ChildBrain · Project

Brain Imaging Tools for Earlier Diagnosis of Children's Learning and Cognitive Disorders

healthPrototypeTRL 4Thin data (2/5)

Imagine a child struggling in school — they can't focus, reading feels impossible, or seizures keep interrupting their life. Doctors often diagnose these problems late because current brain scans aren't designed for growing brains. This project brought together 14 research groups and companies across 8 countries to build better brain imaging tools specifically tuned for children, so conditions like dyslexia, ADHD, and epilepsy can be spotted earlier and treated more effectively. They also created age-specific brain maps — like GPS for a child's developing brain — that clinicians and educators can actually use.

By the numbers

consortium partners across Europe

countries represented in the network

industry partners involved in tool development

SMEs in the consortium

total project deliverables produced

29%

industry participation ratio in the consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Children with neurocognitive disorders like dyslexia, ADHD, and epilepsy are often diagnosed too late because standard brain imaging tools and analysis methods are designed for adults, not developing brains. This delays treatment and leads to poor educational outcomes. Companies building pediatric diagnostic tools, educational interventions, or pediatric pharma products lack validated, child-specific brain imaging protocols and reference data.

The solution

What was built

The project produced age-specific brain atlases, multi-modal brain imaging analysis tools demonstrated at consortium workshops (including eye-tracker and source monitoring demos), recommendations for single-subject clinical data analysis, training modules for the newly developed software, and protocols and guidelines for pediatric brain research. A total of 18 deliverables were produced across research and training work packages.

Audience

Who needs this

Pediatric neuroimaging device manufacturersEdTech companies building tools for children with learning disabilitiesPharmaceutical companies running pediatric neurology clinical trialsChildren's hospitals upgrading their diagnostic capabilitiesSpecial education assessment providers

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Medical devices and neuroimaging

mid-size

Target: Companies developing EEG/MRI diagnostic equipment for pediatric use

If you are a medical device company building brain imaging hardware or software — this project developed multi-modal data analysis methods and age-specific brain atlases designed specifically for children. These tools address a gap in your product line: most neuroimaging solutions are calibrated for adult brains. The consortium included 4 industry partners who helped shape these tools for clinical end users.

EdTech and special education

SME

Target: Education technology companies serving children with learning disabilities

If you are an EdTech company building products for children with dyslexia, ADHD, or other neurocognitive disorders — this project produced recommendations for single-subject clinical data analysis and training modules for using newly developed software. These evidence-based protocols can strengthen your product claims and help you design interventions grounded in actual brain development research from a consortium spanning 8 countries.

Pharmaceutical and clinical trials

enterprise

Target: Pharma companies developing treatments for pediatric neurological conditions

If you are a pharmaceutical company running clinical trials for pediatric epilepsy or ADHD treatments — this project built age-specific atlases, protocols, and guidelines for brain imaging in children. These tools solve a real problem: measuring drug effects on a developing brain requires different baselines than adult trials. The project's 18 deliverables include validated methods for analyzing individual-level clinical data.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or access these tools?

The project was funded under MSCA-ITN-ETN (a training network), so most outputs are research-grade and likely available through academic licensing or collaboration agreements. Based on available project data, no commercial pricing model is indicated. Contact the coordinator at Jyväskylä University to discuss access terms.

Can these tools work at industrial scale in a clinical setting?

The tools were demonstrated at consortium workshops and include training modules for end users, suggesting they are functional beyond pure research. However, this was primarily a training network with 14 partners, so scaling to routine clinical deployment would require further validation and product engineering.

What is the IP situation — who owns these tools?

IP is typically shared among the 14 consortium partners under H2020 rules, with each partner retaining rights to their contributions. The consortium includes 4 industry partners and 3 SMEs who likely have commercialization interests. Specific licensing terms would need to be negotiated with the coordinator.

Are these methods validated for regulatory approval?

The project produced recommendations for clinical data analyses and age-specific protocols and guidelines. However, as a training network, regulatory validation (e.g., CE marking for diagnostic tools) was not the primary objective. Additional clinical validation steps would be needed for regulatory submission.

How long before these tools could be integrated into existing diagnostic workflows?

The project ended in February 2019 and produced training modules and software recommendations, meaning the core methods are documented and teachable. Integration into existing clinical workflows would depend on compatibility with your current imaging equipment and could take 12-18 months of adaptation work.

Is there ongoing support or development after the project ended?

The project closed in 2019. Based on available project data, the research groups at the 6 universities and 3 research institutes likely continue related work. The project website (childbrain.eu) may have updates on follow-up activities and publications.

Consortium

Who built it

The ChildBrain consortium is a solid research network with 14 partners across 8 countries (Belgium, Germany, Finland, France, Hungary, Netherlands, Sweden, UK). For a training network, the 29% industry ratio is notable — 4 industry partners and 3 SMEs were directly involved alongside 6 universities and 3 research institutes. This means the tools were shaped with some commercial input, though the primary mission was researcher training. The coordinator, University of Jyväskylä in Finland, is a well-known center for learning disorder research. A business partner would find established academic contacts but should expect to do significant product development work to move outputs toward market.

JYVASKYLAN YLIOPISTOCoordinator · FI
INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE EN INFORMATIQUE ET AUTOMATIQUEpartner · FR
ICOMETRIX NVparticipant · BE
MEGIN OYparticipant · FI
UNIVERSITAET MUENSTERparticipant · DE
STICHTING RADBOUD UNIVERSITEITparticipant · NL
TOBII ABpartner · SE
NIILO MAKI -SAATIOpartner · FI
HUN-REN TERMESZETTUDOMANYI KUTATOKOZPONTpartner · HU
KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVENparticipant · BE
KING'S COLLEGE LONDONpartner · UK
ASTON UNIVERSITYparticipant · UK

How to reach the team

Coordinator is Jyväskylä University (Finland). Use Google AI Search to find the principal investigator's contact details.

Order a report on this consortium See JYVASKYLAN YLIOPISTO profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the ChildBrain research team? SciTransfer can connect you with the right people and provide a detailed technology brief tailored to your needs.

Order a report on this topic More in Health & Biomedical