separately as well as with both hands together. Items are scored based on a video-taped play session eliciting upper limb activity. It results in three scales 1. both hand measure: a criterian referenced overall measure of hand function based on all 17 items total raw score ranges ; 0-58 HAI-unit scale: 0-100 Higher score indicates better ability 2. each hand sum score: a unimanual criterion referenced subscale based on 12 out of 17 items, score rated for each hand seperatly raw score ranges: 0-24 higher score indicates better ability 3. percentage of difference between hands : percent calculated by the differences in left and right each hand sum score higer value indicate bigger difference between hands age norm references available

Time frame
baseline
4

Hammersmith infant neurological examination (HINE)

Hammersmith infant neurological examniation is a standardized neurological exam for infants adjusted age 2 to 24 months. The HINE evaluates nerve function, movements, reflexes and reactions, posture, and tone and can help clinicians identify movement disorders including cerebral palsy (CP). 26 items scoring 0-3 total score : 0-78 Higher score indicates more optimal developement normative data for age-matched, typically developing infants helps determine if the score is optimal or suboptimal.

Time frame
baseline

Other outcomes

Sponsors and contacts

Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.

University Ghent

Lead sponsor

Source ClinicalTrials.gov
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