Fetal MRI Analysis

Have you ever been lost in a location foreign to you? Typically, a person who is lost will use a map to gather their bearings before heading off in the correct direction. A similar approach can be used to discuss recent brain mapping technology, the primary research of Dr. Allen Jones. Dr. Allen Jones is a brain research whose ultimate goal is to unveil a complete map of the human brain, using recent brain imaging and histological techniques. In his TED talk entitled, A Map of the Brain, Dr. Allen Jones discusses a brief overview of the anatomical structures of the brain, as well as, the methods and conclusions of his brain research.

One of the most important determinant of fetal viability is the pulmonary system development and maturity. The prenatal awareness of any abnormalities or anomalies going to ensure better management of the pregnancy, also giving the opportunity for the medical team and parents to prepare for the delivery and postnatal treatment. Congenital malformations of the fetal thorax are common which can involve many organs. Early detection and accurate diagnosis of fetal pathology are possible by using ultrasound and MRI imaging.

Birth defects can have life threatening consequences for the fetus. Many birth defects can be detected during pregnancy by an ultrasound. Some of these abnormalities include abdominal wall defect, orofacial cleft, anencephaly, and down syndrome. Although at this time ultrasound is the safest way to observe a fetus, risks are still associated with it.

ef{tab:1} shows a list of finite element studies that included diffusion tensor imaging tractography in the injury analysis. Most of the studies (citealt{colgan2010, wright2012, wright2013, Kraft2012, sahoo2014, kleiven2014}) used a diffusion tensor imaging apprised anisotropic material models to represent brain tissue during the analysis. The axonal strains were then calculated using explicit post processing steps. These studies mapped multiple voxels from DTI data to a single element in the finite element model using an averaged fiber orientation/ fiber dispersion measure. To account for the effect of multiple fiber orientations per element, researchers used fractional anisotropy informed material models to represent brain tissue (citealt{wright2013,sahoo2014,kleiven2014}). However, calculating an averaged representation of fiber orientations and fiber dispersion values over multiple voxels might cause a loss of some axonal strain information and accuracy of the material model. %Therefore, there is a strong need to develop a robust methodology for constructing a 3D FE head model that can accommodate both the anisotropic response and high level of anatomical detail. At the same time, this should avoid the need for complex mapping schemes (mapping DTI

MRI is a noninvasive diagnostic examination with on ionizing radiation & no known associated negative side effects or reported delayed sequels. The American College of Radiology white paper on MR safety states that pregnant patients can be accepted to undergo MR images at any stage of pregnancy if the risk-benefit ratio to the patient warrants that the study be performed and only if other non-ionizing diagnostic imaging methods are inadequate.

The brain tissue of a Neonatal is different from the adult brain because the adult brain is a well-developed one but the brain tissue of a neonatal brain is in developing stage, also it is very small in dimension, and fluid movement inside the brain during the scan make it difficult to differentiation various tissues. Hence a refined Neonatal Brain image processing technique is

Sonograms are cheaper than many of the other options available to gain information about a baby still inside its mother, for example MRI’s, but this in no way takes away their value. Sonograms are a great choice for the reason that while being cheap they give accurate and important information almost instantly. The growth of technology has allowed for sonogram equipment to become more compact, creating a portable and handheld device that comes in handy in many situations. It is easy to transfer not only across the hospital, but also across the

Neuronal multiplication, differentiation, and migration are occurring by the third week of embryonic life. Germinal cells proliferate in the matrix layer adjacent to the neuroaxis lumen and undergo transformation into neuroblasts which periodically migrate with great predictability to the marginal layer, which will later becomes the cortex. Migration is completed near the fifth fetal month and mitotic figures disappear by the end of the sixth fetal month. Thus by twenty-four weeks, the embryo has its full quota of neuronal mass. Further gross brain development continues to birth with the enfolding of the surface to form sulci and gyri and this predictable pattern is a reliable estimate of fetal age. Definitive cytoarchitectural patterns are evidenced at birth, which are the products of myelination having occurred at various levels at specific times, as well as the growth of glial cells. Visual tracts become myelinated soon after birth, and the corticospinal tracts continue to myelinate into the second year of postnatal life, after which time most myelination of the cerebrum is becoming complete.

There are numerous external factors that occur during pregnancy that have a huge influence on the effect of fetal growth. During gestational development, a critical period is a time in which a baby’s vital organ systems are formed. This is considered to be a vital developmental stage for a fetus, and a time in which the fetus is most vulnerable to acquiring deformities caused by external factors, known as teratogens (Potter, Perry, Hall, & Stockert, 2017, p. 141). Some common examples of teratogens are alcohol, tobacco, medications, chemicals, viruses, and conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes. Other factors that may influence fetal growth include vitamin intake and mother’s age.

On ultrasound, there is a live fetus in cephalic presentation Fetal biometry is consistent with 20 weeks 3 days giving a new due date of 07/31/17. We attempted an anatomic survey but it was somewhat suboptimal due to fetal position and maternal body habitus. The spine, heart, and kidneys were suboptimal. The placenta is anterior.

In a postprocessing step, acquired MRI data were exported to a remote workstation and data analysis commenced off-line, using a customized MATLAB program (R2014b; MathWorks). With this procedure, the water and fat images could be calculated, which were further used for SAT and VAT segmentation.

From a young age it has amazed me how we still do not fully understand the brain’s functions, despite its fundamentality in our survival and success as humans. Such fascination led me to pursue the module “Translating Neuroscience for Health and Wellbeing” whilst studying for my Psychology degree. This opportunity provided me with specific skills regarding mapping psychological areas of the brain and enhanced my experience within the field of neuroscience as I was able to receive and administer tDCS first-hand. The module, combined with my time volunteering with disadvantaged children, several of whom suffered from autism, fuelled my interest and future aspirations to study neuroimaging. Linked with my personal familiarity with Alzheimer’s, the experiences have provided me with the motive to use multi-modal imaging techniques in order to provide a greater insight into such debilitating diseases, as the desperation for wider research is evident.

The conventional scanning methods display grainy pictures of the foetus and required the help of a trained

Morbidly adherent placenta (MAP) is a serious disorder in pregnancy, causing maternal mortality rates as high as 7% (Wortman 2013 ).The incidence of this condition has increased in recent years, possibly due to a global rise in caesarean section rates (except Japan)(Al-Khan 2014; Comstock 2014;Vogel 2015).The World Health Organization (WHO) has suggested a caesarean delivery rate of 15% as an acceptable standard(Feng 2012). Caesarean delivery rates of 50% and above are common in some areas of China and Brazil (Cavallaro 2013;Feng 2012; Vogel 2015;).

Over time, collected data from the third trimester (G130) of all pregnancies resulted in a significant decrease in blood volume flow of the HFD maternal and the placental portion of the fetus.