# Integrated analysis of autonomic biomarkers in prematurity-related ventilatory control: Determination of neurorespiratory maturation and predictors of co-morbidity risk

> **NIH NIH U01** · LURIE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF CHICAGO · 2020 · $530,569

## Abstract

Project Summary
The broad long-term objective of the proposed study is to use comprehensive state-of-the-art high-fidelity
monitoring to investigate physiological biomarkers of autonomic neurorespiratory maturation with integrated
analysis of autonomic nervous system (ANS) responses in preterm infants, and to evaluate their role in
ventilatory instability, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), and co-morbidities including impaired neuromotor
development in the 1st year of life. SPECIFIC AIM 1 will establish the spectrum and developmental trajectory of
ANS maturation/function using 20-hour high-resolution recordings of ventilatory, cardiovascular, and
cerebrovascular physiology during typical endogenous daily activity (32 and 36 weeks; 3 months) and brief
evoked hypoxic, hyperoxic, and hypercarbic challenges of peripheral and central chemoreceptors to unmask
latent autonomic and respiratory instability (36 weeks; 3 and 12 months). Aim 1 tests the hypothesis that
individual and integrated metrics of ANS function will demonstrate maturational patterns that impart resilience
or vulnerability to physiologic challenges. SPECIFIC AIM 2 will determine respiratory and neurodevelopmental
morbidity throughout the 1st year of life using a composite Respiratory Morbidity Severity Score that includes
need for respiratory support, medications, or hospitalization (3, 6, 9, 12 months), and the Neurological,
Sensory, Motor, Developmental Assessment (3, 6, 12 months) as clinically applicable outcome measures, and
will associate these measures with ANS development and function. Aim 2 tests the hypothesis that infants
demonstrating delayed ANS maturation or vulnerability to physiologic perturbations will require more
respiratory interventions and will demonstrate neuromotor delays in the 1st year of life. SPECIFIC AIM 3 will
determine endotypes of autonomic neurorespiratory stability and maturation through trajectory analysis and
integrated physiological modeling. Aim 3 tests the hypothesis that trajectory analysis will reveal 3 autonomic
maturation patterns (1)anticipated maturation with ability to withstand physiologic perturbations; 2)anticipated
maturation without ability to withstand physiologic perturbations; and 3)delayed or disordered maturation with
an inability to maintain physiologic stability even in the absence of environmental perturbations) that will predict
varying degrees of respiratory morbidity and neuromotor impairment at 1 year. This novel approach will
establish the role of autonomic neurorespiratory maturation in stability of oxygenation throughout the 1st year of
life, provide insight into BPD pathogenesis, allow prospective identification of at-risk infants, and permit
development of mechanism-specific interventions that have potential to impact thousands of families and
billions of dollars in healthcare costs each year in the U.S., alone.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10006025
- **Project number:** 5U01HL133704-05
- **Recipient organization:** LURIE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF CHICAGO
- **Principal Investigator:** AARON HAMVAS
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $530,569
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-09-01 → 2022-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10006025

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10006025, Integrated analysis of autonomic biomarkers in prematurity-related ventilatory control: Determination of neurorespiratory maturation and predictors of co-morbidity risk (5U01HL133704-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10006025. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*