ClinicalTrials.gg
Status unknownNCT01348633Updated Jan 17, 2013

Retinal Oxygen Saturation, Blood Flow, Vascular Function and High Resolution Morphometric Imaging in the Living Human Eye

An observational study in Branch Retinal Artery Occlusion, Central Retinal Artery Occlusion and Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion, sponsored by University of Toronto. Status unknown at 1 site in Canada. Open to participants aged 20 Years to 80 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2013-01-17.

Sponsored by University of Toronto · Observational

The sponsor has not verified this record recently (last verified Jan 2013), so the status shown — last known as Recruiting — may be out of date.
Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
275
Ages
20 Years to 80 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Canadians fear loss of vision more than any other disability. Vision loss has an enormous impact on quality-of-life and is extremely costly from a societal and economic perspective. In 2001, more than 600,000 Canadians were estimated to have severe vision loss, accounting for 17% of total disability in Canada. One in 9 individuals experience severe vision loss by 65 years of age; however, this increases to 1 in 4 individuals by 75 years. The financial cost of vision loss in Canada is $15.8 billion per year. There is a general perception that vision loss is "normal with aging" but 75% of vision loss is estimated to be preventable. The major causes of severe vision loss are age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), glaucoma, particularly primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), and diabetic retinopathy (DR). Canada is headed for an epidemic of age-related eye disease and, unless something is done to prepare for this, severe vision loss will have significant consequences in terms of societal and economic costs. Through this proposed Research Program, and in conjunction with our international academic and private sector partners, we will build and develop unique quantitative imaging technologies to permit non-invasive assessment of visual changes, structural changes in the thickness of the retina at the back of the eye and also changes in the amount of blood flowing through the blood vessels that feed the retina with oxygen. This research will add to our basic knowledge in predicting the development of sight-threatening change in patients with the three diseases, and facilitate earlier detection of the problem to help us discover earlier treatments for people with these conditions. The reliability of each imaging technology will be assessed by determining its ability to differentiate between diseased and healthy eyes. Cross-sectional analyses at yearly intervals, as well as change over time analyses, will be undertaken.

Read the detailed description

There are a number of major steps that are required prior to the utilisation of these technologies in a clinical setting. This phase of the Proposal will aim to validate and calibrate the new technologies, explore the signal-to-noise ratio of RBF and oxygen saturation parameters, generate values to define the impact of absorption, morphological fundus variation and pre-retinal autofluorescence on oxygen saturation imaging and will establish a database of healthy control imaging values for both new technologies and the reproducibility of those measurements. Note: Sample size calculations have been conducted for all aspects of this phase of the protocol, based upon our extensive retinal vascular reactivity work. We will build and develop unique quantitative imaging technologies to that will permit us to explore the physiology of retinal and choroidal perfusion and vascular regulation, and retinal oxygenation.

Having completed the Validation and Calibration phase, this research will ultimately add to our basic knowledge in predicting the development of sight-threatening change in patients with the ARMD, diabetic retinopathy and primary open glaucoma, and facilitate earlier detection of the problem to help us discover earlier treatments for people with these conditions. The reliability of each imaging technology will be assessed by determining its ability to differentiate between diseased and healthy eyes. Through this proposed Research Program, we will build and develop unique quantitative imaging technologies to: Comprehensively assess the blood supply to, and vascular regulation characteristics of the posterior segment of the eye, a diagnostic capability that is currently severely limited. Assess oxygen saturation disturbances in the retina and ON that occur prior to clinically detectable changes, diagnostic capability that currently does not exist. Using the retinal blood supply and oxygen saturation parameters, we will derive net oxygen delivery to the retina and optic nerve head (ONH), a diagnostic capability that does not exist

02

Conditions studied

  • Branch Retinal Artery Occlusion
  • Central Retinal Artery Occlusion
  • Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion
  • Central Retinal Vein Occlusion

Keywords

  • Doppler SD-OCT Blood Flow Technology
  • Retinal and choroidal blood flow
  • Canon Laser Blood Flowmeter
03

In context

Retinal Artery Occlusion

31 studies on the registry are indexed under Retinal Artery Occlusion; 6 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 275 is close to the median of 275 across 13 observational studies indexed under Retinal Artery Occlusion.

Browse Retinal Artery Occlusion studies →

Lead sponsor

University of Toronto is the lead sponsor of 403 studies on the registry; 57 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
20 Years to 80 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes
Sampling method
Probability sample

Study population

Flyers advertising the study will be posted on noticeboards within Toronto Western Hospital. The cohorts will be selected from the respondents to the flyer. Clincians in the Ophthalomology department in the Toronto Western Hopital will also offer the study to patients whom they consider to be potential participants.

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • 20 to 80 years of age
  • good vision in at least one eye (equivalent to 20/40 or better when wearing up-to-date spectacles)
  • normal intraocular pressure (i.e. \< 22 mm Hg)
  • spectacle refraction between +/- 6.00 DS \& / or +/- 2.50 DC

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • any ocular disease apart from retinal vein / artery occlusion (for stub study #3, patients with retinal vessel occlusion will be recruited)
  • history of stroke, chronic lung disease (i.e. does not include seasonal asthma)
  • taking medications with known effects on the blood vessels, other than medications to control blood glucose, blood pressure or cholesterol levels
05

Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
275 participants (estimated)

Groups and cohorts

  • Sub-study 1

    The Quantitative, Doppler SD-OCT Blood Flow Technology will be validated and calibrated by manipulating end-tidal blood gases using the computer-controlled gas sequencer (Slessarev et al, 2005) in 15 healthy controls. Homeostatic inner retina blood flow values and the magnitude of vascular reactivity will be compared between Doppler SD-OCT blood flow technology and the Canon Laser Blood Flowmeter, an established standard, at specific locations within the retinal vascular tree.

