Equipment: MRI: Track 1 Acquisition of a Mobile Observation System for Neurodevelopment Research

With Major Research Instrumentation support, Dr. Jessica Bradshaw and collaborators acquire a mobile, integrated, behavior-brain-physiology capture system for studying human behavior and neurodevelopment. The system is equipped with high-performance computing and multimodal acquisition features that integrate and synchronize individual and dyadic (two-person simultaneous) recordings of behavior (360° cameras, motion capture, wireless sensors), brain activity (EEG, fNIRS), autonomic function (heart activity, respiration), and biological measures (for cortisol, iPSCs, metabolites).

This mobile system is the solution to several critical barriers in neurodevelopment research and enables a broad range of uses from researchers across disciplines of psychology, biology, and computer science and engineering at the University of South Carolina and the Carolina Autism and Neurodevelopment Research Center. It enables travel to participant homes for study visits, allowing for unprecedented inclusion of individuals who are historically underrepresented in research.

These populations include those from rural geographic areas, racial and ethnic minorities, lower income families and individuals, newborn and aging populations, and individuals with behavioral and medical conditions that may preclude long-distance travel. Second, data capture streams are synchronized in time to quantify, with heightened precision, moment-by-moment behavioral, brain, and physiological activity.

Third, this instrument enables multiparticipant synchronization of EEG recordings, i.e., hyperscanning. Hyperscanning is a groundbreaking technology that captures dynamic human-to-human brain processes, including parent-infant/child, friend-friend, and partner-partner interactions. Research in this area has the potential to significantly advance dynamical systems science.

Fourth, this instrumentation allows for automated, noninvasive behavior estimation of gaze, gesture, posture, and movement using contactless sensors. Automated estimation of this type is a high priority in naturalistic (i.e., ecologically valid) behavioral research and represents an innovative technical achievement that will be leveraged by several research projects to advance our understanding of neurodevelopmental.

The cross-integration and multimodal synchronization of this system enables mechanistic research that links behavioral, brain, and physiological activity in real time. Six collaborative, cross-disciplinary research projects are conducted. Project 1 develops novel algorithms for automated estimation of gaze behavior, gestures, and postures for individuals across the lifespan.

Project 2 examines neural mechanisms of attention, dyadic social interactions, and language learning in naturalistic contexts. Project 3 determines physiological regulation of sensory and social processes in infants and toddlers at typical and elevated likelihood for neurodevelopmental disorders. Project 4 investigates physiological and biological consequences of social stressors for racial minority groups.

Project 5 will examine inflammatory processes in aging populations. Finally, Project 6 uncovers the molecular underpinnings of sleep disruption in clinical populations. The use of this instrument to complete these six research projects increases diversity of participant samples and increases representation among those historically underrepresented in research, including those for whom travel is prohibitive for study participation (e.g., high-risk pregnancies, newborns, individuals with disabilities, and aging populations).

The research projects prioritize inclusion and broad representation while also reducing participant burden, particularly for rural communities and individuals at the lower end of the socioeconomic strata and with mobility and/or transportation challenges. Overall, the research significantly contributes to understanding of neurodevelopment across the lifespan.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.