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Brainstem Dysfunction in COVID-19 Critically Ill Patients: a Prospective Observational Study

Brainstem Dysfunction in Ventilated and Deeply Sedated COVID-19 Critically Ill Patients: a Prospective Observational Study

Status
Completed
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04527198
Acronym
BRAINSTEM-COV
Enrollment
52
Registered
2020-08-26
Start date
2020-09-14
Completion date
2020-12-31
Last updated
2026-03-04

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

Conditions

COVID-19

Keywords

Brainstem dysfunction, Delirium, Awareness, Arousal, Dysautonomia, Autonomic system, SARS-COV-2, COVID-19, sedation, mechanical ventilation, EEG, EKG

Brief summary

The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of brainstem dysfunction in critically ill ventilated and deeply sedated patients hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for a SARS-CoV-s2 infection.

Detailed description

The recent development of the pandemic due to the SARS-CoV-2 virus has showed that a substantial proportion of patients developed a severe condition requiring critical care, notably because of acute respiratory distress syndrome requiring mechanical ventilation and deep sedation. Outside of this coronavirus infection, this situation is classically associated with a high prevalence of brainstem dysfunction, even in the absence of brain injury. This dysfunction, either structural or functional, can be detected using appropriate clinical tools such as the BRASS score and/or using the quantitative analysis of EKG and EEG. Crucially, brainstem dysfunction is associated not only with ICU complications such as delirium, but also with a poorer survival. Moreover, some reports of encephalitis cases and the presence of anosmia/agueusia raised the question of whether the virus could directly invade the central nervous system. For these two reasons, it is reasonable to assume that brainstem dysfunction is particularly prevalent in critically ill patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 and that this dysfunction could be one of the major determinant of patients outcome.

Interventions

DIAGNOSTIC_TESTBrainstem Responses Assessment Sedation Score (BRASS)

It consists of a standardized evaluation of brainstem reflexes with a score of 1 attributed for absence of pupillary light reflex, cough reflex and the combined absence of grimace and oculocephalic reflex, a score of 2 for absent corneal reflex and a score of 3 for absent grimace in the presence of oculocephalic The resulting sum ranges from 0 to 7. It will be performed at two times points: a first time under sedation and a second time 3 to 5 days after sedation weaning.

DIAGNOSTIC_TESTElectroencephalogram with EKG lead

A 20 minutes clinical (12 electrodes) EEG with an EKG lead will be performed a first time under sedation and a second time 3 to 5 days after sedation weaning. These EEG recordings will allow to measure the sympathic-parasympathetic ratio using spectral analysis of the EKG and also to measure quantitative markers of brain EEG activity (spectral power and connectivity in delta, theta, alpha, beta and gamma band; complexity).

Sponsors

Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
Lead SponsorOTHER
URC-CIC Paris Descartes Necker Cochin
CollaboratorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

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

Inclusion criteria

* ICU hospitalization * Invasive mechanical ventilation * Deep sedation (RASS\<-3) \>12 hours * Positive SARS-COV-2 PCR

Exclusion criteria

* History of neurologic disease (stroke, degenerative disease) * Pregnant women * Moribund patients * Minor patient * Major patient under guardianship or curatorship * Prior inclusion in the study * Patient not affiliated to a social security scheme * Limitations and cessation of active therapies

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Brainstem dysfunction prevalenceAt inclusion or in patients with neuromuscular blockade 12h-72h following neuromuscular blocking agent cessationClinical cranial nerves anomalies using validated scale (BRASS score- ranges from 0 to 7 - ) in deeply sedated patient (RASS \<-3)

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Brainstem dysfunction prevalence after sedation weaningDay 4 to day 7 after sedation weaningClinical cranial nerves anomalies using validated scale (BRASS score)
Link between brainstem dysfunction and clinical dysautonomiaAt inclusion or in patients with neuromuscular blockade 12h-72h following neuromuscular blocking agent cessationnAnalysis of the sympathico-parasympathetic ratio (using spectral analysis of the EKG signal) according to the presence or absence of brainstem dysfunction and its severity
Link between brainstem dysfunction and clinical dysautonomia after sedation weaning4 to 7 days after sedation weaningAnalysis of the sympathico-parasympathetic ratio (using spectral analysis of the EKG signal) according to the presence or absence of brainstem dysfunction and its severity
Characterization of brainstem dysfunction in COVID-19 patients: EEG powerAt inclusion or in patients with neuromuscular blockade 12h-72h following neuromuscular blocking agent cessationEEG power in delta, theta, alpha, beta and gamma frequency bands according to the presence or absence of brainstem dysfunction and its severity
Characterization of brainstem dysfunction in COVID-19 patients: EEG power after sedation weaningDay 4 to day 7 after sedation weaning.EEG power in delta, theta, alpha, beta and gamma frequency bands according to the presence or absence of brainstem dysfunction and its severity
Characterization of brainstem dysfunction in COVID-19 patients: EEG functional connectivityAt inclusion or in patients with neuromuscular blockade 12h-72h following neuromuscular blocking agent cessationEEG functional connectivity using weighted Symbolic Mutual Information and weighted Phase Lag Index according to the presence or absence of brainstem dysfunction and its severity
Characterization of brainstem dysfunction in COVID-19 patients: EEG functional connectivity, after sedation weaningDay 4 to day 7 after sedation weaning.EEG functional connectivity using weighted Symbolic Mutual Information and weighted Phase Lag Index according to the presence or absence of brainstem dysfunction and its severity
Characterization of brainstem dysfunction in COVID-19 patients: EEG complexityAt inclusion or in patients with neuromuscular blockade 12h-72h following neuromuscular blocking agent cessationEEG complexity using Kolmogorov complexity and permutation entropy according to the presence or absence of brainstem dysfunction and its severity
Characterization of brainstem dysfunction in COVID-19 patients: EEG complexity after sedation weaningDay 4 to day 7 after sedation weaning.EEG complexity using Kolmogorov complexity and permutation entropy according to the presence or absence of brainstem dysfunction and its severity
Characterization of brainstem dysfunction in COVID-19 patients: multivariate classification after sedation weaningDay 4 to day 7 after sedation weaning.Multivariate classification of the presence or absence of brainstem dysfunction using support vector machine and extra-trees algorithm based on the EEG derived quantitative features presented above
Duration of mechanical ventilationat ICU discharge up to 28 days
Mortalityat ICU discharge up to 28 days
Duration of hospitalisationat hospital discharge up to 90 days
Duration of coma, disturbance of consciousness, deliriumat ICU discharge up to 28 days
Neurological functional evolution with mRankin90 days after inclusionUsing validated functional scale modified Rankin (mRankin) for independence assessment (mRankin ranges from 0 to 6 with higher scores indicating more severe disability)
Characterization of brainstem dysfunction in COVID-19 patients: multivariate classificationAt inclusion or in patients with neuromuscular blockade 12h-72h following neuromuscular blocking agent cessationMultivariate classification of the presence or absence of brainstem dysfunction using support vector machine and extra-trees algorithm based on the EEG derived quantitative features presented above
Neurological functional evolution with GOSE90 days after inclusionUsing validated functional scale Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended (GOSE) for independence assessment (GOSE ranges from 1 to 8 with higher scores indicating less severe disability outcome)

Countries

France

Contacts

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORBertrand HERMANN, MD, PhD

Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Mar 5, 2026