# Advancing microstructural and vascular neuroimaging in perinatal stroke

> **NIH NIH R01** · BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL · 2020 · $348,469

## Abstract

Advancing microstructural and vascular neuroimaging in perinatal stroke
The overall objective of this research is to dramatically improve early diagnosis and prognosis of perinatal
stroke to identify the best management options and therapeutic targets for patients with a poor prognosis.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is considered a safe and sensitive tool for the diagnosis and evaluation of
perinatal stroke and the response of the rapidly growing young brain to this injury. Advanced MRI techniques,
in particular, diffusion-compartment imaging (DCI), susceptibility-weighted MRI (SWI), and magnetic resonance
angiography (MRA) are considered crucial components of a clinical imaging protocol to evaluate stroke and
brain injury. The application of these techniques in the fetal period, however, is extremely challenging because
of the small signal available from the small fetal neural and vascular structures and the intermittent fetal and
maternal motion that disrupts the spatial encoding necessary for these typically lengthy MRI scans. Postnatal
MRI poses similar challenges, particularly with respect to small head movements, which produce significant
artifacts in longer acquisitions. Sedation, which is used to immobilize infants and very young children, is
invasive and potentially harmful; and thus, cannot be used in research studies. There is a critical need,
therefore, for motion-robust, high-resolution, advanced MRI technologies to evaluate neural and neurovascular
structures in the fetus and neonate. The lack of such imaging technology significantly limits clinical evaluation
and prognosis, as well as research on perinatal stroke. This project aims to fill these gaps in technology
through the development of innovative, motion-robust, high-resolution MRI sequences, specifically, DCI, SWI,
and MRA to evaluate neurovascular microstructure, cerebral vascular malformations, and brain network injury
after perinatal stroke. The three specific aims of this project are to 1) develop motion robust DCI to evaluate
altered brain microstructure and connectivity in perinatal stroke; 2) develop motion-robust technology for SWI
for the fetus and newborn; and 3) develop motion-robust MRA for the fetus and newborn. These contributions
are important because they will 1) enable in-vivo high-resolution imaging of the neurovascular structure, brain
network, and injury in the fetal and newborn brain; and 2) significantly improve the use of advanced MRI
technologies to assess perinatal stroke and brain development following perinatal stroke, both in the clinic and
in research settings. The technology developed and knowledge obtained from this study will lead to improved
diagnosis and prognosis of perinatal stroke, and will significantly improve studies and trials that aim to reduce
the burden of related neurological disorders such as cerebral palsy and epilepsy through timely therapeutic
interventions, i.e., anticoagulant therapy, stem cell therapies, brain hypothermia...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9869051
- **Project number:** 5R01NS106030-02
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** ALI GHOLIPOUR-BABOLI
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $348,469
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-02-15 → 2024-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9869051

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9869051, Advancing microstructural and vascular neuroimaging in perinatal stroke (5R01NS106030-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9869051. Licensed CC0.

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