Electrophysiology of the Human Pituitary Gland

Identification of the Posterior Lobe of the Human Pituitary Gland During Surgery Using Its Electrophysiological, Neural Signature

Status

Terminated

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT05338125

Enrollment

Registered

2022-04-20

Start date

2020-12-10

Completion date

2023-03-09

Last updated

2023-03-13

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

Conditions

Diabetes Insipidus Cranial Type, Endocrine; Deficiency, Pituitary Adenoma, Pituitary Tumor

Keywords

Electrophysiology

Brief summary

Measurment of electrophysiological properties of the human pituitary gland during removal of a pituitary adenoma. Assessment if these properties are sufficient for intra-operative identification of different tissues.

Detailed description

In this study, patients undergoing a surgical resection of a pituitary adenoma as part of standard care will undergo an extra measurement of the electrophysiological properties of the pituitary gland. A single-unit microlectrode will be introduced and placed in the adenoma tissue, anterior piuitary lobe and posterior pituitary lobe. Apart from this measurement, no other interventions are performed and standard care will continue. Six months after measurements the patients chart will be assessed for the occurrence of remission and endocrine deficiencies. An assessment will be made if these properties are distinctive enough to allow intra-operative identification of the different tissues and thereby increase chances of maximal tumour removal and decrease chance of endocrine deficiencies.

Interventions

PROCEDUREMicro-electrode measurement

Electrophysiological measurement with single-unit micro-electrode

Study design

Allocation

Intervention model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Intervention model description

Pilot proof-of-concept study

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* Male and female patients undergoing transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenoma. * Identification of the posterior lobe on preoperative MRI. This is most common in patients with micro-adenomas or small macroadenomas. * Age \>18 years

Exclusion criteria

* Emergency surgery * Cognitive impairments * Pregnancy * Pre-existing diabetes insipidus

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Electrophysiological properties	Day 0	Electrophysiological properties of the human pituitary gland

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Endocrine remission	6 months postoperative	Occurrence of endocrine remission after surgery
Endocrine deficiencies	6 months postoperative	Occurrence of endocrine deficiencies after surgery

Countries

Netherlands

Outcome results

None listed

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