  • Sub-study 2

    The Quantitative, Hyper-Spectral Imaging Derived Oxygen Saturation Maps of the major retinal vessels and capillary beds will be validated and calibrated in human volunteers using our novel and exact technique that allows the precise control of the partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) to induce controlled and safe levels of hypoxia. Oxygen saturation values will be compared to measured PO2 values (i.e. recognized standard) for various levels of hypoxia and will be used to provide in-sight into the properties of the data output e.g. effective operating range, linearity of response. At the end of the study, subjects will be returned to normoxic conditions to assess reproducibility of oxygen saturation maps.

  • Sub-study 3

    Subjects with symptoms of branch and central retinal artery and vein occlusion within the past 2 months will be used to validate the Doppler SD-OCT blood flow technology and the hyperspectral imaging derived oxygen saturation maps. In cases of central retinal vein and artery occlusion, imaging values (i.e. inner retinal and choroidal blood flow, oxygen saturation values of the major retinal vessels and the capillary beds of the retina and ONH) will be compared between the affected and unaffected eyes. In cases of branch occlusion, imaging values will be compared between the affected and unaffected quadrants of the affected eye and between the affected and unaffected eyes. The difference in inner retinal and choroidal blood flow for each eye will be calculated and compared between eyes.

  • Sub-study 4

    Calibration for retinal melanin, crystalline lens absorption, macular pigment, morphological variation and pre-retinal autofluorescence in healthy subjects (n=20 per decade, range 40 to 80yrs). Established reflectometric techniques to derive absorption values and autofluorescence techniques will be used to calculate correction values for each parameter that influences the hyper-spectral retinal and ON oxygen saturation imaging data (Keilhauer and Delori, 2006; Delori et al, 2007).

  • Sub-study 5

    Establishment of a database of healthy control imaging values (n=20 per decade, range 40 to 80yrs). A database of healthy control values will be established for each technology taking into account extraneous factors such as age (range 40 to 70 years) and gender. The healthy control database will be compared to the results of each individual patient in the prospective study phase of this proposed Research Program (see Prospective Study Phase, 3, Control group). Statistical confidence limits for abnormality at each time point, and for progression overtime, will be established. Measurements will be repeated at separate visits to establish repeatability.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Validation and calibration of the Quantitative, Doppler SD-OCT Blood Flow Technology

    Validation and calibration of the Doppler SD-OCT technology for their optimal utilisation in a clinical setting is required. We aim to explore the signal-to-noise ratio of retinal blood flow and oxygen saturation parameters, generate values to define the impact of absorption, morphological fundus variation and pre-retinal autofluorescence on oxygen saturation imaging and will establish a database of healthy control imaging values for both new technologies and the reproducibility of those measurements.

    Time frame: 1 year

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Toronto Western Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto Western Hospital
    Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada
    Recruiting
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Tayyari F, Venkataraman ST, Gilmore ED, Wong T, Fisher J, Hudson C. The relationship between retinal vascular reactivity and arteriolar diameter in response to metabolic provocation. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2009 Oct;50(10):4814-21. doi: 10.1167/iovs.09-3373. Epub 2009 Apr 1. PubMed 19339742 ↗
  • Keilhauer CN, Delori FC. Near-infrared autofluorescence imaging of the fundus: visualization of ocular melanin. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2006 Aug;47(8):3556-64. doi: 10.1167/iovs.06-0122. PubMed 16877429 ↗
  • Slessarev M, Fisher JA, Volgyesi G, Prisman E, Mikulis D, Hudson C, Ansel C (2005). PATENT: A new method and apparatus to attain and maintain target end tidal gas concentrations (WO/2007/012170). International Application #: PCT/CA2005/001166. Filing Date: 28 / 07 / 2005. Pub Date: 01 / 02 / 2007.
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Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
Not marked actual or estimatedDates not marked actual or estimated

The record gives a start of Mar 2012, a primary completion of Aug 2015 and a completion of Aug 2015. It does not say whether these dates are actual or estimated.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
May 4, 2011
First posted
May 5, 2011
Start
Mar 2012
Primary completionEst.
Aug 2015
CompletionEst.
Aug 2015
Last update
Jan 17, 2013
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jan 17, 2013, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01348633
Collaborators
Ontario Research Fund
Responsible party
Chris Hudson (Professor, University of Toronto) — Principal investigator
First posted
May 5, 2011
Start date
Mar 2012
Primary completion
Aug 2015 (estimated)
Completion
Aug 2015 (estimated)
Last update
Jan 17, 2013

Study contacts

Chris Hudson, Ph.D
Contact
chudson@uwaterloo.ca
416 603 5694
Chris Hudson, OD, PhD
principal investigator · University of Toronto, Toronto Western Research Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, University of Waterloo

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is status unknown, as verified in Jan 2013. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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