Cutting-edge software at MCH will improve diagnosis and treatment of children with high-risk neurological conditions

Dr Atul Malhotra and Mr Jeff Chen, Monash Children's Hospital 
MRI Supervisor

A $55,000 Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences equipment fund grant will enhance imaging capabilities at the Monash Children’s Hospital, enabling further research into developmental brain injuries.

Dr Atul Malhotra from the Monash University Department of Paediatrics has received the funds to install vital research software on the MRI scanner in the Monash Children’s Hospital.

In collaboration with the University of Queensland and his colleagues Professor Michael Ditchfield and Associate Professor Michael Fahey, Dr Malhotra, who is also a consultant neonatologist at Monash Children’s Hospital, has an NHMRC funded project grant worth more than $1.6 million to study preterm neurodevelopment. This includes investigating MRI images of preterm infants using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) technology.

“DTI technology is used to map and characterise the three-dimensional diffusion of water in the brain as a function of spatial location,” Dr Malhotra said.

“Data from this technology provides us with estimates of white matter connectivity patterns in the brain from white matter.”

“This is particularly useful in studying developmental brain injuries, for example, preterm white matter injury.”

Dr Malhotra said he could not have commenced this vital research project without the DTI software.

“While we’ve used this technology in preclinical research at Monash Biomedical Imaging, having this technology on site at Monash Children’s Hospital provides excellent access for our young patients as more applications of this technology become available,” Dr Malhotra said.

“This new technology also opens up more opportunities for the Monash Health Translation Precinct to run innovative projects and studies in vulnerable infants and children in the future, as well as building on collaborative studies with other institutions who use this technology to image the brain.”

“Ultimately, DTI is likely to be embedded in the clinical care of children - especially those with high risk neurological conditions, and will eventually lead to sophisticated diagnosis and access to earlier, targeted treatment,” Dr Malhotra said.

Dr Malhotra is grateful for the Faculty’s support, and in particular Deputy Dean (Research) Professor Ross Coppel for funding this vital imaging software.