Speech of Kids After Neonatal Encephalopathy

NCT ID: NCT07136636

Last Updated: 2025-08-22

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Total Enrollment

93 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-04-01

Study Completion Date

2026-12-31

Brief Summary

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The goal of this ambispective cohort study is to reveal the early indicators of delayed language development in children born with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).

We will examine the prognostic accuracy of different biomarkers, with a special focus on the ADC values of the corpus callosum.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. To what extent does hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in infancy affect intellectual development (IQ), receptive and expressive language abilities at different levels of the language system, and memory capacities related to language development?
2. What is the relationship between early biomarkers of brain injury-such as blood gas levels, lactate, aEEG, and MRI findings (Weeke scoring system, ADC values of the corpus callosum)-and long-term cognitive developmental outcomes?
3. What is the incidence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in this high-risk population of infants with HIE?
4. Is there an association between the Weeke Total Score and long-term language developmental outcomes?
5. Can restricted diffusion (ADC values) of the splenium of the corpus callosum serve as an early neuroradiological marker of developmental language disorder (DLD)?

Our participants are children born between 2017 and 2023 with moderate to severe HIE, treated with therapeutic hypothermia at Semmelwies University Children's Hospital. During their first days of life, several neonatal measurements were taken (blood gas markers, aEEG etc.), and at day 4-5, they had an MRI scan of their brain. The MRI scans will be reanalyzed, using the Weeke MRI scoring system. These children underwent a neurodevelopmental follow-up at the age of 2 years and currently, they will have another follow-up at the age of 4-7 years.

Detailed Description

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This ambispective, single-center cohort study will investigate the cognitive and language development of children aged 4-7 years who were previously treated for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and underwent standardized neurodevelopmental assessment at two years of age. In addition to developmental outcomes, the study will incorporate clinical, laboratory, and imaging data collected during the neonatal period. All available neonatal MRI scans will be re-evaluated according to predefined criteria. Recruitment and data collection will take place from April 1, 2025, to December 31, 2026. The study population will include children whose parents provided consent for follow-up assessments at the two-year evaluation.

Phase 1.: Blood gas values like pH, base deficit, PCO2, PO2, HCO3, and lactate were registered. aEEG cerebral activity was recorded using continuous single channel (biparietal, P3-P4) aEEG monitoring. It started before 6 hours of age.

Phase 2. : MRI scans was perfomed between the 4-5th day of postnatal age. The MRI scans will be reanalyzed, using the Weeke MRI scoring system.

Phase 3. : At the age of 2 years participating children underwent neurodevelopemntal follow-up, where the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Second Edition (Bayley-II) was used. It is a standardized tool for assessing the developmental functioning of children from 1 to 42 months of age. The test provides both a Mental Development Index (MDI) and a Psychomotor Development Index (PDI) to summarize performance in key areas.

Phase 4.: At the age of 4-7 years the children will undergo their second neurodevelopmental assessment. Within this assessment we will administer the following:

Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence - Fourth Edition (WPPSI-IV), which assesses Full-Scale IQ, Verbal IQ, and Performance IQ in children aged 4 years to 7 years.

Complex Test of Spoken Language Skills (KOBAK), the first comprehensive, standardized language assessment developed for Hungarian-speaking children. The KOBAK comprises 16 subtests evaluating expressive and receptive language functions across multiple domains (phonology, lexical semantics, morphology, syntax, and pragmatics), as well as speech motor functions and verbal working memory. The test enables evidence-based differentiation of average, above-average, and below-average language abilities; provides a detailed language profile; supports the assessment of school readiness; and facilitates screening, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and longitudinal monitoring of language development.

As part of the neurodevelopmental assessment, parents will complete several questionnaires:

Socioeconomic Questionnaire (assessing parental education, income, and related variables) Jaworsky Questionnaire Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) ScreenQ ADHD Rating Scale Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)

Conditions

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HIE - Hypoxic - Ischemic Encephalopathy Language Delay Autism ADHD - Attention Deficit Disorder With Hyperactivity Specific Language Impairment Intellectual Developmental Disorder

Study Design

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Observational Model Type

COHORT

Study Time Perspective

OTHER

Study Groups

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Children born with Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)

No interventions assigned to this group

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

1. Born at ≥ 35th week of gestation
2. Attended follow-up examinations at two years of age
3. Has parental informed consent

Exclusion Criteria

1. Hearing loss
2. Multilingual language environment
3. Congenital abnormalities
4. Metabolic disease
5. Sudden unexpected postnatal collapse
6. Brain injury not caused by HIE
7. Severe motor impairment defined as a score \<70 on the psychomotor development index (PDI) at 2 years of age
Minimum Eligible Age

0 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

7 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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UiT The Arctic University of Norway

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Budapest University of Technology and Economics

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Eotvos Lorand University

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Semmelweis University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Locations

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Semmelweis University

Budapest, , Hungary

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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Hungary

Facility Contacts

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Miklós Szabó, MD, PhD

Role: primary

0613343186 ext. 52786

Zsuzsanna Varga, PhD

Role: backup

0613343186 ext. 52794, 52795

References

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Bartha-Doering L, Kollndorfer K, Schwartz E, Fischmeister FPS, Alexopoulos J, Langs G, Prayer D, Kasprian G, Seidl R. The role of the corpus callosum in language network connectivity in children. Dev Sci. 2021 Mar;24(2):e13031. doi: 10.1111/desc.13031. Epub 2020 Sep 1.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 32790079 (View on PubMed)

Weeke LC, Groenendaal F, Mudigonda K, Blennow M, Lequin MH, Meiners LC, van Haastert IC, Benders MJ, Hallberg B, de Vries LS. A Novel Magnetic Resonance Imaging Score Predicts Neurodevelopmental Outcome After Perinatal Asphyxia and Therapeutic Hypothermia. J Pediatr. 2018 Jan;192:33-40.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2017.09.043.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 29246356 (View on PubMed)

Ni Bhroin M, Kelly L, Sweetman D, Aslam S, O'Dea MI, Hurley T, Slevin M, Murphy J, Byrne AT, Colleran G, Molloy EJ, Bokde ALW. Relationship Between MRI Scoring Systems and Neurodevelopmental Outcome at Two Years in Infants With Neonatal Encephalopathy. Pediatr Neurol. 2022 Jan;126:35-42. doi: 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2021.10.005. Epub 2021 Oct 13.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 34736061 (View on PubMed)

Chin EM, Jayakumar S, Ramos E, Gerner G, Soares BP, Cristofalo E, Leppert M, Allen M, Parkinson C, Johnston M, Northington F, Burton VJ. Preschool Language Outcomes following Perinatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy in the Age of Therapeutic Hypothermia. Dev Neurosci. 2019 Jun 5:1-11. doi: 10.1159/000499562. Online ahead of print.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31167188 (View on PubMed)

Ouwehand S, Smidt LCA, Dudink J, Benders MJNL, de Vries LS, Groenendaal F, van der Aa NE. Predictors of Outcomes in Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy following Hypothermia: A Meta-Analysis. Neonatology. 2020;117(4):411-427. doi: 10.1159/000505519. Epub 2020 Apr 1.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 32235122 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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NNGYK/24844-9/2025

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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