Skip to content

A Pilot Study on Neuroimaging in SCD: Part of The Boston Consortium to Cure Sickle Cell Disease

A Pilot Study on Neuroimaging in SCD: Part of The Boston Consortium to Cure Sickle Cell Disease

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Observational
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04166526
Enrollment
8
Registered
2019-11-18
Start date
2019-10-25
Completion date
2027-08-01
Last updated
2025-12-12

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Sickle Cell Disease

Keywords

Sickle Cell, MRI, Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS)

Brief summary

Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) impairs oxygen transport to tissue and causes endothelial injury. Thus, therapeutic interventions aim to improve both, but there is an unmet need for biomarkers to determine when intervention is necessary and evaluate the effectiveness of the chosen intervention in individual patients. This study proposes to monitor SCD and its treatment through their impact on cerebral hemodynamics, as the brain is one of the most vulnerable and consequential targets of the disease. Specifically, this study will optimize quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and advanced optical spectroscopy techniques such as frequency-domain near-infrared and diffuse correlation spectroscopies (FDNIRS-DCS) to monitor 1) cerebral oxygen transport with measures of cerebral blood flow (CBF), cerebral oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen consumption (CMRO2) and 2) endothelial function with cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR). Additionally, this study aims to monitor baseline cerebral oxygen transport and CVR, as well as changes that occur with treatment (transfusion or genetic therapy to induce fetal hemoglobin) and assess hemoglobinopathy patients with known genotypes and phenotypes. The ultimate goal is to demonstrate the potential of this monitoring approach to select individual SCD subjects for interventions and evaluate individual responses to treatment. Success will help justify inclusion of these modalities in ongoing and future clinical trials of novel SCD therapies.

Interventions

DEVICEFDNIRS-DCS

FDNIRS-DCS measurements will be performed at the same time as all MRI scans. Participants in Group 4 will have additional measurements before, during, and after the their scheduled transfusion.

DEVICEMRI

Participants in Groups 1-3 will receive a single, hour-long MRI. Participants in Group 4 will receive two, one hour long MRI scans: one within a week prior to their transfusion and one within a week after their transfusion.

Sponsors

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
CollaboratorNIH
Boston Children's Hospital
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
8 Years to 18 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

Group 1 (healthy controls): * Children ages 8-18 without SCD Group 2 (SCD patients without treatment): * SCD patients ages 8-18 who: * have not undergone gene therapy or a bone marrow transplant * are not receiving chronic transfusions * have not received a blood transfusion in the past 3 months Group 3 (SCD patients who have undergone gene therapy): * SCD patients ages 8-18 who have had gene therapy at least one month prior to enrollment Group 4 (SCD patients who have chronic transfusions): * SCD patients ages 8-18 who receive chronic transfusions

Exclusion criteria

* Electrical implants such as cardiac pacemakers or perfusion pumps; * Ferromagnetic implants such as aneurysm clips, surgical clips, prosthesis, artificial hearts, valves with steel parts, metal fragments, shrapnel, tattoos near the eye, or steel implants; * Ferromagnetic objects such as jewelry or metal clips; * Women of childbearing age who are seeking to become pregnant, who are breastfeeding, or who suspect they may be pregnant; * Pre-existing medical conditions including a likelihood of developing seizures or claustrophobic reactions; * Any greater than normal potential for cardiac arrest; * Subjects requiring sedation for MRI

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Accuracy of FDNIRS-DCS in measuring blood oxygenation of the brain6 monthsBlood oxygenation of the brain will be measured using FDNIRS-DCS techniques and then compared with data from a simultaneous MRI scan.

Countries

United States

Contacts

Primary ContactEllen Grant, MD
Ellen.Grant@childrens.harvard.edu857-218-5111
Backup ContactKatherine Eident, BS
katherine.eident@childrens.harvard.edu617-355-2184

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026