Lead researcher
Mr Dhafer M Alahmari
Main finding
We were able to use imaging techniques to detect brain injury in preclinical models that received injurious ventilation. By isolating the haemodynamic pathway from the inflammatory pathway, we further identified that both pathways are major contributors to ventilation-induced brain injury.
Centre
The Ritchie Centre
Research group
Perinatal Transition Group
Journal and article title
Most surprising
This is the first time we've shown that ventilation-induced brain injury persists to 24 hours in the preterm lamb brain and is detectable by advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques.
Future implications
Our findings suggest that brain injury following injurious ventilation is detectable by diffusion tensor imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy 24 hours after insult - a time-point relevant to when clinical MRI is usually performed on preterm babies. Importantly, therapeutic strategies should target both pathways of ventilation-induced brain injury to effectively prevent or reduce adverse neurological outcomes in ventilated preterm infants.
Disease/health impact
Preterm brain injury
