Ronald L. Ariagno

Our laboratory has been particularly interested in the problem of a sudden infant death syndrome, which is a sudden unexpected death of a newborn infant, usually during the first year of life, which I feel may be related to abnormalities or immaturity in brain development.

My research is primarily focused brain development in the preterm and newborn infant. We are investigating how maturation of the brain effects basic functions which are necessary for the health and well-being of newborn infants. Sleep development is examined by using time lapsed video and computer recording techniques. These studies show us how the brain controls sleep and wakeful states in healthy and sick infants. Body temperature is also controlled by brain mechanisms. How the brain controls temperature varies with wakefulness and sleep. Our studies on temperature regulation and sleep will help to explain how the infant adjust to fever and how function is maintained. Body rhythms are also controlled by brain mechanisms, an internal biologic clock. How sleep, temperature and biological are important to understand how other basic functions such as heart rate and breathing interact, are regulated. By understanding how each of these systems develop and how they interact will give us important information about normal and abnormal development and the health implications.

Our studies also extend to the newborn intensive care nursery where lighting, noise and other environmental chaos can have a significant impact on how the nervous system develops. We are evaluating this environment and testing how lighting can be used to facilitate development of the infant, by improving sleep, and biorhythms. Ultimately, we are interested in improving outcome by adjusting the environment for the brain development needs of the infant.

In summary, our studies are primarily focused on brain development, during the first six months of life, in both the preterm and full term infant. Knowledge of how the brain develops will be important to understand how basic life functions are regulated in the human infant during the first year of life.