MRI markers to predict outcomes after newborn brain injury
Consortium Of MRI Biomarkers In Neonatal Encephalopathy (COMBINE)
This project uses newborn brain MRI scans and AI tools to help doctors predict which babies with oxygen-related brain injury may have developmental problems by 18–22 months.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston Children's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11336387 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If your newborn had suspected hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) or another acquired brain injury, their clinical brain MRI from the first days or weeks of life would be collected and reviewed. Experts' MRI readings and new AI algorithms will be compared and combined to create a more reliable imaging marker linked to outcomes at 18–22 months. The work pools MRIs across multiple neonatal centers so the marker is trained on diverse data and tested against long-term developmental results. The goal is a faster, reproducible signal that can guide therapy decisions and future trials.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Newborns (first days to weeks of life) with suspected hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy or other acquired neonatal brain injury who receive clinical MRI at participating neonatal centers.
Not a fit: Children without neonatal brain injury, older infants or toddlers, or babies who do not receive a clinical MRI at a participating site would not be eligible or directly helped by this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could give families and clinicians an earlier, more reliable way to predict developmental outcomes and speed testing of new treatments.
How similar studies have performed: Previous neuroradiologist MRI scoring by the Neonatal Research Network showed promise (good sensitivity in one dataset but variable specificity and inter-reader agreement), and applying AI to this problem is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Boston Children's Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Grant, Patricia Ellen — Boston Children's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Grant, Patricia Ellen
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 below.