Séminaire de Nadège ROCHE-LABARBE, Laboratoire Psychologie des Actions Langagières et Motrices, Université de Caen organisé par le LPNC dans le cadre des séminaires du Pôle.

Mardi 18 décembre 2012 à 13h00 au LPNC, Domaine universitaire, au BSHM

Thèmes de recherche de l'intervenante : Développement fonctionnel du cerveau chez le nouveau-né prématuré

Résumé du séminaire :
In the mature brain, neuronal activity is associated with a disproportionate increase in blood flow over oxygen consumption that forms the basis of many functional neuroimaging techniques, notably the blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal in fMRI. This positive functional response is used as a reliable marker of neuronal activity in countless studies of brain function and cognition. In newborns and infants, however, there is little information about brain metabolism and functional activation, though both may differ from those in adults. Unexplained negative functional responses, as well as positive and biphasic responses, have been reported. This is a major obstacle in fundamental and clinical studies of early brain function and cognition.
I use functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), a non-invasive bedside technique, to study functional neurovascular coupling in premature neonates. I will present two studies: the first study using electroencephalography and fNIRS shows that premature neonates present a hemodynamic response to endogenous neuronal activity. The second study combined multiple NIRS techniques to obtain measures of functional changes in blood flow, blood volume, oxygenation and oxygen metabolism in premature neonates during exogenous stimulation. By combining all of these measures we report for the first time the functional change in the cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (rCMRO2) in the cortex of premature neonates. This work is the foundation for future projects on premature newborn perception and cognition.