Cerebral circulatory control in response to perinatal stress in late preterm infants

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K15722
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 52050:Embryonic medicine and pediatrics-related
• Research Institution: Nagoya City University
• Principal Investigator: Tsuda Kennosuke 名古屋市立大学, 医薬学総合研究院(医学), 助教 (20727507)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 早産児

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The aim of this study was to elucidate how the regulatory mechanisms of homeostasis during adaptation to the postnatal environment lead to subsequent brain damage. Using brain scattering coefficient of near-infrared light (μs’) as a marker for assessing brain micro-structural complexity, this study demonstrated that μs’ obtained from the head at term-equivalent age is associated with birth transition and nutritional status thereafter. Moreover, blood pH drift from the physiological equilibrium at birth might trigger a system, which reverts and over-corrects blood pH within the first week of life. We also showed the frequency of punctate white matter injury on MRI (10.8%) and the risk factors (large birth weight and acidosis at birth) in late preterm infants. In the future, we would like to clarify the relationship between scatter coefficients and MRI and how these lead to long-term outcomes.

Free Research Field

新生児

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

出生後のトランジション不良と傷害カスケードとの関連性を明らかにすることは、それに続く神経発達障害の早期スクリーニング、診断、治療のための新しい戦略の開発に貢献する可能性がある．散乱係数は繰り返しの評価が可能なことから，早産児の脳損傷の隠れた独立変数を特定するための非侵襲的バイオマーカーとして利用できる潜在性が示された．また今回の結果はLate preterm児だけでなくハイリスク新生児に対しても応用できる可能性がある．