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RecruitingNCT03028246Updated Jun 29, 2026

A Feasibility Safety Study of Benign Centrally-Located Intracranial Tumors in Pediatric and Young Adult Subjects

An interventional study of ExAblate 4000 System in Benign Centrally-Located Intracranial Tumors, sponsored by InSightec. Recruiting at 3 sites in United States. Open to participants aged 5 Years to 22 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-06-29.

Sponsored by InSightec · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
20
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
5 Years to 22 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The goal of this prospective, non-randomized, single-arm, feasibility study is to develop data to evaluate the safety and feasibility of ExAblate 4000 treatment of benign intracranial tumors which require clinical intervention in pediatric and young adult subjects.

Indication of Use: Ablation of benign intracranial tumors in children and young adults which are ExAblate accessible.

Read the detailed description

The goal of this prospective, non-randomized, single-arm, feasibility study is to develop data to evaluate the safety and feasibility of ExAblate 4000 treatment of benign intracranial tumors which require clinical intervention in pediatric and young adult subjects.

Indication of Use: Ablation of benign intracranial tumors in children and young adults which are ExAblate accessible.

This is a feasibility study intended to collect data for use in the development of future studies. As such, no formal statistical hypothesis or hypothesis testing is proposed. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and feasibility of managing benign brain tumor size using ExAblate 4000 treatment of progressing benign intracranial tumors which require clinical intervention in pediatric and young adult subjects.

02

Conditions studied

  • Benign Centrally-Located Intracranial Tumors

Keywords

  • Hamartoma
  • Hypothalamic Hamartoma
03

Who can participate

Ages eligible
5 Years to 22 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Subjects with benign (WHO grade I) centrally located intracranial tumors which require clinical intervention and are known to carry minimal hemorrhage risk
  • Minimum head circumference will be 49cm
  • Skull Density Ratio (SDR) should be ≥0.35
  • Subjects should be on a stable dose of all condition-related medications for 30 days prior to study entry as determine by medical records
  • Subjects and/or parent(s)/legal representative can provide accurate seizure diary log for the 30 days prior to FUS treatment and for the duration of the study

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Subjects with unstable cardiac status that would increase anesthetic risk including
  • Subjects exhibiting any behavior(s) consistent with ethanol or substance abuse as defined by the criteria outlined in the DSM-IV
  • Subjects who are taking human growth hormone (hGH), also known as somatotropin
  • Subjects with standard contraindications for MR imaging such as non-MRI compatible implanted metallic devices including vagus nerve stimulator, responsive neurostimulator, cardiac pacemakers, non-metallic shunts, size limitations, etc.
  • Known intolerance or allergies to the MRI contrast agent (e.g. Gadolinium or Magnevist) or sedative medications
  • Severely impaired renal function (estimated glomerular filtration rate \<70% of normal GFR for age) or receiving dialysis
  • Any history of clinically significant abnormal bleeding and/or coagulopathy
  • Receiving anticoagulant (e.g. warfarin) or antiplatelet (e.g. aspirin, NSAIDs) therapy within one week of focused ultrasound procedure or drugs known to increase risk or hemorrhage (e.g. Avastin) within one month of focused ultrasound procedure; or, unable or unwilling to stop anticoagulant for the purpose of focused ultrasound procedure
  • Use of valproate derivatives for seizure control within the preceding 2 weeks
  • Known or suspected acute, active, or uncontrolled infection
  • History of postnatal stroke or intracranial hemorrhage within 6 months
  • Clinical suspicion of increased intracranial pressure (as evidenced by symptoms of obstruction: headache, nausea, vomiting, lethargy, and papilledema)
  • Have participated in another interventional trial in the last 30 days
  • History of immunocompromise, including subject who is HIV positive with incomplete viral suppression
  • Known life-threatening systemic disease
  • Subjects with suicidal ideation or previous suicide attempt within the past year
  • Subjects with malignant brain tumors, or the presence of any ambiguous clinical features that could imply a malignant potential to the tumor, or for which a biopsy is necessary
  • Subjects for whom histopathology is important for ongoing management
  • Female subjects who are pregnant, breast feeding or planning to become pregnant during the study or are unwilling to practice birth control during participation in the study, if of child-bearing age
04

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
20 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    ExAblate 4000 System

    MR-Guided Focused Ultrasound

    Device: ExAblate 4000 System

Interventions

  • DeviceExAblate 4000 System

    Focused ultrasound

    Also known as: MRgFUS, HIFU, Focused Ultrasound, MR-Guided Focused Ultrasound, ExAblate Neuro System

05

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Incidence of Treatment-Emergent Adverse Events Safety and Tolerability

    Safety will be assessed by tabulation of treatment related adverse events. All adverse events at least possibly procedure related will also be examined in detail for patterns of occurrence.

    Time frame: Post ExAblate Procedure through 12 Month Follow-up

  2. Measurement of Tumor Volume

    ExAblate procedure will demonstrate feasibility along with measurement of tumor volumes at follow-up as compared to the baseline MRI.

    Time frame: Baseline through 12 Month Follow Up

Secondary outcomes

  1. Changes in the General Physical Exam

    Any changes in physical examination performed by a physician.

    Time frame: Baseline through 12 Month Follow Up

  2. Changes in the Neurological Exam

    Any changes in neurological examination performed by the neurologist/neurosurgeon.

    Time frame: Baseline through 12 Month Follow Up

  3. Confrontational Visual Field Testing

    Changes in confrontational visual field testing performed by a physician

    Time frame: Baseline through 3 Month Follow Up

  4. Global Impression of Change-Clinician

    Impression of change as the result of the treatment by a physician

    Time frame: Day 1 through 12 Month Follow Up

  5. Patient Global Impression of Change

    Impression of change as the result of the treatment by the subject

    Time frame: Day 1 through 12 Month Follow Up

Other outcomes

  1. Change in Seizure Frequency

    The change in seizure frequency will be evaluated from baseline through 12 months after treatment.

    Time frame: From baseline through 12 months after treatment

  2. QOLCE-55

    The change in scores on the QOLCE-55 questionnaire will be evaluated.

    Time frame: From baseline through 12 months after treatment

06

Study locations

3 of 3 sites recruiting
  • Children's National Medical Center
    Washington D.C., District of Columbia 20010, United States
    • Sonora Robles · Contact · srobles@childrensnational.org · 202-476-3755
    • Robert Keating · Principal investigator
    • Roger Packer · Sub investigator
    Recruiting
  • Nicklaus Children's Hospital
    Miami, Florida 33155, United States
    • The Focused Ultrasound Team · Contact · mrguidedfus@Nicklaushealth.org · 305-662-8386
    • John Ragheb, MD · Contact · john.ragheb2@nicklaushealth.org · 305-662-8386
    • John Ragheb, MD · Principal investigator
    • Marytery Fajardo, MD · Sub investigator
    • Matt Lallas, MD · Sub investigator
    • Pat Dean, ARNP · Sub investigator
    Recruiting
  • Texas Children's Hospital
    Houston, Texas 77030, United States
    • Sarah Martinez · Contact · sxwisor@texaschildrens.org · 832-822-4075
    • Daniel Curry, MD · Principal investigator
    • Irfan Ali, MD · Sub investigator
    Recruiting
07

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Undecided

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

08

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03028246
Lead sponsor
InSightec
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Jan 23, 2017
Start date
Feb 28, 2017
Primary completion
Dec 31, 2026 (estimated)
Completion
Dec 31, 2026 (estimated)
Last update
Jun 29, 2026

Study contacts

John Ragheb, MD
principal investigator · Miami Children's Research Institute - Nicklaus Children's Hospital

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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