TIME Study: Therapeutic Hypothermia for Infants With Mild Encephalopathy

The TIME study is a randomized, controlled trial to evaluate impact on early measures of neurodevelopment and the safety profile of therapeutic hypothermia in term neonates with Mild Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy who are < 6 hours of age. Neurodevelopmental outcome will be assessed at 12-14 months of age. The study will enroll 68 neonates randomized to therapeutic hypothermia or normothermia across 5 centers in California.

The TIME study is a multi-center randomized, controlled trial of Therapeutic Hypothermia (TH) (33.5°C ± 0.5° for 72 hours) versus normothermia using targeted temperature management, initiated within 6 hours after birth in term neonates with Mild Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE). Mild encephalopathy will be identified using the 6 component modified Sarnat exam as in the Neonatal Research Network of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development trials of TH for moderate-severe encephalopathy and will be expanded to include features of mild encephalopathy. Eligible subjects must demonstrate ≥ 2 exam abnormalities (mild, moderate, severe) but without evidence of moderate-severe encephalopathy (≥ 3 moderate or severe features). The primary outcome is neurodevelopmental outcome at 12-14 months of age. Secondary outcomes include evaluating the safety profile of therapeutic hypothermia in patients with Mild HIE. Therapeutic hypothermia is well tolerated and did not demonstrate serious safety concerns when evaluated in multiple large studies of neonates with moderate-severe HIE. It is now being applied by some practitioners to neonates with Mild HIE without systematic evidence of benefit or potential harm. This data will be necessary in order to develop and larger trial of efficacy to be determined at 2 years of age.