On October 14, 2020, Ministry of Science and Technology released the list of Comprehensive Performance-based Evaluation Results of Due Pilot Project "Research and Development of Digital Diagnostic Equipment" of National Key Research and Development Project. The project entitled "Integration and clinical application of new magnetic resonance imaging technologies for prognostic evaluation in newborns with focal white matter injury" (No. 2016YFC0100300), led by the team of Professor Yang Jian from Department of Medical Imaging of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University (XJTU) and jointly undertaken by XJTU, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology of Chinese Academy of Sciences and United Imaging (Shanghai), passed the final evaluation.
After almost 3-year coordinated efforts, the project, mainly focusing upon essential clinical requirements for prognostic evaluation in newborns with focal white matter injury, has achieved enormous progresses in MRI adjuvant equipment, rapid imaging method, and prognostic evaluation of brain injury. It has developed the magnetic resonance imaging-compatible incubator specifically-designed for newborns and infants and 24-channel scanning coil with independent intellectual property rights; It has developed multi-layer simultaneous excitation rapid imaging sequence suitable for newborns and image reconstruction technology based on data sharing; It has constructed dynamic brain template for Chinese newborns and infants, and explored an individual-based detection method for brain injury; On the basis of building the clinical and imaging big-data platform for Chinese newborns and infants, it has realized early screening and prognostic prediction of brain injury, which significantly advances the diagnostic age of cerebral palsy from 2-year-old to 6-month-old.
Under the financial support of this project, the team has published 34 articles in top-notched SCI-indexed journals, such asRadiology, 47 articles in core Chinese journals and international conferences. It has applied or authorized 11 national invention patents and 6 software copyrights. Partial research results have been applied in clinical practice, providing technical support for early diagnosis and effective treatment of cerebra diseases, such as pediatric cerebral palsy. The team has received the first prize of Xi 'an Scientific and Technological Progress Award. The project entitled "How to reduce the failure rate of infantile magnetic resonance imaging examination" won the first prize of the 5thNational Quality Control Circle Competition, the bronze medal of International Quality Control Circle Competition, and elected as one of Top 10 Hospital Quality Management Cases of China Hospital Management Award. Baby Plan-Assessment and Rehabilitation Home for Pediatric Brain Development (ITPNBDI) grabbed the gold medal of Youth Public Welfare Project of Shaanxi Province, the silver medal of Chinese Youth Voluntary Service Project, and National Excellent Voluntary Service Project for the Disabled. The team has cultivated multiple outstanding young talents. One young scholar, as an invited editor-in-chief, cooperated with multiple experts to publish two special issues in international academic journals listed in Q2 Journals of Chinese Academy of Sciences. Young talents and graduate students have received ISMRM Summa Cum Laude Award, OCSMRM Distinguished Research Award, ISMRM Clinical Stipend Award, Outstanding Graduation Dissertation for Master Degree of Xi 'an Jiaotong University and the 1st prize of Outstanding Dissertation of Chinese Congress of Radiology,etc. The findings of the team have been specifically reported by multiple media.
Based on National Key Research and Development Project, the team will continually focus on major clinical issues of "Early diagnosis and prognosis evaluation of brain development and injury", further analyze the basic knowledge of pediatric brain and intelligence development and the mechanisms underlying genetic and environmental impact using advanced neuroimaging technologies, establish and optimize the prognostic evaluation system for neonatal and infantile brain injury, occupy the highland of nationwide research, strengthen the transformation and landing of research results and contribute toearly diagnosis and effective treatment of severe diseases.
