Early development and plasticity of body representations in the baby brain: advanced neuroimaging and behavioral studies on touch – BabyTouch

Pre- and perinatal events are a major cause of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) as they disrupt the early organization and maturation of the brain, and consequently the entire developmental trajectory of the child. Given the central role played by early tactile and motor experiences, brain representations of the body within the sensorimotor system are among the first functions to be altered in infants at risk for NDD. Yet, methods to assess the emergence of somatotopic maps in typical infants and their alterations are still lacking, as are approaches to assess the anatomical substrates of this functional specialization. Moreover, the impact of particular contexts such as premature birth, or the effects of early interventions aimed at stimulating the somatosensory and motor systems are still poorly understood during the period of intense plasticity that constitute the first postnatal months.
To answer these different questions, the BabyTouch project will focus on three main objectives. First, we will aim at developing a new vibro-tactile system, allowing to stimulate different parts of the body in a controlled, safe and ecological way, and which is compatible and optimized for the measurement of individual brain responses with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which represents a real technological challenge. Our second objective will then be to study the relationships between somatotopic specialization and structural architecture during early brain development, in infants compared with adults, using innovative neuroimaging methodologies. Finally, we will evaluate how this development can be modulated by different postnatal conditions by following infants during their first year with a multimodal approach of brain and behavioral assessments.
Our research will be organized in three work-packages: WP1: to map the architecture of the sensorimotor system in relation to somatotopy in the adult brain; WP2: to study its emergence in the 1-month-old infant; WP3: to evaluate the developmental trajectories and plasticity of body representations from 1 to 9 months of age in different contexts. We will then compare different groups of infants, either with moderate prematurity, or typical infants who have benefited from a sensorimotor "training", carried out daily and at home by the parents: massages at the level of the hands (passive tactile experiences) or an active training of crawling on a mini skateboard (the CrawliSkate).
These studies will allow us to test the hypotheses i) of an early proto-somatotopy, ii) which would be based on specific cortical characteristics in terms of microstructural maturation and connectivity, iii) which would evolve during infancy in a different way between body parts, iv) with possible modulations according to postnatal experiences, and v) in connection with behavioral acquisitions, variable from one infant to another.
Based on a unique consortium of researchers and specialists in neuroimaging, developmental psychology, neonatology, and a company expert in the design of tactile systems, the BabyTouch project is expected to have a major impact in fundamental, clinical and industrial research.