Retinal clues to brain injury in children with sickle cell disease
Official title: Association of Retinal Perfusion with Cerebral Microvascular Injury in Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease
Funded at Johns Hopkins University · NIH-11434144 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at whether eye blood vessels measured with OCT scans can reflect brain injury in kids with sickle cell disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $655,736 |
| NIH project number | 1R01HL188326-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11434144 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children aged 6 to 18 years with sickle cell disease who will undergo annual eye imaging and an exit brain MRI.
✕Less likely to help
Children without sickle cell disease or those unable to complete annual eye scans may not benefit.
What this research studies
In children with sickle cell disease, silent brain injuries are common and hard to monitor between MRI scans. This project will use noninvasive eye imaging (OCT and OCT-A) to measure retinal microvascular health and see how it relates to brain injury seen on MRI. The researchers will follow 80 children aged 6–18 for up to four years, collecting annual eye scans and a brain MRI at the end of the study. They will analyze whether retinal features can predict existing brain injury and future risk, and how treatment exposure may influence these markers. The goal is to develop accessible retinal biomarkers that help track disease activity and response to therapy in pediatric SCD.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, clinicians could use retinal tests to noninvasively monitor brain injury risk and disease activity in children with sickle cell disease.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work suggests retinal changes can reflect cerebrovascular health, but prospective pediatric studies linking retinal metrics to SCI are limited and exploratory.
Where this research is happening
-
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Scott, Adrienne — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Scott, Adrienne
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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.