Endoscopic (ETV+CPC) versus shunt care for infants with hydrocephalus
Official title: Endoscopic versus Shunt Treatment of Hydrocephalus in Infants
Funded at Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah · NIH-11178386 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This compares two treatments for babies under one year with hydrocephalus—an endoscopic procedure (ETV+CPC) and a traditional CSF shunt—to see if their thinking and development are similar one year after surgery.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Salt Lake City, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2019 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $955,706 |
| NIH project number | 5U01NS107486-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11178386 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Infants aged 12 months corrected age or younger with hydrocephalus who require surgical treatment at a participating tertiary pediatric neurosurgery center in North America.
✕Less likely to help
Children older than 12 months, infants who do not need surgery, or those with medical issues that make them ineligible may not be eligible or benefit from this study.
What this research studies
If your baby joins, they would receive either an endoscopic third ventriculostomy with choroid plexus cauterization (ETV+CPC) or a traditional cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt at a participating pediatric neurosurgery center. The study follows infants up to at least 12 months after surgery and uses the Bayley-III Cognitive Scale to compare cognitive and developmental outcomes with a predefined non-inferiority margin. The Hydrocephalus Clinical Research Network and others have previously shown ETV+CPC can be safe and allow some infants to avoid shunts. Families will come for follow-up visits and testing to track development and any complications.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, more infants might avoid lifelong shunts without losing cognitive development.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows ETV+CPC can be safe and let some infants avoid shunts, but direct comparisons focused on one-year cognitive outcomes are new.
Where this research is happening
-
Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah
Salt Lake City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kestle, John — Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah
- Study coordinator: Kestle, John
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Endoscopic treatment vs shunt for infant hydrocephalus
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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.