Dear reviewers: responses to common reviewer critiques about infant neuroimaging studies

The field of adult neuroimaging relies on well-established principles in research design, imaging sequences, processing pipelines, as well as safety and data collection protocols. The field of infant magnetic resonance imaging, by comparison, is a young field with tremendous scientific potential but continuously evolving standards. The present article aims to initiate a constructive dialog between researchers who grapple with the challenges and inherent limitations of a nascent field and reviewers who evaluate their work. We address 20 questions that researchers commonly receive from research ethics boards, grant, and manuscript reviewers related to infant neuroimaging data collection, safety protocols, study planning, imaging sequences, decisions related to software and hardware, and data processing and sharing, while acknowledging both the accomplishments of the field and areas of much needed future advancements. This article reflects the cumulative knowledge of experts in the FIT'NG community and can act as a resource for both researchers and reviewers alike seeking a deeper understanding of the standards and tradeoffs involved in infant neuroimaging.R01 MH104324 - NIMH NIH HHS; UL1 TR001863 - NCATS NIH HHS; P50 MH115716 - NIMH NIH HHS; K01 MH108741 - NIMH NIH HHS; TL1 TR001864 - NCATS NIH HHS; R01 MH118285 - NIMH NIH HHS; U01 MH110274 - NIMH NIH HHS; P50 MH100029 - NIMH NIH HHS; ZIA MH002782 - Intramural NIH HHS; R01 EB027147 - NIBIB NIH HHS; R01 MH119251 - NIMH NIH HHS; UL1 TR003015 - NCATS NIH HHS; F31 HD102156 - NICHD NIH HHS; KL2 TR003016 - NCATS NIH HHS; T32 MH018268 - NIMH NIH HHSPublished versio

An ode to fetal, infant, and toddler neuroimaging: chronicling early clinical to research applications with MRI, and an introduction to an academic society connecting the field

Fetal, infant, and toddler neuroimaging is commonly thought of as a development of modern times (last two decades). Yet, this field mobilized shortly after the discovery and implementation of MRI technology. Here, we provide a review of the parallel advancements in the fields of fetal, infant, and toddler neuroimaging, noting the shifts from clinical to research use, and the ongoing challenges in this fast-growing field. We chronicle the pioneering science of fetal, infant, and toddler neuroimaging, highlighting the early studies that set the stage for modern advances in imaging during this developmental period, and the large-scale multi-site efforts which ultimately led to the explosion of interest in the field today. Lastly, we consider the growing pains of the community and the need for an academic society that bridges expertise in developmental neuroscience, clinical science, as well as computational and biomedical engineering, to ensure special consideration of the vulnerable mother-offspring dyad (especially during pregnancy), data quality, and image processing tools that are created, rather than adapted, for the young brain.UL1 TR001863 - NCATS NIH HHS; R01 MH117983 - NIMH NIH HHS; K24 MH127381 - NIMH NIH HHS; UL1 TR001873 - NCATS NIH HHS; TL1 TR001875 - NCATS NIH HHS; T32 MH018268 - NIMH NIH HHS; ZIA MH002782 - Intramural NIH HHS; UL1 TR003015 - NCATS NIH HHS; KL2 TR003016 - NCATS NIH HHS; R01 HD065762 - NICHD NIH HHS; R03 EB022754 - NIBIB NIH HHS; R21 HD095338 - NICHD NIH HHS; R01 HD093578 - NICHD NIH HHS; R01 HD099846 - NICHD NIH HHS; R01 HD100560 - NICHD NIH HHSPublished versio