NIRS Team - Hydrocephalus Collaboration

Hydrocephalus is the most common complication of either premature birth or a congenital disorder. The buildup of fluid in hydrocephalus compresses the brain. Sometimes the brain expands again once pressure is relieved, but sometimes it does not. World renown neurosurgeon, Benjamin Warf, MD has partnered with FNNDSC'S neuroimaging expert, P. Ellen Grant and her NIRS team of researchers Ivy Lin, PhD and Jason Sutin, PhD to determine why. They brought the near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to the bedsides of Ugandan hydrocephalus patients.

The NIRS team goals are to develop a brain imaging profile that can predict whether a child's brain is likely to bounce back, as well as to use NIRS to monitor progress and, ultimately, guide treatment decisions.