Modality-level obstacles and initiatives to improve representation in fetal, infant, and toddler neuroimaging research samples

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; Center for Cognitive and Brain Health, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA.
² Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
³ Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.
⁴ Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Pharmacology, University College London, UK; Centre for the Developing Brain, King's College London, UK.
⁵ McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
⁶ Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, McGill University, Montreal QC, Canada.
⁷ Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland; School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.
⁸ Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK.
⁹ Department of Human Development, Teachers College, Columbia University, NY, United States.
¹⁰ Division of Developmental Paediatrics, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town; The Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
¹¹ Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
¹² Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Roanoke, VA, USA; Department of Human Development and Family Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
¹³ Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States; Department of Statistics & Data Science, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States; Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.
¹⁴ Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA. Electronic address: marta.korom@nih.gov.

PMID: 39954600
PMCID: PMC11875194
DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101505

Modality-level obstacles and initiatives to improve representation in fetal, infant, and toddler neuroimaging research samples

Emma T Margolis et al. Dev Cogn Neurosci. 2025 Apr.

. 2025 Apr:72:101505.

doi: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101505. Epub 2025 Jan 3.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; Center for Cognitive and Brain Health, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA.
² Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
³ Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.
⁴ Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Pharmacology, University College London, UK; Centre for the Developing Brain, King's College London, UK.
⁵ McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
⁶ Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, McGill University, Montreal QC, Canada.
⁷ Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland; School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.
⁸ Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK.
⁹ Department of Human Development, Teachers College, Columbia University, NY, United States.
¹⁰ Division of Developmental Paediatrics, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town; The Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
¹¹ Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
¹² Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Roanoke, VA, USA; Department of Human Development and Family Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
¹³ Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States; Department of Statistics & Data Science, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States; Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.
¹⁴ Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA. Electronic address: marta.korom@nih.gov.

PMID: 39954600
PMCID: PMC11875194
DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101505

Abstract

Fetal, infant, and toddler (FIT) neuroimaging researchers study early brain development to gain insights into neurodevelopmental processes and identify early markers of neurobiological vulnerabilities to target for intervention. However, the field has historically excluded people from global majority countries and from marginalized communities in FIT neuroimaging research. Inclusive and representative samples are essential for generalizing findings across neuroimaging modalities, such as magnetic resonance imaging, magnetoencephalography, electroencephalography, functional near-infrared spectroscopy, and cranial ultrasonography. These FIT neuroimaging techniques pose unique and overlapping challenges to equitable representation in research through sampling bias, technical constraints, limited accessibility, and insufficient resources. The present article adds to the conversation around the need to improve inclusivity by highlighting modality-specific historical and current obstacles and ongoing initiatives. We conclude by discussing tangible solutions that transcend individual modalities, ultimately providing recommendations to promote equitable FIT neuroscience.

Keywords: Brain development; Diversity; Fetal, infant, toddler; Inclusive representation; Neuroimaging; Recruitment.

Published by Elsevier Ltd.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

**Fig. 1**
An illustrated Access Framework for Neuroimaging Research, modified from Penchansky and Thomas’s Access Framework for Health Care (1984). Availability, accessibility, and affordability are the three dimensions of access to neuroimaging technology discussed in this paper.

**Fig. 2**
Identified challenges to improving representation in FIT research samples by modality.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

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Modality-level obstacles and initiatives to improve representation in fetal, infant, and toddler neuroimaging research samples

Affiliations

Modality-level obstacles and initiatives to improve representation in fetal, infant, and toddler neuroimaging research samples

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

References

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Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Medical