PI(s): Momany
Primary Team Members:
IRB: 201411731 (Momany, approved) & 202112094 (Momany, approved)
Funding: K99/R00 (Momany)
Status: Sample collection
Study Design: Prospective, longitudinal; Preterm infants hospitalized in UIHC NICU & enrolled in PROMPT or PREMISE. Infant physiology (predictor) and DNAm (mediator) assessed in relation to neurodevelopment (outcome).
Description: VPT infants experience increased physiologic stress which is associated with impaired neurodevelopment. Epigenetic modifications are proposed as a possible mechanism linking physiologic stress and neurodevelopment in VPT infants. For example, repeated procedures during NICU hospitalization are associated with epigenetic changes in stress–response genes (e.g., NRC31, HSDB112), and these epigenetic changes in turn are associated with impaired neurodevelopment in infancy and early childhood. The present study aims to better understand how variability in neonatal physiologic stress impacts epigenetic modifications and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Infants enrolled in the PROMPT study (see below) who have also provided consent for study of their DNA will be included in the study. DNAm of 14 candidate loci will be the primary outcome, although samples will be run on an array that provides genome-wide DNAm. Samples from several time points during NICU hospitalization will be used to examine change in DNAm relative to neurodevelopmental outcome at 24 months of age.

PI(s): Momany

Primary Team Members:

IRB: 201411731 (Momany, approved) & 202112094 (Momany, approved)

Funding: K99/R00 (Momany)

Status: Sample collection

Study Design: Prospective, longitudinal; Preterm infants hospitalized in UIHC NICU & enrolled in PROMPT or PREMISE. Infant physiology (predictor) and DNAm (mediator) assessed in relation to neurodevelopment (outcome).

Description: VPT infants experience increased physiologic stress which is associated with impaired neurodevelopment. Epigenetic modifications are proposed as a possible mechanism linking physiologic stress and neurodevelopment in VPT infants. For example, repeated procedures during NICU hospitalization are associated with epigenetic changes in stress–response genes (e.g., NRC31, HSDB112), and these epigenetic changes in turn are associated with impaired neurodevelopment in infancy and early childhood. The present study aims to better understand how variability in neonatal physiologic stress impacts epigenetic modifications and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Infants enrolled in the PROMPT study (see below) who have also provided consent for study of their DNA will be included in the study. DNAm of 14 candidate loci will be the primary outcome, although samples will be run on an array that provides genome-wide DNAm. Samples from several time points during NICU hospitalization will be used to examine change in DNAm relative to neurodevelopmental outcome at 24 months of age.