research

victorian infant brain study

summary

The Victorian Infant Brain Study (VIBeS) research group looks at brain injury and early brain development in premature and sick infants using state-of-the-art neuroimaging techniques. We also focus on identifying factors that influence brain maturation in sick infants and determine how they are associated with neurobehavioural development.

The Victorian Infant Brain Studies (VIBeS) team is conducting studies that seek to:

  • Understand the processes that cause brain injury and the factors that disrupt normal brain development in premature babies
  • Determine how early brain injury impacts on subsequent brain development in premature infants
  • Identify brain abnormalities and environmental factors associated with neurobehavioural impairments in premature children
  • Develop interventions to improve the outcome for premature children

group leader(s)

Peter Anderson Colour  A/Professor Peter Anderson
  Victorian Infant Brain Studies (VIBeS)
  Murdoch Childrens Research Institute
  Royal Children's Hospital
  Flemington Road
  Parkville
  Victoria, 3052

  T + 61 3 9345 4830
  F + 61 3 9345 4840
  E peter.anderson@mcri.edu.au

   group leader biography


 

current research projects

Project 1: Determining the neural pathways leading to neurobehavioural impairment in very preterm children: A longitudinal study

This study aims to document the evolution of brain alterations and neurobehavioural impairments in premature infants. A sample of 227 very premature and 90 full-term infants underwent magnetic resonance (MR) brain scans and neurobehavioural assessments. The scans were assessed for structural abnormalities, while quantitative techniques were applied to measure total and regional brain volumes. Diffusion tensor imaging was utilised to assess the microstructural architecture of the white matter of the brain. At two years of age, these children were followed up with medical and developmental assessments. A further follow up at seven years of age is being undertaken.

Project 2: The outcome of premature infants - a randomised trial of preventative care at home

This randomised controlled trial is assessing the effectiveness of a new developmental care intervention program in assisting very premature infants when they leave hospital. This involves nine structured home visits over the first year of life by a physiotherapist and psychologist. Families are randomly assigned to one of two groups (normal care or the new care program), and outcomes will be assessed at 12 and 24 months of age using cognitive, behavioural and motor measures. A further follow up at age four is currently being planned.

team members

  • Zohra Ahmadzai - Research Assistant
  • Leesa Allinson - PhD Student (UoM Physio & Obst/Gyn)
  • Carolyn Anderson - Administrative Assistant
  • Claire Armstrong-Kelly - Honours Student (UoM Paeds)
  • Merilyn Bear - Research Nurse Coordinator
  • Rosemarie Boland - PhD Student (UoM Obstet&Gynae RWH)
  • Nisha Brown - RESEARCH OFFICER
  • Alice Burnett - PhD Student (UoM Psych)
  • Kate Callanan - HONORARY FELLOW
  • Sarah-Pia Carron - Research Assistant
  • Debbie Cations - Office Manager/Personal Assistant
  • Jeanie Cheong - HONORARY FELLOW MANAGER
  • Noni Davis - RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
  • Lex Doyle - HONORARY FELLOW MANAGER
  • Julianne Duff - RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
  • Abbey Eeles - Research Assistant
  • Cheryl Evans - Research Assistant
  • Carmel Ferretti-Bergagna - PhD Student (UoM Psych)
  • Lillian Gabra Fam - PhD Student (UoM Paeds)
  • Terrie Inder - HONORARY FELLOW
  • Elaine Kelly - RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
  • Lucy Lorefice - PhD Student (UoM Physio)
  • Rachel Madhwan - RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
  • Brett Manley - PhD Student (UoM Obstet&Gynae RWH)
  • Marion Mcdonald - RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
  • Emma Mcinnes - Research Assistant
  • Andrea Mcinnes - MPsych/PhD Student (UoM Psych)
  • Carly Molloy - Postdoctoral Research Fellow
  • Carol Newnam - HONORARY RESEARCH FELLOW
  • Joy Olsen - PhD Student (UoM Obstet&Gynae RWH)
  • Cristina Omizzolo - PhD Student (La Trobe PsycholSci)
  • Jane Orton - RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
  • Carmen Pace - MPsych/PhD Student (UoM Psych)
  • Leona Pascoe - Project Co-ordinator
  • Cody Potter - PhD Student (UoM Psych)
  • Sandra Rees - HONORARY FELLOW
  • Natalie Reidy - Post Doctoral Research Fellow
  • Shannon Scratch - Research Assistant
  • Alicia Spittle - Research Officer
  • Sacha Stokes - MPsych/PhD Student (UoM Psych)
  • Anastasiya Suetin - PhD Student (UoM Psych)
  • Deanne Thompson - Research Officer
  • Karli Treyvaud - Postdoctoral Fellow
  • Alex Ure - PhD Student (UoM Psych)
  • Jennifer Walsh - RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
  • Michelle Wilson-Ching - Research Officer

