Organ Donation After Circulatory DeathNeuroDCDNCT07698262
Brain-based Prediction of the Dying Duration in Humans After Withdrawal of Life Sustaining Therapies to Inform Donation After Circulatory Death
An observational study of Organ Donation After Circulatory Death, run by University of British Columbia at 13 sites in Canada.
Trial summary
The purpose of this study is to develop a new tool that uses information collected before life-sustaining treatments are withdrawn to better predict whether a patient will die within the time needed for organ donation to be possible. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 19 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Organ Donation After Circulatory Death
- How many people
- 102 participants
- Where
- 13 sitesCanada
- Study dates
- Jan 2027to Dec 2030
- 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 19 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: ICU
Who may be able to join
- Age ≥ 19;
- Eligible for DCD
Who cannot join
- Complete high cervical spinal cord injury (C5 and above)
- Pacemaker in situ
- Tracheostomy
Trial locations and contacts
13 sites in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
13 sites in 1 country
Canada13 sites
Cumming School of Medicine
Calgary, Alberta
Julie Kromm, MD, 403.944.2334, julie.kromm@ucalgary.ca
UBC/East Kootenay Regional Hospital
Cranbrook, British Columbia
Denise Jaworsky, MD, 250-615-5088, denise.jaworsky@ubc.ca
Denise Jaworsky, MD
Kelowna General Hospital
Kelowna, British Columbia
Benjamin Wierstra, MD, 250-862-4000, benjamin.wierstra@interiorhealth.ca
Benjamin Wierstra, MD
University Hospital - London Health Sciences Centre
London, Ontario, N6A 3K7
Marat Slessarev, MD, 519-685-8500, marat.slessarev@lhsc.on.ca
CHUM
Montreal, Quebec, H2X0C1
Han Ting Wang, MD, Msc, 514-890-8000 ext. 22763, ht.wang@umontreal.ca
Han Ting Wang, MD, Msc
Hôpital du Sacré Coeur
Montreal, Quebec, H4J 1C5
Dorothee Jeanne Goulet, MD, MHSc, 514 338-2222, Dorothee.goulet@Umontreal.ca
Dorothee Jeanne Goulet, MD, MHSc
Royal Columbian Hospital
New Westminster, British Columbia
Andrew Wormsbecker, MD, 604-520-4253, Andrew.wormsbecker@fraserhealth.ca
Andrew Wormsbecker, MD
Lakeridge Health
Oshawa, Ontario, L1G 8A2
Shannon Fernando, MD, (613) 549-6666 ext. 6335, sfernando@lh.ca
Shannon Fernando, MD
Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO)
Ottawa, Ontario
Sonny Dhanani, MD, 613-737-7600 ext. 3670, sdhanani@cheo.on.ca
Sonny Dhanani, MD
Surrey Memorial Hospital
Surrey, British Columbia
Anish Mitra, MD, (604) 581-2211, anish.mitra@fraserhealth.ca
Anish Mitra, MD
Vancouver General Hospital
Vancouver, British Columbia, V5Z1M9
Mypinder Sekhon, MD, PhD, 604-875-5949, myp@mail.ubc.ca
Mypinder Sekhon, MD, PhD
St Paul hospital
Vancouver
John Boyd, MD, 604-682-2344 ext. 63047, john.boyd@hli.ubc.ca
Boyd John, MD
University of Manitoba Health Sciences Center
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Gloria Vazquez-Grande, MD, +1 800-432-1960, Gloria.Vazquez-Grande@umanitoba.ca
About this study
The purpose of this study is to develop a new tool that uses information collected before life-sustaining treatments are withdrawn to better predict whether a patient will die within the time needed for organ donation to be possible. The tool created should help improve planning for organ donation and provide families and healthcare teams with more accurate information.
- Conditions
- Organ Donation After Circulatory Death
- Keywords
- Predicting organ donation after circulatory death, DCD
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| The study cohort will consist of patients eligible for donation after circulatory determination of | Not described |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
To develop a clinically applicable model to predict dying duration in a cohort of patient eligible for donation after circulatory death
Specifically, we aim at assessing the predictive ability of blood-based brain biomarkers, optic nerve sheet diameter as measured by head computed tomography (CT) scans as a surrogate of intracranial pressure and autonomic dysfunction as reflected by abnormal heart rate variability (HRV) to predict the dying duration.
