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AzTrials

SAHNCT04988932

Inhaled Nitric Oxide Treatment for Aneurysmal SAH Patients With Intractable Cerebral Vasospasm

A study testing Inhaled nitric oxide in people with SAH and Inhaled Nitric Oxide, run by Insel Gruppe AG, University Hospital Bern at 1 site in Switzerland.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH) is a rare but severe subtype of stroke with high mortality and morbidity. Besides rebleeding, delayed cerebral ischaemia and cerebral vasospasm (CVS) are thought to be major reasons for the poor outcome in survivors of aSAH. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 80 years
Conditions the study is for
SAH, Inhaled Nitric Oxide, Cerebral Ischemia
What is being tested?
Inhaled nitric oxide
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
7 participants
Where
1 siteSwitzerland
Study dates
31 Jul 2012to 20 Mar 2020
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 80 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • aSAH of all severities
  • Aneurysm treated by either surgical clipping or endovascular coiling
  • Age between 18 - 80 years
  • Proven CVS
  • Cerebral hypoperfusion and neurological deficit despite treatment (oral nimodipine, induced hypertension, hypervolaemia, central venous pressure > 6 mmHg)
  • A negative pregnancy test in women
  • Signed informed consent from the next of kin and an independent physician

Who cannot join

  • Unsecured aneurysm
  • Cerebral infarction on imaging in the downstream brain parenchyma of spastic vessel
  • Cerebral herniation
  • Intracranial pressure > 25 mmHg
  • Pregnancy
  • Mean arterial pressure ≤ 90 mmHg despite catecholamines

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Switzerland1 site
  • Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Bern

    Bern, 3010

Other trials in Switzerland

About this study

Official title: Inhalative Stickstoffmonoxid (NO) Behandlung Bei Patienten Mit Schwerem, therapierefraktärem Zerebralen Vasospasmus Nach Subarachnoidalblutung

Aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH) is a rare but severe subtype of stroke with high mortality and morbidity. Besides rebleeding, delayed cerebral ischaemia and cerebral vasospasm (CVS) are thought to be major reasons for the poor outcome in survivors of aSAH. Despite advances in the detection and treatment of CVS 20-40% of CVS patients experience cerebral Ischaemia. Experimental animal studies for ischaemic stroke, traumatic brain injury, and SAH showed that inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) selectively dilates cerebral arteries and arterioles in hypoperfused brain tissue. The investigators therefore performed this prospective pilot study to evaluate the effects of iNO on cerebral perfusion in patients with refractory vasospasm after aSAH.

Read the detailed description

Aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH) is a rare but severe subtype of stroke with high mortality and morbidity. Besides rebleeding, delayed cerebral ischaemia and cerebral vasospasm (CVS) are thought to be major reasons for the poor outcome in survivors of aSAH. CVS, thought to be caused by blood breakdown products, peak in the second week after hemorrhage and affect up 88% of patients with severe aSAH. Despite advances in the detection and treatment of CVS there is no established therapy and up 40% of patients experience cerebral ischemia. In symptomatic vasospasm and cerebral hypoperfusion various treatments like induced hypertension, angioplasty and intraarterial vasodilators are used as rescue therapies. Yet, their effect is not proven.

In recent experimental studies, inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) has been shown to induce a selective dilation of cerebral arteries and arterioles in hypoperfused brain tissue [8, 9]. After experimental SAH in mice, iNO significantly reduced the number and severity of SAH-induced spasms of cerebral microvessels, thereby improving cerebral perfusion. Inhaled NO has regulatory approval in man by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the treatment of several pulmonary pathologies. At first the efficacy of iNO was thought to be limited to the lungs but, based on the results of the experimental studies the investigators hypothesised that iNO may relieve CVS and improve cerebral perfusion in patients with aSAH.

The investigators performed this prospective trial to evaluate the effect of iNO on cerebral perfusion in patients with severe refractory CVS. Only patients with refractory CVS after maximum conservative treatment were included. Inhaled NO was administered to a maximum dose of 40ppm. The effect was assessed by digital subtraction angiography (DSA), tissue oxygen partial pressure (PtiO2), transcranial Doppler (TCD), and CT perfusion (CTP) imaging. Patiente outcome is assessed at 12 weeks an 6 months after hemorrhage and included NIHSS, Mini Mental State (MMS) test, and modified Rankin Scale (mRS).

Being tested
Inhaled nitric oxide
Medical subject headings
Brain Ischemia

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Inhaled nitric oxideDrug

    Each increase of iNO dose is followed by a 10-minute monitoring period and a DSA examination. After reaching the highest effective dose of iNO or the maximum of 40 ppm another DSA is performed. iNO is going to be continued until normalisation of CVS or for a maximum period of 5 days. During iNO treatment a DSA will be performed every 24 hours, followed by a decrease of iNO to the next-lower level. If tapering the iNO concentration is associated with increasing vasospasm, iNO is going to be increased again to the last effective dosage. For cessation of iNO administration, dosage will be tapered every 30 minutes using the same dosage steps as for initiation of iNO treatment. If the duration of iNO treatment will be more than 32 hours, tapering intervals are prolonged to 4 hours. Cessation of iNO will be followed by a DSA.