publications

  • Anderson PJ., De Luca CR., Hutchinson E., Spencer-Smith MM., Roberts G., Doyle LW. Attention Problems in a Representative Sample of Extremely Preterm/Extremely Low Birth Weight Children. DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROPSYCHOLOGY 36 (1) : 57 - 73(2011) PubMed
  • Anderson PJ., Dewey D. Introduction: The Consequences of Being Born Very Early or Very Small. DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROPSYCHOLOGY 36 (1) : 1 - 4(2011) PubMed
  • Burnett AC., Anderson PJ., Cheong J., Doyle LW., Davey CG., Wood SJ. Prevalence of psychiatric diagnoses in preterm and full-term children, adolescents and young adults: a meta-analysis. PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE 41 (12) : 2463 - 2474(2011) PubMed
  • Doyle LW. Long-term neurologic outcome for the very preterm growth-restricted fetus. PEDIATRICS 127 (4) (2011) PubMed
  • Doyle LW., Davis PG., Schmidt B., Anderson PJ. Cognitive outcome at 24months is more predictive than at 18months for IQ at 8-9years in extremely low birth weight children. EARLY HUMAN DEVELOPMENT (2011) PubMed
  • Doyle LW., Roberts G., Anderson PJ. Changing long-term outcomes for infants 500-999 g birth weight in Victoria, 1979-2005. ARCHIVES OF DISEASE IN CHILDHOOD-FETAL AND NEONATAL EDITION 96 (6) (2011) PubMed
  • Filan PM., Hunt RW., Anderson PJ., Doyle LW., Inder TE. NeurOlogic outcomes in very preterm infants undergoing surgery. JOURNAL OF PEDIATRICS (2011) PubMed
  • Howard K., Roberts G., Lim J., Lee KJ., Barre N., Treyvaud K., Cheong J., Hunt RW., Inder TE., Doyle LW., Anderson PJ. Biological and Environmental Factors as Predictors of Language Skills in Very Preterm Children at 5 Years of Age. JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL PEDIATRICS 32 (3) : 239 - 249(2011) PubMed
  • Kidokoro H., Anderson PJ., Doyle LW., Neil JJ., Inder TE. High signal intensity of T2-weighted MR imaging at tem-equivalent age in preterm infants does nto predict 2-year neurodevelopmental outcomes. American Journal of Neuroradiology (2011) PubMed
  • Manley BJ., Makrides M., Collins CT., McPhee AJ., Gibson RA., Ryan P., Sullivan TR., Davis PG., DINO Steering Committee. High-Dose Docosahexaenoic Acid Supplementation of Preterm Infants: Respiratory and Allergy Outcomes. PEDIATRICS 128 (1) (2011) PubMed
  • Manley BJ., Owen L., Doyle LW., Davis PG. High-flow nasal cannulae and nasal continuous positive airway pressure use in non-tertiary special care nurseries in Australia and New Zealand. JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRICS AND CHILD HEALTH (2011) PubMed
  • Roberts G., Anderson PJ., Cheong J., Doyle LW., On behalf of the Victorian Infant Collaborative Study Group. Parent-reported health in extremely preterm and extremely low-birthweight children at age 8 years compared with comparison children born at term. DEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE AND CHILD NEUROLOGY 53 (10) : 927 - 932(2011) PubMed
  • Roberts G., Quach J., Gold L., Anderson P., Rickards F., Mensah F., Ainley J., Gathercole S., Wake M. Can improving working memory prevent academic difficulties? a school based randomised controlled trial. BMC PEDIATRICS 11 (57) (2011) PubMed
  • Spencer-Smith M., Anderson P., Jacobs R., Coleman L., Long B., Anderson V. Does Timing of Brain Lesion Have an Impact on Children's Attention?. DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROPSYCHOLOGY 36 (3) : 353 - 366(2011) PubMed
  • Spittle A. How do we use the assessment of general movements in clinical practice?. DEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE AND CHILD NEUROLOGY 53 (8) : 681 - 682(2011) PubMed
  • Spittle AJ., Cheong J., Doyle LW., Roberts G., Lee KJ., Lim J., Hunt RW., Inder TE., Anderson PJ. Neonatal white matter abnormality predicts childhood motor impairment in very preterm children. DEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE AND CHILD NEUROLOGY 53 (11) : 1000 - 1006(2011) PubMed
  • Thompson DK., Ahmadzai ZM., Wood SJ., Inder TE., Warfield SK., Doyle LW., Egan GF. Optimizing Hippocampal Segmentation in Infants Utilizing MRI Post-Acquisition Processing. Neuroinformatics (2011) PubMed
  • Thompson DK., Inder TE., Faggian N., Warfield SK., Anderson PJ., Doyle LW., Egan GF. Corpus callosum alterations in very preterm infants: Perinatal correlates and 2year neurodevelopmental outcomes. NEUROIMAGE (2011) PubMed
  • Tich SNT., Anderson PJ., Hunt RW., Lee KJ., Doyle LW., Inder TE. Neurodevelopmental and Perinatal Correlates of Simple Brain Metrics in Very Preterm Infants. ARCHIVES OF PEDIATRICS & ADOLESCENT MEDICINE 165 (3) : 216 - 222(2011) PubMed
  • Treyvaud K., Doyle LW., Lee KJ., Roberts G., Cheong JLY., Inder TE., Anderson PJ. Family functioning, burden and parenting stress 2 years after very preterm birth. EARLY HUMAN DEVELOPMENT 87 (6) : 427 - 431(2011) PubMed
  • Westrupp EM., Northam E., Doyle LW., Callanan C., Anderson PJ. Adult psychiatric outcomes of very low birth weight survivors. AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY 45 (12) : 1069 - 1077(2011) PubMed
  • Woodward LJ., Clark CAC., Pritchard VE., Anderson PJ., Inder TE. Neonatal White Matter Abnormalities Predict Global Executive Function Impairment in Children Born Very Preterm. DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROPSYCHOLOGY 36 (1) : 22 - 41(2011) PubMed
  • Ye LZ., Kalichman L., Spittle A., Dobson F., Bennell K. Effects of rehabilitative interventions on pain, function and physical impairments in people with hand osteoarthritis: a systematic review. ARTHRITIS RESEARCH & THERAPY 13 (1) (2011) PubMed