ClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT01620957ACI-ComaUpdated Nov 18, 2025

Longitudinal Study of the Default-mode Network Connectivity in Brain Injured Patients Recovering From Coma

An observational study in Coma, sponsored by Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale, France. Completed at 1 site in France. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 75 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-11-18.

Sponsored by Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale, France · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
43
Ages
18 Years to 75 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Several studies in healthy volunteers have suggested that the synchronized functional connectivity in the DMN (Deafult-Mode Network) would sustain the mental content at rest, and when required, a switch in the activity between the DMN and other networks involved in specific congnitive functions, would occur. This interaction permit to make the hypothesis, that baseline brain activity is likely to shape our ongoing " stream of consciousness " and could correlate with conscious perception. The investigators hypothesized that DMN connectivity strength would be related to the level of consciousness of brain-damaged patients. The investigators will follow severely brain-injured patient in coma. Clinical examination using standardized behavioural scales: FOUR score (Full Outline of UnResponsivess), Coma Recovery Scale-Revised); and brain imaging assessesments using MRI (functional and anatomical connectivity, cortical thickness) will be performed at: 3 to 30 (visit 1), and 60 (visit 2) days after insult. If patient recover a normal conscious state between 30 and 60 days, an additional clinical and brain imaging assessment will be performed to identify related changes in brain activity (visit 1*) Monitoring of vital parameters will be performed in patients by a senior anaesthesiologist throughout the experiment.

02

Conditions studied

  • Coma

Keywords

  • Default-mode network
  • Difussion tensor imaging
  • Cortical thickness
  • Coma
  • Vegetative state
  • Minimally conscious state
  • Neural correlate of consciousness
03

In context

Coma

138 studies on the registry are indexed under Coma; 35 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 43 is below the median of 100 across 58 observational studies indexed under Coma.

Browse Coma studies →

Lead sponsor

Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale, France is the lead sponsor of 378 studies on the registry; 81 are open to participants now.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 75 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

We will analyse DMN functional and anatomical connectivity in severely brain-injured patients in coma and during the first two month following brain injury. All patients will be admitted from one of the four Critical Care Units of University Teaching Hospital of Toulouse, France.

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

  • Brain-damaged patients in coma (trauma or anoxic origin).
  • Male and female, ranging in age from 18 to 75 years.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Withdrawal of consent from the patients (or the persons having legal responsibility for them).
  • Sedation or general anaesthesia during assessement period (\< 24 hours).
  • MRI
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(1)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Contraindication

A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.

05

Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
43 participants (actual)

Groups and cohorts

  • Coma patients
06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change of DMN resting state fMRI connectivity between 1 and 2 month after severe brain injury

    To date, the functional significance of DMN resting state connectivity patterns remain unclear. We hypothesized that DMN connectivity strength would be related to the level of consciousness of non-communicative brain-damaged patients, as assessed by standardized behavioural scales (FOUR score, CRS-R). Furthermore, we expected that a disruption of functional connectivity in the DMN could predict brain-damaged patient's recovery.

    Time frame: VISIT1 = coma state (an expected average of 3 to 30 days after brain injury), VISIT2 = recovery phase (an expected average of 30 to 60 days). Finally, in case of full recovery during the recovery phase an additional assessment will be performed (VISIT1*)

Secondary outcomes

  1. Compare functional and structural DMN connectivity between 1 and 2 month after severe brain injury

    Functional DMN connectivity will be investigated using probabilistic independent component analysis. Structural connectivity counterpart, will be assessed by diffusor tensor imaging and cortical thickness.

    Time frame: VISIT1 = coma state (an expected average of 3 to 30 days after brain injury), VISIT2 = recovery phase (an expected average of 30 to 60 days). Finally, in case of full recovery during the recovery phase an additional assessment will be performed (VISIT1*)

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Medicale, U825
    Toulouse, Haute Garonne 31059, France
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Peran P, Malagurski B, Nemmi F, Sarton B, Vinour H, Ferre F, Bounes F, Rousset D, Mrozeck S, Seguin T, Riu B, Minville V, Geeraerts T, Lotterie JA, Deboissezon X, Albucher JF, Fourcade O, Olivot JM, Naccache L, Silva S. Functional and Structural Integrity of Frontoparietal Connectivity in Traumatic and Anoxic Coma. Crit Care Med. 2020 Aug;48(8):e639-e647. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000004406. PubMed 32697504 ↗
  • Rosazza C, Sattin D, Sebastiano DR, Minati L, Leonardi M, Silva S. Disruption of posteromedial large-scale neural communication predicts recovery from coma. Neurology. 2016 Jul 5;87(1):120-1. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000002853. No abstract available. PubMed 27378806 ↗
09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Ran from Jul 2012 to primary completion in Jul 2017, 60 months.

Of 24 observational studies under Coma, half reached primary completion within 34 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 14 and three quarters within 60. This study's 60 months is above that.

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

Registered
Apr 11, 2012
First posted
Jun 15, 2012
StartActual
Jul 10, 2012
Primary completionActual
Jul 2017
CompletionActual
Jul 2017
Last update
Nov 18, 2025
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 Nov 18, 2025, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01620957
Collaborators
University Hospital, Toulouse, Association des Traumatisés du Crane et de la Face, Paris, France
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Jun 15, 2012
Start date
Jul 10, 2012
Primary completion
Jul 2017
Completion
Jul 2017
Last update
Nov 18, 2025

Study contacts

Stein Silva, MD, PhD
principal investigator · Inserm, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care at the University Teaching Hospital of Toulouse, France
Kader Boulanouar, PhD
study chair · Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale, France

Oversight

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

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Aug 2021. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Start the discussion