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Non-Invasive Monitoring Methods in Patients With Acute Brain Injury

Non-Invasive Monitoring Methods in Patients With Acute Brain Injury

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Observational
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06504238
Acronym
NIMABI
Enrollment
720
Registered
2024-07-16
Start date
2024-09-26
Completion date
2030-09-30
Last updated
2025-10-29

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

Conditions

Brain Injury, Acute

Keywords

Life-threatening mass effect (LIME), Traumatic brain injury (TBI), Ischemic stroke (IS), Intraparenchymal hemorrhage (IPH), Neurologic deterioration, Intracranial Pressure (ICP), Glasgow Coma Scores

Brief summary

Life-threatening mass effect (LTME) arises when brain swelling displaces or compresses crucial midline structures subsequent to acute brain injuries (ABIs) like traumatic brain injury (TBI), ischemic stroke (IS), and intraparenchymal hemorrhage (IPH), which can manifest rapidly within hours or more gradually over days. Despite advancements in surgical management, significant gaps in understanding persist regarding optimal monitoring and therapeutic approaches. The current standard for identifying LTME involves neurologic decline in conjunction with radiographic evidence or increased intracranial pressure (ICP) indicating space-occupying mass effect. However, in critically ill patients, reliance on subjective physical exam findings, such as decreased arousal, often leads to delayed recognition, occurring only after catastrophic shifts have already occurred. The goal of this study is to determine the association of non-invasive biomarkers with neurologic deterioration, and to determine whether non-invasive biomarker inclusion improves detection of outcome and decline. The investigators propose to use various non-invasive methods to monitor ICP as adjuncts in detecting deteriorating mass effect. These methods include quantitative pupillometry, radiographic data, laboratory data, and other bedside diagnostic tests available including electroencephalography (EEG), skull vibrations detected via brain4care device, optic nerve sheath diameter assessment (ONSD), and ultrasound-guided eyeball compression. Some of these methods will be measured \*only\* for the purposes of the research study (such as skull vibrations via brain4care). Other measurements, such as quantitative pupillometry, will represent additional measurements beyond those already being collected for clinical care. This research study is necessary to understand the association of these non-invasive biomarkers with neurological decline and outcomes while considering potential confounding factors.

Interventions

None listed

Sponsors

Boston Medical Center
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Observational model
OTHER
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

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

Inclusion criteria

* Admitted under Neuro intensivist primary or consultative care. * At least one head computed tomography (CT) scan demonstrating intracranial pathology that may lead to life-threatening mass effect (i.e. traumatic brain injury, ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke, epidural or subdural hematoma, subarachnoid hemorrhage, diffuse hypoxic injury, metabolic cerebral edema, tumor) * Concern for Life Threatening Mass Effect * Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) \<9 * Anticipated stay \>24 hours

Exclusion criteria

* Comfort measure only * Any other criteria that the PI deems that makes the patient inadequate for the study * Sub-

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Neurologic Deterioration5 yearsNeurologic deterioration will be assessed as a dichotomous variable (yes/no) defined as a negative change in any of the following: level of consciousness, agaze, arm motor function, leg motor function, or language. The participants' medical chart will be reviewed for documentation of persistent change.
Glasgow Coma Scores5 yearsThe Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is a 15-point scale used to evaluate a person's state of consciousness. A score of 3 is the lowest possible and indicates a deep coma or death, while a score of 15 is the highest and indicates a fully awake person. A lower score generally means a deeper coma.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Number of participant deaths during hospitalization5 yearsThis data will be abstracted from medical records..
Functional outcome at hospital discharge5 yearsThis will be assessed by Modified Rankin Scale (mRS), a 6 point disability scale with possible scores ranging from 0 to 5, higher scores indicating greater disability and where 0-2 is generally considered a good outcome with individuals assuming complete functional independence. A separate category of 6 is usually added for patients who expire. Data will be abstracted from medical records on review of patient notes and discharge summaries to obtain amRS for each participant.

Countries

United States

Contacts

Primary ContactCharlene Ong, MD MPHS
cjong@bu.ed617 638 5351
Backup ContactLeigh Mallinger, BA
leigh.mallinger@bmc.org617-638-7732

Outcome results

None listed

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