MR imaging in neonates at risk of perinatal brain injury

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  MR imaging in neonates at risk of perinatal brain injury

• IRAS ID

  263765

• Contact name

  Tomoki Arichi

• Contact email

  tomoki.arichi@kcl.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  King's College London

• Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

  N/A, N/A

• Duration of Study in the UK

  6 years, 11 months, 30 days

• Research summary

  Brain injury around the time of frequently birth causes death or disability. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a very safe mode of imaging which does not use xrays, and which can safely be performed on even the smallest sickest
  newborn infants. MRI can provide detailed information about patterns of injury, and these patterns predict outcome.
  We have installed a state of the art MRI system on our neonatal intensive care unit allowing us to perform imaging of sick infants with minimum disruption to their intensive care. We have optimised both conventional and advanced MR sequences for the immature brain and for the wide range of pathologies seen in
  neonatology. Our previous research has provided valuable information on the impact of premature birth, abnormal brain oxygen supply, stroke and low blood sugar levels on subsequent brain development.
  We now aim to continue our observational research into the pathophysiology of, and outcome following perinatal brain injury. In particular we aim to discover new neurological markers following suspected perinatal brain injury; further
  phenotype patterns of injury; document subsequent brain repair and work towards improving service provided to infants with brain injury by improving resource provision based on prognostic information given to parents. This work
  requires comparison of imaging findings to the outcome of the child at 2 years of age. We aim to study up to 500 infants over a 7 year period. Infants will undergo MRI scan shortly after enrolment. All infants will
  be invited for one followup scan before two years of age, with formal developmental assessment at 18 months - 2 years of age and again at 5 years of age.
  With parental consent, we will collect buccal / saliva samples from the infant by the standard method used by the research unit. Collected samples will be stored for later genomic analysis

• REC name

  London - City & East Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  19/LO/1384

• Date of REC Opinion

  28 Oct 2019

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion