302-03-004 ISMRM Abstract

Ultra-Low-Field MRI as a Tool for Measuring Brain Development in LMICs: Feasibility, Validity and Clinical Relevance

Primary: Pediatrics - Neuro

Secondary: Neuro - Development

302-03-004 · Next-Level Pediatric MRI: Technical Advances To Image Children Better · Monday, 11 May, 1:50 PM–3:40 PM · Hall 1B

Keywords: Low-Field MRI Neurodevelopment Brain Development Accessible MRI Democratizing mri

Accepted

Layla E Bradford ^1,2, Jessica E Ringshaw^1,2,3, Thokozile R Malaba⁴, Niall J Bourke³, Catherine Wedderburn^1,2, Steven C Williams³, Sean Deoni^5,6, Lauren Davel², Helen Reynolds⁷, Angela Colbers⁸, Duolao Wang⁹, Saye Khoo⁷, Landon Myer⁴, Kirsten A Donald^1,2

¹Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, South Africa

²Division of Developmental Paediatrics, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health and Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, South Africa, South Africa

³Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom

⁴Division of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Cape Town, South Africa

⁵Gates Foundation, Seattle, United States of America

⁶Gates Foundation, Seattle, United States of America

⁷Centre for Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom

⁸Department of Pharmacy, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands

⁹Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom

Presenting Author: Layla E Bradford

Synopsis

Motivation:

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References

1. 1. Black MM, Walker SP, Fernald LC, et al. Early childhood development coming of age: science through the life course. The Lancet 2017; 389(10064): 77-90.

2. 2. Abate F, Adu-Amankwah A, Ae-Ngibise KA, et al. UNITY: A low-field magnetic resonance neuroimaging initiative to characterize neurodevelopment in low and middle-income settings. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 69: 101397.

3. 3. Jones DK, Alexander DC, Chetcuti K, et al. Low field, high impact: democratizing MRI for clinical and research innovation. BJR| Open 2025: tzaf022.

4. 4. Wedderburn CJ, Yeung S, Subramoney S, et al. Association of in utero HIV exposure with child brain structure and language development: a South African birth cohort study. BMC medicine 2024; 22(1): 1-15.

5. 5. Wedderburn CJ, Weldon E, Bertran-Cobo C, et al. Early neurodevelopment of HIV-exposed uninfected children in the era of antiretroviral therapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Child Adolesc 2022; 6(6): 393-408.

6. 6. Wedderburn CJ, Evans C, Yeung SM, Gibb DM, Donald KA, Prendergast AJ. Growth and Neurodevelopment of HIV-Exposed Uninfected Children: a Conceptual Framework. Curr Hiv-Aids Rep 2019; 16(6): 501-13.

7. 7. Deoni SC, O'Muircheartaigh J, Ljungberg E, Huentelman M, Williams SC. Simultaneous high‐resolution T2‐weighted imaging and quantitative T 2 mapping at low magnetic field strengths using a multiple TE and multi‐orientation acquisition approach. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine 2022; 88(3): 1273-81.

8. 8. Fischl B. FreeSurfer. Neuroimage 2012; 62(2): 774-81.

9. 9. Desikan RS, Ségonne F, Fischl B, et al. An automated labeling system for subdividing the human cerebral cortex on MRI scans into gyral based regions of interest. Neuroimage 2006; 31(3): 968-80.

10. 10. Baljer L, Briski U, Leech R, et al. GAMBAS: Generalised-Hilbert Mamba for Super-resolution of Paediatric Ultra-Low-Field MRI. arXiv preprint arXiv:250404523 2025.

11. 11. Baljer L, Zhang Y, Bourke NJ, et al. Ultra‐Low‐Field Paediatric MRI in Low‐and Middle‐Income Countries: Super‐Resolution Using a Multi‐Orientation U‐Net. Human Brain Mapping 2025; 46(1): e70112.

Cite this abstract

http://echo.ismrm.org/p/ISMRM2026/302-03-004