Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy Biomarkers of Neonatal Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy

Neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a serious neurological condition characterised by acute or subacute brain injury arising from perinatal hypoxia. HIE is thought to affect approximately 0.2% of live births, and is associated with a high risk of mortality or long-term neurological disability.

Accurate biomarkers for long-term neuro-developmental outcome following HIE are extremely important both for clinical management and the evaluation of therapeutic approaches. According to a recent meta-analysis, the ratio of the cerebral concentrations of lactate and N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), two neuro-metabolites detectable with magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), currently represents the most accurate prognostic indicator of outcome following HIE. However, for various technical reasons standard MRS methods do not offer optimal sensitivity for detecting lactate, which may potentially be improved with a custom lactate editing MRS sequence. In addition, while perfusion has also been suggested as a potential biomarker for neuro-developmental outcome following HIE, due to a paucity of MR perfusion imaging studies in neonates, the prognostic accuracy of perfusion MR measures has not been evaluated in comparison with more established MR biomarkers. The aims of this study are:

1. to evaluate the relative sensitivity of a custom lactate editing MRS pulse sequence (specialist software) relative to the standard point resolved (PRESS) MRS sequence for detecting lactate in neonates with suspected HIE. 2. to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of MR perfusion measures in comparison to MRS measures as predictors of neuro-developmental outcome at 2 years.

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Key information

Conditions

Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy Brain Diseases Brain Ischemia Cardiovascular Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Cerebrovascular Disorders Hypoxia Hypoxia, Brain Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain Nervous System Diseases Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms, Respiratory Vascular Diseases

Age range

Up to 2 week

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

University Children's Hospital Zurich, MRI Center

Zurich, 8032, Switzerland

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Newborn infants (born at >36 weeks) with suspected perinatal asphyxia. Written informed consent from both parents.

Exclusion criteria

Prematurity (born at < 36 weeks). Lack of written informed consent from both parents.

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

sensitivity of lactate editing MR spectroscopy sequence (software) relative to that of the standard MR spectroscopy sequence.

Time frame: 12 months

The primary end-point will be reached when lactate and perfusion data have been collected from 30 neonates. The efficacy of the custom-MRS lactate editing sequence will be assessed relative to that of the standard MRS sequence for the detection of lactate (by comparing the lactate concentration (in mM) measured from the lactate edited MR spectra to that measured from the standard MR spectra).

Secondary outcomes

prognostic accuracy (sensitivity and specificity) of MRI and MRS for predicting motor outcome at age 2

Time frame: 3 years

The secondary end-point will be reached upon completion of a neurological development assessment at the age of 2 years. Patients will be classified as having a good or poor outcome based on their motor skills at age 2, and the prognostic accuracy (eg sensitivity and specificity for predicting neuromotor outcome) of the standard and new MRI and MRS sequences will be assessed.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University Children's Hospital, Zurich

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Spectroscopy (MRS) Biomarkers of Neonatal Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy

Important dates

Study start: 2011
Primary completion: 2019
Study completion: 2019
First posted: Nov 29, 2011
Registry last updated: Sep 25, 2019

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

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This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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