MIST
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Markers of delayed cerebral ischaemia in aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage trial
IRAS ID
228867
Contact name
Ahmed Toma
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Z6364106/2018/03/134 health research, Data Protection Registration
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH) occurs when a swelling in a blood vessel (aneurysm) in the brain ruptures. It affects young patients of an average age of 50 years, and is immediately a life threatening condition. Many of these patients are then afflicted by a secondary devastating stroke like event, delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI). At present, there is no effective predictor to stratify those most at risk for developing DIC and the pathophysiology remains poorly understood.
To prevent dangerous condition called hydrocephalus, the fluid that bathes the brain, cerebral spinal fluid (CSF), is often drained in patients with aSAH. Rather than discard this drained fluid, we propose to analyse it in the laboratory. There is currently no CSF fluid bank for DCI. By storing and analysing this fluid, we aim to better understand the processes leading to vasospasm, which may result in better preventions and treatments for these patients.
We plan to recruit patients admitted with aSAH to our unit. Those with CSF being drained will have daily samples sent to the lab for analysis, with paired blood tests (already part of the medical investigations for patients with aSAH. Samples will be anonymously coded. We will study various CSF proteins or “biomarkers” in a panels selected based upon promising evidence. We also plan to store CSF, to enable future exploratory studies.
We will continue to monitor patient progress in clinic and will record the degree of disability at 6 months, using a commonly used outcome score in stroke medicine, the modified Rankin scale (mRs), assessed via a patient questionnaire. This is standard practise for aSAH care.
The results will be disseminated and, if promising, will lead to development of predictive tests for DCI and will help target therapeutic strategies.
REC name
London - Queen Square Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/LO/1084
Date of REC Opinion
29 Aug 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion