Fetal behavioral approach toward diagnosis of developmental disabilities

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26560326
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Developmental mechanisms and the body works
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: morokuma seiichi 九州大学, 学内共同利用施設等, 特任准教授 (50380639)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): FUKUSHIMA Kotaro 九州大学病院, 総合周産期母子医療センター, 講師 (40304779)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 胎児 / 行動 / 発達

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The eye movements observed during REM sleep are the most distinctive characteristics of this state. In the study of preterm-birth infants born at 32-36 weeks, REM sleep activity correlates with cognitive development when assessed at six months of age, and provides an indicator of developmental prognosis. The present study aimed to clarify REM period activity, including EM density and EM bursts in fetuses with a gestational age between 24 and 38 weeks.
The study population consisted of 64 normal singleton pregnancies. Fetal EMs were monitored using real-time ultrasonography for 60-min. Both EM density and EM burst density increased between 24-25 and 38-39 weeks of gestation. At least, two critical points were found in EM density and EM burst density with statistical significance. Since fetal REM activity provides an indicator of central nervous system function, the assessment of EMs and EM burst activity might aid developmental prognosis.

Free Research Field

胎児医学