# 4/7: Longitudinal Evaluation of the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on High-risk New and Expectant Mothers

> **NIH NIH R34** · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · 2020 · $158,349

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
While the rate of neonatal abstinence syndrome has reached a staggering 6.5 per 1,000 births nationwide, the
short- and long-term effects of in-utero opioid exposure are far from clear. We lack fundamental knowledge of
neurotypical neonatal development and struggle to disentangle the effect of opioid exposure from other
protective and risk factors impacting infant health. The fetal stage of brain development is a critical period
when foundational aspects of brain structure and function are being established. In addition, postnatal brain
development and specialization are shaped by environmental experiences thus allowing maturation to be
influenced by lifestyle factors associated with opioid use. This Phase I project will plan for a large scale, multi-
site research study to prospectively examine human brain, cognitive, behavioral, social, and emotional
development beginning prenatally through childhood. The University of Pittsburgh is one of four linked sites
including Oregon Health and Sciences University, New York University and the University of Vermont that will
address key challenges critical to the success of the planned Phase II study. Aim 1 will develop, implement
and evaluate innovative recruitment and retention strategies for high-risk populations through a longitudinal
survey of 150 pregnant women per site (n=600 across sites), half of whom are opioid using. Aim 2 will
implement a multi-site, standardized, longitudinal research protocol by enrolling 20 pregnant women per site
(n=80 across sites), half of whom are opioid using. This prospective longitudinal study will collect fetal and
neonatal multimodal MRI, biospecimens, and maternal psychosocial and health assessments. Aim 3 will
evaluate data acquisition, processing, and statistical considerations to maximize data quality, usability, and
integration across sites. We will test the efficacy of (A) real-time motion monitoring/quality assessment for
improving overall data quality and (B) time-savings versus MRI quality using new acceleration sequence
protocols. This approach will inform and set a strong foundation for a comprehensive and effective Phase II
research plan. The University of Pittsburgh site is led by a highly productive, NIH-funded investigative team
with multidisciplinary expertise in substance use (Krans, Bogen), pregnancy (Krans), and fetal, neonatal, and
pediatric neuroimaging (Luna, Panigrahy). Specifically, our team has established study protocols that yield
excellent recruitment (~76%) and retention (~74%) rates among opioid using pregnant women, has substantial
experience with imaging the immature brain (fetal/neonatal) and is a leader in developmental cognitive
neuroscience using multimodal imaging to investigate neural mechanisms underlying neurocognitive
development through adolescence. We will leverage our on-going, NIH-funded, multi-center neuroimaging
studies to provide imaging harmonization techniques and assist with the development...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10148378
- **Project number:** 3R34DA050290-01S2
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
- **Principal Investigator:** Elizabeth E Krans
- **Activity code:** R34 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $158,349
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2019-09-30 → 2021-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10148378

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10148378, 4/7: Longitudinal Evaluation of the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on High-risk New and Expectant Mothers (3R34DA050290-01S2). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10148378. Licensed CC0.

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