Helping brain growth and thinking after infant hydrocephalus treatment 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-11383325 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project compares two surgical treatments—shunt and ETV/CPC—for Ugandan infants who developed hydrocephalus after infection to see which better supports brain growth and thinking as they grow.
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) | $102,403 |
| NIH project number | 3R01HD085853-12S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11383325 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children who had post-infectious hydrocephalus treated as infants (under six months of age) and are now school-age, especially those treated at CURE Children's Hospital of Uganda, would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Children without post-infectious hydrocephalus, those whose hydrocephalus began later or has a different cause, or those unable to attend follow-up visits are unlikely to benefit directly.
What this research studies
You would be part of a long-term follow-up of children in Uganda who were treated as infants for post-infectious hydrocephalus with either a shunt or an endoscopic third ventriculostomy with choroid plexus cauterization (ETV/CPC). Researchers will collect brain imaging and cerebrospinal fluid measures and give detailed neurocognitive tests as the children reach school age up to about 10 years. The team will compare brain growth, developmental and cognitive scores, device failures, and health outcomes between the two treatment groups over time. They will also analyze costs and long-term benefits to help guide care for children with this condition in low-resource settings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could point to the treatment that best supports long-term brain growth and cognitive development and help clinicians choose the most effective approach for children with post-infectious hydrocephalus.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier randomized results from this same team showed similar short-term failure and developmental outcomes between shunt and ETV/CPC up to two years, but longer-term effects on brain growth and school-age development remain uncertain.
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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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.