Prospective Study of the Feasibility of Brain Connectivity Imaging by Functional Ultrasound Imaging (fUS) in Newborn Infant

Summary

Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) affect how the brain develops and can lead to lifelong difficulties with movement, learning, behavior, and thinking. Every year, around one million newborns in Europe are affected by these conditions. Some babies are at higher risk of NDD due to factors such as being born extremely premature, having poor growth in the womb, experiencing a lack of oxygen at birth, or having a family history of severe NDD. However, predicting which babies will develop these disorders is currently very challenging because there are no reliable early indicators (biomarkers) to detect them.

The CONEXUS study is testing a new type of brain imaging technology called functional ultrasound imaging (fUS) to see if it can help assess brain function in newborns at high risk of NDD. This technique measures brain activity by detecting small changes in blood flow, similar to an ultrasound scan but using advanced imaging technology. Researchers believe this method, known as fC-fUS imaging, could help identify early signs of neurodevelopmental disorders.

Preliminary studies have shown that fUS imaging can detect brain activity changes in newborns, such as differences between sleep states or during epileptic seizures. The CONEXUS study will expand on this by improving the imaging technology and testing it in a larger group of newborns, including those born prematurely, those with restricted growth, those who needed cooling treatment after birth due to lack of oxygen, and those at risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

The study is being conducted in multiple hospitals in France over five years, involving newborn intensive care, pediatrics, and child psychiatry teams. It is a feasibility study, meaning researchers aim to test whether this imaging technique is practical and effective for use in newborns. Babies will have short, painless fUS scans that focus on brain regions involved in movement, hearing, vision, and attention.

Ultimately, the goal of CONEXUS is to demonstrate that fC-fUS imaging can help doctors understand early brain development and identify signs of neurodevelopmental disorders before symptoms appear. If successful, this technique could improve early diagnosis, allowing doctors to start treatment sooner and improve long-term outcomes for affected children. This research has the potential to transform neonatal care by providing a new tool for detecting and monitoring brain function in newborns.

Conditions

• Neonates and Preterm Infants
• Neonates or Premature Babies

Interventions

DEVICE

Imaging Time

fUS: transfontanellar functional ultrasound imaging, performed using the CONEXUS system. fUS-EEG: transfontanellar functional ultrasound imaging, performed using the CONEXUS system, performed simultaneously with an EEG examination. The fUS examinations consist of recording brain activity for a few minutes in one of the imaging planes (Posterior Coronal, Median Coronal, Frontal Coronal, Right Para-sagittal, Right/Left Para-sagittal, 3-plane Antero-posterior Coronal) including structures involved in brain functional connectivity networks (somatosensory, auditory, visual, salience). These fUS examinations are conducted to perform longitudinal follow-up of patients in the 5 different groups.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale, France

  lead OTHER_GOV

Principal Investigators

• Valerie BIRAN, MD · APHP

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

DEVICE_FEASIBILITY

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Max Age

5 Months

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-11-28

Primary Completion

2030-04-30

Completion

2030-04-30

Countries

• France

Study Locations