This piece of news regarding USA research on synostosis and plagiocephaly has been received.

The Department of Pediatric Psychiatry at Seattle Children’s hospital is participating in an NIH-funded study of the neurobehavioral correlates of craniosynostosis, a craniofacial disorder characterized by premature fusion of two, adjoining plates of the skull, which result in malformations and dysmorphology of the head in the absence of corrective surgery. Infants with this condition have been followed post-surgically to determine if there are any cognitive, behavioral, or neurological impairment associated with this condition. Dr. Aylward is performing MRI measurements on brain scans from these children, now 7 years of age, to determine whether any brain malformations can be identified and, if so, how they relate to behavioral, cognitive, and neurological impairments.

As part of a NIH-funded study investigating neurodevelopment in babies with DP, a subgroup of cases were imaged using MRI. Scans of children with deformational plagiocephaly (DP), another craniofacial disorder that involves cranial asymmetry attributable to external forces (prenatal or postnatal) that shape the malleable infant skull are also being investigated. Although DP is typically considered a benign and purely cosmetic condition, there is emerging evidence suggesting that infants with DP are at-risk for developmental delays, particularly in motor development. MRI measures are being performed to determine whether abnormal skull shape is associated with abnormal brain shape, volume, or regional abnormalities, and if so, how these brain abnormalities are associated with behavioral or cognitive impairment.

Further information can be found at: http://depts.washington.edu/cibr/?page_id=431.