Healthy Adults3T MRNNCT07513467
3T Magnetic Resonance Neurography
An observational study of Healthy Adults, run by Balgrist University Hospital at 1 site in Switzerland.
Trial summary
The goal of this observational study is to evaluate whether optimized high-resolution MRI can better visualize very fine nerves in the cervical spine and neck region compared to standard MRI. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Healthy Adults
- What is being tested?
- High-resolution three-dimensional magnetic resonance neurography protocols
- How many people
- 30 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSwitzerland
- Study dates
- Jun 2026to Jun 2028
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: Healthy volunteers
Who may be able to join
- written consent to agree to participate in this study
Who cannot join
- <18 years of age
- pregnancy
- known cervical spine pathology or history of neck surgery
- contraindication to perform non-contrast-enhanced MRI
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Switzerland1 site
Balgrist University Hospital
Zurich, 8008
Frederik Abel, MD, +41 44 386 33 27, frederik.abel@balgrist.ch
Reto Sutter, MD, +41 44 386 33 08, reto.sutter@balgrist.ch
About this study
Official title: High-resolution MR Neurography Evaluation of the Cervical Spine at 3 Tesla
The goal of this observational study is to evaluate whether optimized high-resolution MRI can better visualize very fine nerves in the cervical spine and neck region compared to standard MRI. The main question it aims to answer is:
Can high-resolution MRI reliably show small nerves and potentially detect their injuries or diseases that are often invisible on conventional MRI scans?
Participants will come once to Balgrist University Hospital for a one-hour visit. They will fill out a questionnaire and have a single 30-minute MRI scan of the cervical spine without contrast.
Read the detailed description
Diseases and injuries of the nerves in the area of the cervical spine and neck region are among the most common causes of pain in the neck, shoulder, and arm areas. To clarify the cause of the pain, an MRI examination of the neck region is therefore very often requested in order to visualize the nerves. However, some very fine nerves - in particular the smaller branches of the cervical nerves - are so thin that they can usually only be visualized incompletely or not at all reliably with conventional MRI techniques. As a result, injuries or diseases of some nerves frequently remain undetected, even though these nerves perform important motor functions - for example, the movement of the shoulder, the arm, or (in rare cases) also the diaphragm. Through modified and technically advanced MRI protocols (in particular high-resolution MR neurography), significantly better images can now be generated.
This study therefore investigates whether these special techniques can also clearly depict even very small nerves, so that these techniques can be applied in the future to patients with pathological changes and these changes can be better identified.
Participation involves a single visit to Balgrist University Hospital. The time commitment is one hour. Participants receive oral information about the project, complete a short questionnaire, and subsequently undergo the MRI examination. The time spent in the MRI scanner is approximately 30 minutes.
- Conditions
- Healthy Adults
- Being tested
- High-resolution three-dimensional magnetic resonance neurography protocols
- Keywords
- Cervical spine, MRI, 3 Tesla, Magnetic Resonance Neurograghy, Cervical nerves
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
High-resolution three-dimensional magnetic resonance neurography protocolsDiagnostic test
Clinical standard three-dimensional magnetic resonance neurography sequences with high spatial resolution
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Healthy volunteers | Not described Receives: Diagnostic Test: High-resolution three-dimensional magnetic resonance neurography protocols |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Proportion of visible small-caliber nerve segments
Visibility of small-caliber cervical nerves (phrenic, spinal accessory, dorsal scapular, vagus nerve) per segment (proximal, midsegment, distal) on both sides (left/right) per volunteer. Two board-certified radiologists with experience in MR Neurography will independently determine visibility (binary score: 0 = not visible, 1 = visible). Visibility is defined as continuous depiction of the nerve segment over its entire length with signal intensity clearly distinguishable from background tissue.
Measured: Within 12 weeks after MRI acquisition during radiological readout
Secondary outcomes (3)
Image quality score across different acceleration factors
Image quality of small-caliber cervical nerves across varying acceleration factors will be independently assessed by two radiologists using a 4-point Likert scale (0 = poor/non-diagnostic, 2 = moderate, 3 = good, 4 = excellent).
Measured: Within 12 weeks after MRI acquisition during radiological readout
Inter-reader agreement for visibility and image quality
Reliability of visibility and image quality of small-caliber cervical nerves and nerve segments will be assessed by inter-reader agreement.
