# Infant arousal as a predictor of functional outcomes in Down syndrome (DS)

> **NIH NIH K23** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2024 · $169,475

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
This mentored career development proposal will 1) generate a novel multimodal arousal-based objective
biomarker of cognitive, social, and sensory outcomes in infants with DS and 2) establish Dr. Rebecca Grzadzinski
as an independent clinical researcher in behavioral and neurobiological characteristics of infants with DS. The
overarching hypothesis is that atypical arousal patterns in early life influence how an infant with DS interacts
with, samples from, and learns within a multisensory environment. Building upon neurobiological findings in
typical and neurodevelopmental disorders, we hypothesize that 1) social arousal is associated with parent-
reported social skills as well as amygdala volume, 2) non-social arousal is associated with parent-reported
sensory reactivity and occipital volumes, and 3) habituation to stimuli is associated with estimates of cognitive
ability and frontal lobe volumes. By identifying these arousal patterns in real-time in response to specific, well-
controlled stimuli, we can begin to develop novel early interventions that are tailored to the infant's unique arousal
profile. Linking arousal dynamics with underlying neurobiology not only validates the constructs but also provides
targets for dissection in preclinical models of DS. This proposal is an unprecedented and time-sensitive
opportunity to capitalize on the largest longitudinally followed sample of infants with DS with robust behavioral
and neurobiological phenotyping. The foundation of this work leverages the ongoing data collection pipeline of
infants with DS from 6 to 24 months of age within the multi-site, longitudinal Infant Brain Imaging Study (IBIS;
PI: Piven; R01MH118362; PI: Botteron; R01HD088125-01A1). With the support of this proposal, stimuli designed
to elicit arousal-based responses will be added to the standard IBIS battery. Parent report and direct assessment
measures will be extracted from the IBIS database and arousal biometrics will be linked with concurrent and
longitudinal metrics of cognitive, social, and sensory behaviors in infants with DS. Dr. Grzadzinski has assembled
an expert mentorship team, including Drs. Piven (Director of IBIS) and Hazlett (UNC Site PI), who will mentor
her during completion of this project and ensure she has access to all the IBIS resources necessary to bring this
project to fruition. Drs. Lynch, Rodriguez-Romaguera, and Vora complete her mentorship team by adding
methodological, translational, and clinical expertise needed to guide Dr. Grzadzinski toward independence. This
project is a groundbreaking opportunity to validate early arousal biomarkers of cognitive, social, and sensory
outcomes in infants with DS and ultimately guide early intervention and preclinical research in DS. This
proposal aligns with the NIH INCLUDE Project Research Plan to collect deep phenotyping data on individuals
with DS by linking with existing cohorts and will position Dr. Grzadzinski to be a highly successful indepe...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10903842
- **Project number:** 5K23HD112809-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Rebecca Lynn Grzadzinski
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $169,475
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-08-09 → 2026-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10903842

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10903842, Infant arousal as a predictor of functional outcomes in Down syndrome (DS) (5K23HD112809-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10903842. Licensed CC0.

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