Shedding Light on Infant Brain Development in Africa and Moving Towards Assessing Global Health

• In Event: 2-108 - TAD Talks on Interdisciplinary Research

Integrative Statement

The first 1000 days of life (from conception to two years of age) are a critical window of vulnerability to exposure to socio-economic and health challenges (i.e. poverty/undernutrition). While only a fraction of our lifespan, it is characterised by prodigious physiological, psychological and physical change. Studies suggest that the presence of these risk factors in infancy has a lasting impact throughout the life course, however almost nothing is known about the neural bases of these early deficits. We have established a prospective longitudinal study (Brain Imaging for Global Health: BRIGHT Project) to chart early neurocognitive trajectories of brain development and behaviour at two parallel sites, in the UK and The Gambia. During the first two years of life, infants partake in a series of neurocognitive fNIRS, EEG, eye-tracking and behavioural assessments. In this talk I will highlight some of the key milestones, challenges and emerging findings from this work to date.

Authors

• Lauren K Slone, Indiana University
  Introducer

• Sarah Lloyd-Fox, Birkbeck, University of London
  Speaker