Measured: The models will be built to predict death within 30, 60 and 120 minutes
Secondary outcomes (1)
Comparison of the brain-to-heart model to existing models
Our secondary aim will be to compare the created models with available models (e.g., DCD-N, UNOS, Wisconsin) and to physician gestalt
Measured: The models will be compared for death within 30, 60 and 120 minutes
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted13 Jul 2026
- Study startJan 2027 (estimated)
- Primary completionDec 2030 (estimated)
- Study completionDec 2030 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Organ Donation After Circulatory DeathStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of British ColumbiaThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- 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
- 102 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of British Columbia
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Myp Sekhon, University of British Columbia
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07698262
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- H25-03465
- Acronym
- NeuroDCD
- Status last verified
- Jan 2026
- First submitted
- 7 Jul 2026
- Last updated
- 3 Nov 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: Data will be avaiable to be shared on demand. However, statistical analysis and prediction modeling computer code will be made publicly available on GitHub.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 3 Nov 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Brain-based Prediction of the Dying Duration in Humans After Withdrawal of Life Sustaining Therapies to Inform Donation After Circulatory Death
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07698262
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- NeuroDCD / H25-03465
- Conditions
- Organ Donation After Circulatory Death
- Keywords
- Predicting organ donation after circulatory death, DCD
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 102 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of British ColumbiaUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
- Study start
- Jan 2027 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- Dec 2030 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Dec 2030 (estimated)
- First posted
- 13 Jul 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 purpose of this study is to develop a new tool that uses information collected before life-sustaining treatments are withdrawn to better predict whether a patient will die within the time needed for organ donation to be possible. The tool created should help improve planning for organ donation and provide families and healthcare teams with more accurate information.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| The study cohort will consist of patients eligible for donation after circulatory determination of | – | – |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 19 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- ICU
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Age ≥ 19;
- Eligible for DCD
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Complete high cervical spinal cord injury (C5 and above)
- Pacemaker in situ
- Tracheostomy
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
To develop a clinically applicable model to predict dying duration in a cohort of patient eligible for donation after circulatory death
Time frame: The models will be built to predict death within 30, 60 and 120 minutes
Specifically, we aim at assessing the predictive ability of blood-based brain biomarkers, optic nerve sheet diameter as measured by head computed tomography (CT) scans as a surrogate of intracranial pressure and autonomic dysfunction as reflected by abnormal heart rate variability (HRV) to predict the dying duration.
1 secondary outcome
Comparison of the brain-to-heart model to existing models
Time frame: The models will be compared for death within 30, 60 and 120 minutes
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 3 Nov 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. Data will be avaiable to be shared on demand. However, statistical analysis and prediction modeling computer code will be made publicly available on GitHub.
Related trials for Organ Donation After Circulatory Death
Not yet recruiting
Improving Deceased Organ Donation and Transplantation Using the Donation Advisor Clinical Decision Support Tool
Organ Donation After Circulatory Death, Organ Donation
Active, not recruiting
DCD IIT: Evaluating the Safety of Utilizing Donor Hearts From Donation After Circulatory Death (DCD) Donors
Organ Transplant
RecruitingObservational study
Confirming Permanent Lack of Blood Flow to the Brain During A-NRP DCC Organ Transplant
Organ Transplant
RecruitingObservational study
Multimodal Neuromonitoring During Normothermic Regional Perfusion for Organ Donors Determined Dead by circuLatory Criteria Following Withdrawal of Life Sustaining Measures
Organ Preservation, Brain Reperfusion or Regain of Brain Function During Normothermic Regional Perfusion
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.
13 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Organ Donation After Circulatory Death, run by University of British Columbia at 13 sites in Canada.
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 2 inclusion and 3 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 3 Nov 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 13 sites in Canada. 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 Rebecca Grey Clinical Research Coordinator (604-875-4111 ext. 68336, cerebri.research@ubc.ca), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
To develop a clinically applicable model to predict dying duration in a cohort of patient eligible for donation after circulatory death (time frame: The models will be built to predict death within 30, 60 and 120 minutes). 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 3 Nov 2026.