The assessment of fetal neurobehavior by three-dimensional and four-dimensional ultrasound

Abstract

The development of three-dimensional (3D) and four-dimensional ultrasound (4D) has provided new opportunities to study fetal and even embryonic behavior. These techniques enable simultaneous spatial imaging of the entire fetus and its movements. Recently, multicenter studies of fetal brain function have been carried out, the aim of which is to establish the standards of embryonic and fetal peripheral and body movements and facial expression as additional diagnostic criteria for prenatal brain development. Additional studies have been conducted in order to provide more information on specific movement patterns and quality of movement in the high-risk fetus. The purpose of this paper is to review and analyze the published literature on the use of 3D and 4D ultrasound in the assessment of fetal behavior.

A womb with a view: ultrasound for evaluation of fetal neurobehavioral development

“…The focus of the Hata et al's contribution is important because it highlights what I like to call 'the womb with a view' approach where imaging technology provides a picture, figuratively and literally, of life inside the womb. In our own work, we share the enthusiasm of Hata et al, and others (Kurjak et al, 2008;Yigiter & Kavak, 2006) for this type of research and the potential it holds for understanding prenatal life and the ontogeny of human development.…”

“…Further, Hata et al used the Kurjak et al (2008) scoring system for fetal neurobehavioral assessment. While the psychometric properties of this scale require considerable additional work, one can see the emergence of prenatal neurobehavioral assessments with potential scientific and clinical value.…”

Efficacy of assessment in fetal behaviour by four dimensional ultrasonography

“…In addition, 4-D ultrasonography may become a method to assess fetal wellbeing (Kurjak et al 2007b;Kurjak et al 2008a). New fetal nervous behaviours were observed in the fetuses of healthy and high-risk gravidas by examining two cranial closure areas by 3-D ultrasonography, and by scoring facial expression and fetal movement (Kurjak et al 2008b). A postnatal follow-up study was performed, and it became the basic research that facilitates detection of anomalies involving the nerves and CNS; however, in cerebral palsy, it is not easy to clearly detect abnormal development of the CNS (Salihagic-Kadic et al 2005).…”

The Role of Fetal Neurology in the Progress of Perinatal Medicine

“…Neurological prognosis should be longitudinally and carefully evaluated according to precise diagnoses [33]. Considering future development in the field of fetal neurology, those precise morphological detection by transvaginal high-resolution neuroimaging should be combined with four-dimensional ultrasound research on fetal behavior [34][35][36] and molecular genetics which has recently been remarkably contributed to prenatal diagnosis as Sonogenetics [37,38]. Postnatal unexplained neurological deficits may strongly relate with intrauterine brain development therefore fetal neurology has great responsibility and an important role in perinatal medicine.…”