Study groups in NCT04988932
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Administration of iNO in SAH patients with severe vasospasmExperimentaliNO is started at a dose of 1 parts per million (ppm) and increased stepwise to 2 ppm, 5 ppm, 12 ppm, 25 ppm, until a maximum dose of 40 ppm is reached.
Receives: Drug: Inhaled nitric oxide

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Improvement of severe vasospasm in digital subtraction angiography

    > 10% increase in diameter of the vasospastic target vessel compared to baseline

    Measured: Up to 5 days

  2. Improvement of severe vasospasm in tissue oxygen partial pressure (PtiO2)

    An increase of more than 5 mmHg with constant fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2)

    Measured: Up to 5 days

  3. Improvement of severe vasospasm in transcranial Doppler

    A decrease of more than 30 cm/s

    Measured: Up to 5 days

  4. Improvement of severe vasospasm in CT perfusion

    A reduction in the number of Region of interest with impaired perfusion (MTT > 6·5 s)

    Measured: Day 2

Secondary outcomes (2)
  1. Intracranial pressure

    Intracranial pressure using an external ventricular drain catheter

    Measured: Up to 5 days

  2. Assessment of ischaemic events by CT Scan

    Measured: 12 weeks after SAH

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted4 Aug 2021
  2. Study start31 Jul 2012
  3. Primary completion28 Jul 2019
  4. Study completion20 Mar 2020

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Model description
Administration of iNO in SAH patients with severe vasospasm
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
7 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT04988932
Sponsor's protocol ID
019/10
Status last verified
Jul 2021
First submitted
12 Jul 2021
Last updated
4 Aug 2021
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Terpolilli NA, Feiler S, Dienel A, Muller F, Heumos N, Friedrich B, Stover J, Thal S, Scholler K, Plesnila N. Nitric oxide inhalation reduces brain damage, prevents mortality, and improves neurological outcome after subarachnoid hemorrhage by resolving early pial microvasospasms. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2016 Dec;36(12):2096-2107. doi: 10.1177/0271678X15605848. Epub 2015 Nov 2.

    PubMed 26661144
  • Terpolilli NA, Kim SW, Thal SC, Kataoka H, Zeisig V, Nitzsche B, Klaesner B, Zhu C, Schwarzmaier S, Meissner L, Mamrak U, Engel DC, Drzezga A, Patel RP, Blomgren K, Barthel H, Boltze J, Kuebler WM, Plesnila N. Inhalation of nitric oxide prevents ischemic brain damage in experimental stroke by selective dilatation of collateral arterioles. Circ Res. 2012 Mar 2;110(5):727-38. doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.111.253419. Epub 2011 Dec 29.

    PubMed 22207711
  • Terpolilli NA, Brem C, Buhler D, Plesnila N. Are We Barking Up the Wrong Vessels? Cerebral Microcirculation After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage. Stroke. 2015 Oct;46(10):3014-9. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.115.006353. Epub 2015 Jul 7. No abstract available.

    PubMed 26152299
  • Terpolilli NA, Kim SW, Thal SC, Kuebler WM, Plesnila N. Inhaled nitric oxide reduces secondary brain damage after traumatic brain injury in mice. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2013 Feb;33(2):311-8. doi: 10.1038/jcbfm.2012.176. Epub 2012 Nov 28.

    PubMed 23188422
  • Germann P, Braschi A, Della Rocca G, Dinh-Xuan AT, Falke K, Frostell C, Gustafsson LE, Herve P, Jolliet P, Kaisers U, Litvan H, Macrae DJ, Maggiorini M, Marczin N, Mueller B, Payen D, Ranucci M, Schranz D, Zimmermann R, Ullrich R. Inhaled nitric oxide therapy in adults: European expert recommendations. Intensive Care Med. 2005 Aug;31(8):1029-41. doi: 10.1007/s00134-005-2675-4. Epub 2005 Jun 23.

    PubMed 15973521
  • Griffiths MJ, Evans TW. Inhaled nitric oxide therapy in adults. N Engl J Med. 2005 Dec 22;353(25):2683-95. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra051884. No abstract available.

    PubMed 16371634

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Inhaled nitric oxide in people with SAH and Inhaled Nitric Oxide, run by Insel Gruppe AG, University Hospital Bern at 1 site in Switzerland.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 7 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 4 Aug 2021. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Switzerland. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Improvement of severe vasospasm in digital subtraction angiography (time frame: Up to 5 days). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04988932, which also lists 6 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 4 Aug 2021.

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