A program of research and career development has been developed for the PI to devise new methods for quantitative assessment of spatiotemporal patterns of brain activity in the scalp electroencephalogram (EEG) of developing infants. Previously, scalp surface voltage or current measurement was limited by inadequacies in sampling sites which resulted in spatial aliasing and electrical patterns that were quantitatively in error and spatially distorted. Recent advances in bioengineering make possible collection and processing of EEG data from hundreds of sites and accurate measurement of spatial electrical waveforms; however, the enormous quantities of information that are created make impractical standard techniques for EEG analysis and interprutation. New quantitative analytical techniques are proposed which draw on the PI's experience as an electrical engineer in the processing of stochastic space-time signals in radar/sonar arrays and in the recognition of patterns in images. These methods will be especially tailored to account the unique and evolving anatomy of the infant brain and cranial vault. Techniques will be validated in clinical studies of response to arousal stimuli of normal infants and those at increased risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. With establishment of normative developmental trends, infants in the neonatal intensive care unit who have suffered hypoxic/ischemic event will be studied to detect deviations from norms that may be predictive of abnormal neurodevelopment. In addition to a more precise understanding of the correlates of brain electrical function, assessment of its localization will be initiated in anticipation of future research from chronic recordings of intracerebral electrical activity in fetal baboon. A formal training program has been designed for the P.I specifically tailored to his academic needs which complement his prior postdoctoral experience. This will include the following: mentoring by experts in neuro-development, electroencephalography and clinical research for hands-on experience; course work in neurobiology and research ethics; participation in a fellows training program in EEG and a seminar series in perinatal physiology; and collaboration with bioengineers, psychobiologists, and clinical neonatologists. The goal of this coordinated program of research/training is to complete the preparation of the PI for a career as an independent researcher, with skills multi-disciplinary collaborative investigation and further his capacity to define new directions for quantitative biomedical research.
| Grieve, Philip G; Isler, Joseph R; Izraelit, Asya et al. (2008) EEG functional connectivity in term age extremely low birth weight infants. Clin Neurophysiol 119:2712-20 |
| Grieve, Philip G; Emerson, Ronald G; Fifer, William P et al. (2003) Spatial correlation of the infant and adult electroencephalogram. Clin Neurophysiol 114:1594-608 |
