How sleep and brain activity in premature babies may relate to later development
Official title: Sleep-related behavior and cortical activity in premature human infants as predictors of developmental outcomes.
Funded at University of Iowa · NIH-11327667 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether patterns of sleep and brain activity in premature infants are linked with later developmental outcomes for those children.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Iowa NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Iowa City, United States) |
| Project start | September 5, 2022 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $572,336 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD104616-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11327667 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are premature (preterm) newborns whose parents consent to brief sleep and EEG recordings and longitudinal follow-up visits.
✕Less likely to help
Full-term babies or children whose development is already typical may not directly benefit from findings focused on preterm brain development.
What this research studies
If your premature baby takes part, researchers will record sleep behavior and high-density EEG (brain waves) during naps to capture movements like limb and eye twitches and the brain responses they trigger. They will combine these recordings with brief behavioral observations and then follow the child's development over time with periodic check-ins. This work builds on animal studies and prior recordings in full-term infants to see whether the same sleep-related brain signals appear in preterm babies. The team aims to identify early markers that could signal altered development so families and clinicians can plan follow-up support.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal early brain-and-sleep markers that help identify infants at risk for developmental delays so interventions can begin sooner.
How similar studies have gone: Animal research and prior recordings in full-term human infants found sleep-related, twitch-triggered brain activity, but applying these measures to premature infants is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Iowa
Iowa City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Blumberg, Mark Samuel — University of Iowa
- Study coordinator: Blumberg, Mark Samuel
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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.