ICP position related changes
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Continuous body position monitoring in patients undergoing continuous intracranial pressure monitoring
IRAS ID
192380
Contact name
Ahmed Toma
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
UCLH
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 11 months, 28 days
Research summary
This is a research proposal to study relationship between changes in body position and intracranial pressure (ICP) (pressure within the skull). This relationship is not known. Humans are upright most of the time. What we consider as normal value for ICP has been based on old studies done measuring the pressure though a needle placed at the lower back (lumbar puncture). Our current knowledge of ICP in various conditions is derived from monitoring of disease status (e.g. head injury and hydrocephalus) where the pressure has been studied in patients lying flat.
Several studies have suggested that ICP is different in standing or sitting position compared with lying flat position. These changes might be impaired in disease status and finding out about these changes might facilitate diagnosis and treatment of patient with problems that could be caused by disturbances of intracranial pressure.
We are proposing this study to find out if correlating the intracranial pressure (ICP) with head and body position can give useful information that can help in improving the diagnosis, shorten hospital stay and improve management.
We will ask patients who are awaiting intracranial pressure monitoring to wear small wireless devices that measure the position continuously. These are small and are unlikely to interfere with patient comfort or movement. We will ask patients to wear these devices during the ICP monitoring period.
It is possible that learning more information about relationship between intracranial pressure and position might facilitate participating patient management. But the main benefit of this study will be toward future patients with similar problems.REC name
West Midlands - Coventry & Warwickshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/WM/0156
Date of REC Opinion
12 May 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion