# ULTRASOUND AND VENTILATOR STUDIES IN PRETERM INFANTS

> **NIH NIH R01** · THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY · 1994 · $245,691

## Abstract

Preterm infants requiring ventilatory support because of respiratory
distress syndrome (RDS) will be randomly assigned to either conventional
ventilation (CV) or high frequency jet ventilation (HFJV) during a 5-year
longitudinal study.  In all ventilated infants and in randomly selected
non-ventilated infants (NV) with no or mild RDS, serial cranial ultrasound
(US) studies which do not interfere with intensive care management will be
performed shortly after birth and then every 48 to 72 hours until
ventilatory support is discontinued.  US studies will then be obtained in
all survivors at 7 to 14 day intervals until discharge, and all images will
be independently interpreted by 2 of the investigators, both of whom are
blinded as to the treatment group (CV, HFJV or NV).  The US images will be
graded for intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), periventricular echodensity
(PVE), and periventricular cysts (PCs) and measured for ventricular size
(VS) and brain/cranial growth according to our previously established
protocol.  Color Doppler imaging (CDI), which depicts blood flow in color
and anatomy in black and white, will be used to measure flow velocity and
pulsatility of the cerebral arteries in randomly selected infants from all
three groups (CV, HFJV and NV).  Infants treated by CV and HFJV will be
studied with CDI while on assisted ventilation and again after ventilatory
support has been discontinued.

The goals of this application, a continuation and extension of our present
research, is to compare the relationship of two types of assisted
ventilation (CV and HFJV) to brain disorders as ascertained by neonatal
cranial US and CDI studies and by neurodevelopmental assessments during
early childhood.  The proposed research in preterm infants will test the
following hypotheses:

1. Are neurosonographic abnormalities (ICH,PV,PC) more frequent or     more
severe in infants treated with CV than in those treated       with HFJV?
2. Are cerebral growth and ventricular size as measured by cranial     US
correlated with type of ventilation or with perinatal
   complications and variables independent of type of ventilation?
3. Are cerebral blood flow patterns, velocity, and pulsatility as
determined by CDI correlated with type of ventilation or with US
abnormalities or with both?
4. Are measures of early development independent of the subject's     SES
profile correlated with type of ventilation?

Our studies completed during the past three years have defined the
prognostic significance of various US abnormalities through the early pre-
school period.  As part of this continuation proposal we plan to continue
developmental studies on our previously enrolled prematurely born subjects.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 2198290
- **Project number:** 5R01HD021453-06
- **Recipient organization:** THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY
- **SAM.gov UEI:** R8JEVL4ULGB7
- **Principal Investigator:** LEONARD J GRAZIANI
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1994
- **Award amount:** $245,691
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1987-08-01 → 1996-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/2198290

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 2198290, ULTRASOUND AND VENTILATOR STUDIES IN PRETERM INFANTS (5R01HD021453-06). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/2198290. Licensed CC0.

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