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CompletedNCT02702635Updated Jul 1, 2021

Measuring Blood Flow Characteristics Using Dynamic Contrast Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging

An interventional study of DCE MRI of the brain in Brain Injuries and Cerebrovascular Disorders, sponsored by Loma Linda University. Completed at 1 site in United States. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2021-07-01.

Sponsored by Loma Linda University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Basic science

From the registry’s dates

  • Registered 5 months after the study started (first participant enrolled Sep 2015, registered Mar 2016).
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
53
Allocation
Not applicable
Sex
All
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Study summary

Dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI gives quantitative and semi-quantitative information about the integrity of the vascular system and can be used to quantify blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity. The BBB plays a pathophysiological role in diabetes, cognitive disorders such as mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Although dysfunctional, changes in BBB integrity for these conditions are thought to be subtle and close to intact values. Recent studies have shown it is possible measure small changes in the BBB integrity as an early sign of disease using DCE MRI. The objective of this study is to apply an optimized DCE imaging protocol and novel image post-processing to obtain new information about the BBB integrity in aging. These techniques show promise for both improving clinical diagnosis, and elucidated the physiology or various disease processes.

Read the detailed description

Objectives The objective of this investigator-initiated study is to continue and extend this research by applying our optimized DCE imaging protocol (using the standard FDA approved DCE sequence) and our novel image post-processing to obtain new information about the BBB integrity in aging.

Study Procedure Overview: Subjects will be recruited either from patient's at LLUMC with an existing order for a MRI study of the head with contrast, or from an exisiting cohort at LLU that participated in a previous study.

Health controls will be asked if they would like to participate in the study in order to evaluate if the optimized DCE sequence can provide useful information about various CNS diseases.

Imaging: Following consent, subjects will be imaged at LLUMC using the 3T MRI scanner (Siemens Medical Solutions, Malvern, PA) after MRI safety screening questionnaire is complete. Subjects will be asked to lie on or be positioned on their backs in the MRI scanner. The coil will be placed around their head and the subject will be provided with headphones and/or earplugs during the scan. Imaging will consist of the diagnostic MR protocol requested by the ordering physician and the addition of the standard FDA approved DCE sequence.

Data Collection and Analysis The collected DCE data may be processed using standard FDA approved DCE software (which the department already owns and uses clinically), used for clinical decision making purposes, and added to the patients record. The data will also be processed using specialized research software, this processing will not be used for diagnostic or clinical decision making purposes, and will not be added to the patients record. Ktrans values will be measured using region of interest analysis from the processed DCE data to determine if there are differences between the pathology of interest and healthy controls.

02

Conditions studied

  • Brain Injuries
  • Cerebrovascular Disorders
03

In context

Brain Injuries

2,113 studies on the registry are indexed under Brain Injuries; 385 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 53 is above the median of 48 across 1,331 interventional studies indexed under Brain Injuries.

Browse Brain Injuries studies →

Lead sponsor

Loma Linda University is the lead sponsor of 297 studies on the registry; 48 are open to participants now.

Of its 28 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 23 (82%) have results posted.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
Child (0–17), Adult (18–64), Older adult (65+)
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  • Any person between the ages of 0-100 years, who is undergoing routine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with contrast at LLUMC.

Or

  • Any person between the ages of 18-100 years, who agrees to undergo routine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with contrast at LLUMC.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Electronic or metal implant that is not MRI safe, pregnancy or claustrophobia
  • Not eligible for contrast agent injection (reduced renal function, GFR \< 30 mL/min)
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Basic science
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
53 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    All Subjects

    All recruited subjects

    Procedure: DCE MRI of the brain

Interventions

  • ProcedureDCE MRI of the brain

    An MRI of the brain including a DCE sequence

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Correlation between Ktrans values and Omega3 levels

    Time frame: 2 years

  2. Correlation between Ktrans values and neurocognitive testing

    Time frame: 2 years

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Loma Linda University Medical Center
    Loma Linda, California 92354, United States
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References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jul 1, 2021, 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
NCT02702635
Lead sponsor
Loma Linda University
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Mar 8, 2016
Start date
Sep 15, 2015
Primary completion
May 26, 2021
Completion
May 26, 2021
Last update
Jul 1, 2021

Study contacts

Samuel Barnes, PhD
principal investigator · Loma Linda University Health

Oversight

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

Not currently enrolling

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

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