Brain growth and development after two treatments for infant post-infectious hydrocephalus in Uganda
Official title: Neurocognitive outcomes and changes in brain and CSF volume after treatment of post-infectious hydrocephalus in Ugandan infants by shunting or ETV/CPC: a randomized prospective trial
Funded at Yale University · NIH-11383392 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This trial compares two surgical treatments—shunt and ETV/CPC—for infants with post-infectious hydrocephalus to see which leads to better brain growth and long-term development.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project start | November 1, 2022 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $79,272 |
| NIH project number | 3R01HD085853-12S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11383392 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Infants diagnosed with post-infectious hydrocephalus treated at CURE Children’s Hospital of Uganda, particularly those treated in early infancy (under about 6 months of age), are the ideal candidates for this follow-up work.
✕Less likely to help
Children without post-infectious hydrocephalus, those with hydrocephalus from other causes, or families unable to attend follow-up in Uganda are unlikely to benefit directly from participating.
What this research studies
If your baby had post-infectious hydrocephalus, doctors in this project randomly assign infants to receive either a shunt or endoscopic third ventriculostomy with choroid plexus cauterization (ETV/CPC) and follow them over several years. The children were treated at CURE Children’s Hospital of Uganda and are followed into primary school age to capture longer-term outcomes. The team uses brain imaging to measure brain and CSF volumes and performs detailed neurocognitive tests at multiple visits. They will also look at treatment failures, timing of brain growth, and the relative costs of the two approaches to help guide future care decisions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Results could show which surgery better supports brain growth and development and inform treatment choices for infants with post-infectious hydrocephalus.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier randomized results from the same team showed no clear difference between the two surgeries through 24 months but also revealed that brain volume, not CSF volume, tracked with development, so this longer-term follow-up is building on those findings.
Where this research is happening
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Yale University
New Haven, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schiff, Steven J — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Schiff, Steven J
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Targeting the brain’s fluid system to treat post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus
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Endoscopic versus Shunt Treatment of Hydrocephalus in Infants
A study compares two treatments for hydrocephalus in infants to see which keeps babies cognitively on par with the standard shunt treatment.
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Endoscopic treatment versus shunt for hydrocephalus in infants
This project tests whether a shunt-free endoscopic procedure can be as good as traditional shunting for babies with hydrocephalus.
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Endoscopic treatment vs shunt for infant hydrocephalus
Infants with hydrocephalus may be treated with a shunt or a shunt-free procedure called ETV+CPC, and this study compares the two to see if the shunt-free option can keep cognitive outcomes similar.
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Functional screen of hydrocephalus and heart-disease genes in a frog model
A study uses frog embryos to test how human genetic changes might cause congenital hydrocephalus and related heart defects, with the goal of understanding why these conditions occur.
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Modulating choroid plexus function to restore CSF balance in hydrocephalus
A new NIH grant aims to adjust the choroid plexus, the brain’s CSF factory, to restore normal CSF flow and reduce hydrocephalus-related problems.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.