Understanding sleep, pain, and recovery in children after intensive care
Official title: Sleep, pain, and recovery in kids after pediatric intensive care (SPARK-PICU)
Funded at Oregon Health & Science University · NIH-11194241 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project aims to understand how sleep and pain affect the long-term recovery of children who have been in a pediatric intensive care unit.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Oregon Health & Science University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Portland, United States) |
| Project start | September 18, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $714,782 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL174653-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11194241 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for future related studies would be children aged 0-11 years old who have previously been hospitalized in a pediatric intensive care unit.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who have not experienced a pediatric intensive care unit stay or who are outside the specified age range may not directly benefit from this particular research.
What this research studies
Many children who survive a stay in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) experience lasting health challenges, including pain and sleep problems. We want to learn more about why these issues happen and how they impact a child's thinking skills, school performance, and overall well-being. By carefully looking at the connections between sleep, pain, and recovery, we hope to find new ways to help these children thrive after their time in the PICU. This work could lead to better support and interventions for young survivors.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new strategies and interventions to improve long-term recovery, reduce pain, and enhance sleep quality for children after pediatric intensive care.
How similar studies have gone: While chronic pain and sleep disturbances are linked to worse executive function in other pediatric groups, this specific connection in PICU survivors is not fully understood, making this a novel area of focus.
Where this research is happening
-
Oregon Health & Science University
Portland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Williams, Cydni Nicole — Oregon Health & Science University
- Study coordinator: Williams, Cydni Nicole
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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.