Measured: Within 12 weeks after MRI acquisition during radiological readout
Frequency of anatomic variants
Frequency of anatomical variants of small-caliber cervical nerves, reported as percentage of volunteers.
Measured: Within 12 weeks after MRI acquisition during radiological readout
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted7 Apr 2026
- Study startJun 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completionApr 2028 (estimated)
- Study completionJun 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Healthy AdultsStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Balgrist University Hospital
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07513467
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- R509
- Acronym
- 3T MRN
- Status last verified
- Mar 2026
- First submitted
- 20 Mar 2026
- Last updated
- 7 Apr 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 7 Apr 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- High-resolution MR Neurography Evaluation of the Cervical Spine at 3 Tesla
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07513467
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 3T MRN / R509
- Conditions
- Healthy Adults
- Keywords
- Cervical spine, MRI, 3 Tesla, Magnetic Resonance Neurograghy, Cervical nerves
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Balgrist University HospitalUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- Jun 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- Apr 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Jun 2028 (estimated)
- First posted
- 7 Apr 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of this observational study is to evaluate whether optimized high-resolution MRI can better visualize very fine nerves in the cervical spine and neck region compared to standard MRI. The main question it aims to answer is:
Can high-resolution MRI reliably show small nerves and potentially detect their injuries or diseases that are often invisible on conventional MRI scans?
Participants will come once to Balgrist University Hospital for a one-hour visit. They will fill out a questionnaire and have a single 30-minute MRI scan of the cervical spine without contrast.
Detailed description
Diseases and injuries of the nerves in the area of the cervical spine and neck region are among the most common causes of pain in the neck, shoulder, and arm areas. To clarify the cause of the pain, an MRI examination of the neck region is therefore very often requested in order to visualize the nerves. However, some very fine nerves - in particular the smaller branches of the cervical nerves - are so thin that they can usually only be visualized incompletely or not at all reliably with conventional MRI techniques. As a result, injuries or diseases of some nerves frequently remain undetected, even though these nerves perform important motor functions - for example, the movement of the shoulder, the arm, or (in rare cases) also the diaphragm. Through modified and technically advanced MRI protocols (in particular high-resolution MR neurography), significantly better images can now be generated.
This study therefore investigates whether these special techniques can also clearly depict even very small nerves, so that these techniques can be applied in the future to patients with pathological changes and these changes can be better identified.
Participation involves a single visit to Balgrist University Hospital. The time commitment is one hour. Participants receive oral information about the project, complete a short questionnaire, and subsequently undergo the MRI examination. The time spent in the MRI scanner is approximately 30 minutes.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Healthy volunteers | – | Diagnostic Test: High-resolution three-dimensional magnetic resonance neurography protocols |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- Healthy volunteers
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- written consent to agree to participate in this study
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- <18 years of age
- pregnancy
- known cervical spine pathology or history of neck surgery
- contraindication to perform non-contrast-enhanced MRI
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| High-resolution three-dimensional magnetic resonance neurography protocolsClinical standard three-dimensional magnetic resonance neurography sequences with high spatial resolution | Diagnostic test | Healthy volunteers |
Primary outcome
Proportion of visible small-caliber nerve segments
Time frame: Within 12 weeks after MRI acquisition during radiological readout
Visibility of small-caliber cervical nerves (phrenic, spinal accessory, dorsal scapular, vagus nerve) per segment (proximal, midsegment, distal) on both sides (left/right) per volunteer. Two board-certified radiologists with experience in MR Neurography will independently determine visibility (binary score: 0 = not visible, 1 = visible). Visibility is defined as continuous depiction of the nerve segment over its entire length with signal intensity clearly distinguishable from background tissue.
3 secondary outcomes
Image quality score across different acceleration factors
Time frame: Within 12 weeks after MRI acquisition during radiological readout
Inter-reader agreement for visibility and image quality
Time frame: Within 12 weeks after MRI acquisition during radiological readout
Frequency of anatomic variants
Time frame: Within 12 weeks after MRI acquisition during radiological readout
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 7 Apr 2026.
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Healthy Volunteers
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Healthy Adults, run by Balgrist University Hospital 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 1 inclusion and 4 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: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 7 Apr 2026. 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Frederik Abel, MD (+41 44 386 33 27, frederik.abel@balgrist.ch), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Proportion of visible small-caliber nerve segments (time frame: Within 12 weeks after MRI acquisition during radiological readout). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 7 Apr 2026.