The EETR Study

Epigenetic Effects on Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery

Overview

EETR is an observational, prospective, longitudinal concurrent cohort study of children aged 3-18 years with either TBI or orthopedic injury, recruited from the UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Participants complete study visits acutely and at 6 and 12 months post-injury.

Genomic data

  • BDNF DNA methylation
  • Genome-wide DNA methylation
  • BDNF expression data

Eligibility

Children aged 3-18 years with either TBI or orthopedic injury and no history of neurological disorder.

Study Dates

2017 - present

Ethics

The study received ethics approval from the University of Pittsburgh Institutional Review Board. Participants and their parents provide informed consent/assent.

Assessments

EETR data collection is conducted at three time points: acute (prior to hospital discharge) and chronic (at 6 and 12 months post-injury) during outpatient follow-up visits at CHP. Extensive phenotypic data collection broadly included hypothesized predictors of neurobehavioral recovery, neurobehavioral outcomes, and potential confounders/covariates related to epigenetics or neurobehavioral recovery.

Team

Amery Treble-Barna (PI); Lacey Heinsberg, Dan Weeks, Yvette Conley, Pat Kochanek, Keith Yeates (Co-Is)

Funding

Selected publications

  1. Treble-Barna A, Patronick J, Uchani S, Marousis NC, Zigler CK, Fink EL, Kochanek PM, Conley YP, Yeates KO. Epigenetic Effects on Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery (EETR): An Observational, Prospective, Longitudinal Concurrent Cohort Study Protocol. Front Neurol. 2020 Jun 12;11:460. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2020.00460. PMID: 32595586; PMCID: PMC7303323.

  2. Treble-Barna A, Heinsberg LW, Stec Z, Breazeale S, Davis TS, Kesbhat AA, Chattopadhyay A, VonVille HM, Ketchum AM, Yeates KO, Kochanek PM, Weeks DE, Conley YP. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) epigenomic modifications and brain-related phenotypes in humans: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2023 Apr;147:105078. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105078. Epub 2023 Feb 9. PMID: 36764636; PMCID: PMC10164361.

  3. Heinsberg LW, Kesbhat A, Petersen B, Kaseman L, Stec Z, Anton N, Kochanek PM, Yeates KO, Weeks DE, Conley YP, Treble-Barna A. Differential DNA Methylation of the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Gene is Observed after Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury Compared with Orthopedic Injury. J Neurotrauma. 2025 Dec 9. doi: 10.1177/08977151251400737. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41376515.