FIDELITI
Fingerprinting Individual Differences in Lesion Impact Through Imaging
Imagine being able to individually characterize the brains of children using powerful technologies such as MRI. For years we have used growth charts for plotting height and weight to make sure children are following the typical developmental trajectory as they grow. Recent advances in large open-source databases of imaging may make it possible for us to track individualized MRI brain fingerprints in a similar way. We are currently developing the FIDELITI Dashboard that will allow us to Fingerprint Individual Differences in Lesion Impact Through Imaging (FIDELITI).
The FIDELITI Dashboard
Childhood and adolescence are periods of massive developmental change continuing into early adulthood. Traditionally used developmental growth charts measuring age-related trajectories for height and weight have provided insights into normal variation around reference data. Availability of very large open-source neuroimaging databases have recently afforded the creation of similar developmental trajectories in brain biomarkers. For neurodevelopmental diseases or brain injuries, deviations from typical developmental trajectories are of particular interest and may explain disabilities while predicting long-term development across the lifespan.
Here we introduce the FIDELITI Dashboard (Fingerprinting Individual Differences in Lesion Impact Through Imaging), a patient-centered dashboard that visualizes multimodal brain neuroimaging biomarkers “at a glance”. We present several cases illustrating clinical utility of the dashboard by capturing personalized neuroimaging profiles of children with perinatal stroke, the leading cause of hemiparetic cerebral palsy, a non-progressive but lifelong motor disability. In addition to hemiparesis, individuals may also show deficits in attention, executive function, language, and vision. Identifying areas of concern early may facilitate personalized therapeutic interventions.
Software download coming soon
We are currently developing the FIDELITI Dashboard and anticipate the release of the first version in the fall of 2024. We thank you for your interest and encourage you to check back periodically for updates. If you would like to join our testing team, or for more information and collaboration opportunities, please contact me (hcarlson@ucalgary.ca).
Funding support
Funding support for this project was generously provided by the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation via a Project Grant. We thank our funders for their generous support.
