How NICU light and noise affect early brain and hearing development
Official title: An Animal Model of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Exposure to Light and Sound
Funded at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences · NIH-11190849 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at whether bright lights and loud sounds like those in the NICU can change early brain and hearing development relevant to infants born prematurely.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 10, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $196,250 |
| NIH project number | 5R21HD114995-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11190849 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This work is most relevant to infants born prematurely who spend time in the NICU and are at risk for hearing, vision, or cognitive delays.
✕Less likely to help
Full-term infants without NICU exposure or people whose hearing or vision problems come from genetic or non-environmental causes are unlikely to benefit directly from this specific project.
What this research studies
If your baby was born early, this research explores whether the light and noise they experience in the NICU can change how their brain and hearing develop. To do that, scientists use a Mongolian gerbil model whose hearing is similar to humans and open the animals' eyes and ears early to mimic preterm birth. The animals are then exposed to NICU-like levels of light and sound during the brain's early critical period, and researchers record brain and ear responses to track lasting changes. The project combines anatomy, electrophysiology, and behavioral measures to understand how early visual input might alter auditory development.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could point to environmental changes or protective strategies in NICUs that reduce lifelong hearing, vision, or learning problems after preterm birth.
How similar studies have gone: Previous animal studies, including recent preliminary work, suggest early light and sound can affect long-term brain development, but translation to human care practices is not yet established.
Where this research is happening
-
Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
Newark, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mowery, Todd M. — Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Mowery, Todd M.
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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.