# Pre-Vent Apnea

> **NIH NIH U01** · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2020 · $249,780

## Abstract

Project Summary
 This “Pre-Vent Apnea” application brings together established investigators at the University of
Alabama at Birmingham (UAB; Clinical Site) with expertise in neonatal clinical and translational research
and at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMASS; Analytical Core) with complementary
expertise in control of breathing and signal processing in physiological systems. The overall objective of the
local project is to use a prospective cohort of 200 preterm infants <29 weeks gestation at UAB to
prospectively define and validate ventilatory mechanisms associated with resilience against or risk for
development of impaired oxygenation at 36 weeks' postmenstrual age (physiologic definition of BPD) and at
follow-up (corrected age of 3 months) using multiparametric physiologic monitoring and intensive data
collection (96 hours each) at three distinct time frames: 2 weeks postnatal age, 32 weeks post-menstrual
age (PMA), 36 weeks PMA, in addition to continuous heart rate, respiratory rate, and pulse oximetry
waveform recording from enrollment soon after birth until discharge.
 We will address the objective by the following Specific Aims:
Specific Aim 1- Development and validation of mathematical models of personalized ventilatory patterns
based on multiparametric vital signs monitoring and signal analysis methods to (a) predict hypoxemic and/or
bradycardic episodes in individual infants before they occur, (b) identify patterns of ventilatory abnormalities
associated with BPD with and without pulmonary hypertension, as well as with and without respiratory or
feeding support at 3 months corrected age.
Specific Aim 2 - Determine if late (at or beyond postnatal day 14) mild permissive hypercapnia is associated
with reduction in apnea, bradycardia, and hypoxemic episodes and with improved stability of oxygenation.
Specific Aim 3 – Determine if servo-controlled oxygen environment is associated with reduction in
hypoxemic episodes and improved stability of oxygenation, as compared to oxygen administered by nasal
cannula.
 In addition, for the multicenter collaborative project, we will collaborate with other clinical research
centers and a Leadership and Data Coordinating Center (LDCC) on a multicenter protocol that will
investigate ventilatory control mechanisms in outcomes of instability of oxygenation and acute and chronic
morbidity.
 The ultimate goal of our participation in this project is to gain greater insight into the pathogenesis of
respiratory disorders in extremely preterm infants and discover targets for new prevention and treatment
strategies to improve outcomes for very vulnerable children at the beginning of life.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10140764
- **Project number:** 3U01HL133536-05S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
- **Principal Investigator:** Namasivayam Ambalavanan
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $249,780
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2016-08-22 → 2022-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10140764

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10140764, Pre-Vent Apnea (3U01HL133536-05S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10140764. Licensed CC0.

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