Thalamic Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound in Acute Brain Injury (LIFUP)
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| ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02522429 |
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Recruitment Status :
Recruiting
First Posted : August 13, 2015
Last Update Posted : March 1, 2018
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| Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
|---|---|---|
| Consciousness Disorders Brain Injuries | Device: Focused Ultrasound Device | Not Applicable |
Few neurological conditions are as scientifically mysterious and clinically, legally, and ethically challenging as disorders of consciousness (DOC). Typically developed after severe brain injury, this set of related conditions includes Coma, the Vegetative State (VS) and the Minimally Conscious State (MCS). In the past 20 years, an increasing amount of research has broken many conventions about these disorders, including the once widespread belief that these patients are entirely apallic - that is, lack any kind of "higher" activity. Since then, it has been shown that a lot of brain activity, including relatively high-level cognitive processes, can remain in DOC patients. Nonetheless, to date there exists no standard intervention for patients suffering from these devastating conditions. Developing interventions for this population is extremely important first and foremost for the well-being of patients, who - today - remain completely dependent on assisted care, are often unable to participate in rehabilitative programs because of their lack of behavioral responsiveness, and thus find themselves prisoners of a condition characterized by uncertainty at the medical, legal and ethical decision-making levels. In addition, these conditions, which can last indefinitely, also place great emotional and monetary strain on families, large burdens on care-takers - often leading to increased rates of burn-out - and large financial stress on medical structures and public finances due to the large costs imposed by prolonged intensive care.
The present project is aimed at evaluating the potential of non-invasive Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound Pulsation (LIFUP) of thalamus (a key area for the consciousness network) as a neurorestorative stimulation for patients with severe brain injury.
LIFUP will be performed during two sessions (one occurring after deep sedation is stopped and the second one occurring just before discharge). The proposed experiment will involve behavioral (i.e., CRS-R) and paramedical (i.e., MRI/fMRI and EEG) measurements just before and after each of the two LIFUP sessions (i.e., 5 non-consecutive minutes of stimulation in each session) in a small sample of patients (up to 15) in order to evaluate the feasibility of a full scale clinical trial. Outcome measures (i.e., GOSE and CRS-R) will be administered at discharge, 6 months and one year after injury. The duration of participation in the study will be a year.
In terms of impact, we think this project would have a number of immediate consequences. (i) A successful pilot study and any indication that this approach might have the hypothesized effect would place us in a unique position to initiate a fully-fledged double-blind clinical trial in a large cohort of patients.
(ii) From a purely scientific point of view, by virtue of testing what is today the most prominent physiological hypothesis concerning loss and recovery of consciousness after severe brain injury, this project has a direct repercussion on our understanding of the mechanisms underlying these conditions. (iii) From a clinical and patient management point of view the present project is the first necessary step towards opening a completely new avenue for care-taking in patients suffering from this devastating condition for which there is no intervention. In particular, if this project were successful in the long run (e.g., after a double-blind full clinical trial), it could make widely available a non-invasive protocol which could substitute the currently highly invasive (and therefore not widely available, and high risk) only intervention available.
| Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
| Estimated Enrollment : | 15 participants |
| Intervention Model: | Single Group Assignment |
| Masking: | None (Open Label) |
| Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
| Official Title: | Thalamic Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound Stimulation in Disorders of Consciousness Following Acute Severe Brain Injury |
| Study Start Date : | July 2015 |
| Estimated Primary Completion Date : | April 2019 |
| Estimated Study Completion Date : | April 2019 |
| Arm | Intervention/treatment |
|---|---|
| Experimental: Focused Ultrasound Device |
Device: Focused Ultrasound Device
Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound Pulsation (LIFUP) of thalamus (a key area for the consciousness network) will be performed during two sessions (one occurring after deep sedation is stopped and the second one occurring just before discharge). The proposed experiment will involve behavioral (i.e., CRS-R) and paramedical (i.e., MRI/fMRI and EEG) measurements just before and after each of the two LIFUP sessions (i.e., 5 non-consecutive minutes of stimulation in each session).
Other Name: BX Pulsar 1001 |
- Brain structure as assessed by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) (Session 1) [ Time Frame: around 2 weeks after injury ]MRI is a widely used method to assess body tissues, including the brain, in a non-invasive manner. In the context of this study, MRI will be used to assess brain structure (expected total duration 10 minutes).
- Brain function as assessed by functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) (Session 1) [ Time Frame: around 2 weeks after injury ]fMRI is a neuroimaging procedure using MRI technology that measures brain function. We will assess brain activity in response to auditory stimulation (expected total duration of 20 minutes).
- Brain structure as assessed by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) (Session 2) [ Time Frame: around 4 weeks after injury ]MRI is a widely used method to assess body tissues, including the brain, in a non-invasive manner. In the context of this study, MRI will be used to assess brain structure (expected total duration 10 minutes).
- Brain function as assessed by functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) (Session 2) [ Time Frame: around 4 weeks after injury ]fMRI is a neuroimaging procedure using MRI technology that measures brain function. We will assess brain activity in response to auditory stimulation (expected total duration of 20 minutes).
- Coma Recovery Scale Revised (CRS-R) [ Time Frame: around 2 weeks after injury (Session 1) and around 4 weeks after injury (Session 2) ]The CRS-R is a standard clinical protocol used to assess a patient's level of consciousness. This test allows us to assess the level of response to sensory stimulation, ability to understand language and to communicate. This procedure is typically administered at bedside. This testing should take 25 minutes, and will consist of simple requests (such as "close your eyes" and "open your mouth").
- Electroencephalography (EEG) [ Time Frame: around 2 weeks after injury (Session 1) and around 4 weeks after injury (Session 2) ]EEG is a widely employed technique that measures electrical brain activity. This procedure (expected duration: 10 minutes + set-up time, up to 20 minutes) will allow us to measure electrical brain activity at rest. This procedure is entirely non-invasive.
- Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended (GOS-E) [ Time Frame: around 4 weeks, 6 months and one year after injury ]The GOS-E is a standard clinical scale used to classify outcome in survivors with brain injuries. This brief assessment takes less than 10 minutes.
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| Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult) |
| Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
| Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- a Glasgow Coma Score < 9 (at the time of injury)
- an abnormal CT
- prolonged loss of consciousness (>24h)
Exclusion Criteria:
* deep sedation
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT02522429
| Contact: Martin M Monti, Prof | 310-825-8546 | monti@ucla.edu | |
| Contact: Caroline Schnakers, PhD | cschnakers@ucla.edu |
| United States, California | |
| University of California, Los Angeles | Recruiting |
| Los Angeles, California, United States, 90095-1563 | |
| Contact: Martin M Monti, Prof 310-825-8546 monti@ucla.edu | |
| Contact: Caroline Schnakers, PhD cschnakers@ucla.edu | |
| Principal Investigator: | Martin M Monti, Prof | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Responsible Party: | Martin M Monti, Assistant Professor, University of California, Los Angeles |
| ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT02522429 History of Changes |
| Other Study ID Numbers: |
441488-MM-58041 |
| First Posted: | August 13, 2015 Key Record Dates |
| Last Update Posted: | March 1, 2018 |
| Last Verified: | February 2018 |
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
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Wounds and Injuries Brain Injuries Consciousness Disorders Brain Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Nervous System Diseases Craniocerebral Trauma |
Trauma, Nervous System Neurobehavioral Manifestations Neurologic Manifestations Signs and Symptoms Neurocognitive Disorders Mental Disorders |