# Neonatal Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography to Assess the Effects of Postnatal Exposures on Retinal Development and Predict Neurodevelopmental Outcomes

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · 2024 · $393,262

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Worldwide, more than 1 in 10 babies are born premature. Prematurity is not only the leading cause of death in
children under 5 years of age, but also has serious long-term consequences for those preterm infants who
survive. As such, there is a growing population of infants at risk for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), visual
impairment and neurodevelopmental impairment. Understanding how the eye is altered due to preterm birth,
while accounting for postnatal factors such as oxygen use and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-
VEGF) treatment, is key to determining those infants at highest risk for visual and neurodevelopmental
impairment. Historically, this vulnerable population has been difficult to study, as invasive testing is both difficult
to perform as well as potentially harmful. Our study will utilize non-invasive eye imaging, using ocular coherence
tomography and angiography (OCT/OCTA), in preterm and term infants requiring intensive care. These images
will be analyzed using established measures, to identify how eye development differs in newborn infants exposed
to various systemic and local treatments such as oxygen and anti-VEGF intravitreal injections. Moreover, we will
identify retinal biomarkers from OCT/OCTA imaging that predict a number of key visual and development
outcomes, including treatment-requiring ROP shortly after birth and visual and neurodevelopmental impairment
at 2-3 years of age. Results from these studies will broaden and deepen our understanding of retinal blood vessel
development in preterm infants, the eye’s response to oxygen and anti-VEGF. In addition, developing non-
invasive retinal biomarkers as predictors for visual and neurodevelopmental impairment will augment
identification of at-risk infants early in the postnatal period will help to initiate individualized therapies during a
period of critical neurodevelopment which will optimize their long-term outcomes.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10863968
- **Project number:** 5R01EY033794-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
- **Principal Investigator:** Alison Chu
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $393,262
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-07-01 → 2027-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10863968

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10863968, Neonatal Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography to Assess the Effects of Postnatal Exposures on Retinal Development and Predict Neurodevelopmental Outcomes (5R01EY033794-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10863968. Licensed CC0.

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