Motion-tolerant brain mapping for infants and kids with natural movement
Official title: Motion-Tolerant, High-Precision Dynamic Functional Brain Mapping in Infants and Young Children
Funded at Father Flanagan's Boys' Home · NIH-11280188 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new, kid-friendly brain-mapping approach uses motion-tolerant sensors to study how young brains coordinate thinking and feeling as children grow.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Father Flanagan's Boys' Home NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boys Town, United States) |
| Project start | September 9, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,056,648 |
| NIH project number | 1R61NS155391-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11280188 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children and adolescents, including those with varying movement abilities, who can participate in brain-imaging sessions.
✕Less likely to help
Very young children or families unable to participate in imaging sessions may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project aims to map how infants and children coordinate brain activity during simple tasks, using a new motion-tolerant technology so kids can move more naturally. Researchers will collect brain signals across multiple regions and track how functional connections develop from infancy through adolescence. The study emphasizes making imaging tolerable for children and using innovative sensors to capture data during realistic settings. The work could pave the way for better understanding of typical development and early detection of atypical patterns.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to earlier and more accurate insights into how children's brains develop, informing better strategies for supporting learning, social, and emotional development.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work suggests that advanced brain-mapping approaches can reveal developmental patterns, but this motion-tolerant method is novel for early years.
Where this research is happening
-
Father Flanagan's Boys' Home
Boys Town, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wilson, Tony W. — Father Flanagan's Boys' Home
- Study coordinator: Wilson, Tony W.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.