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CompletedNCT04525404MOISTUpdated Jan 26, 2023

MOIST Study: Multi-Organ Imaging With Serial Testing in COVID-19 Infected Patients

An observational study in Covid19, Coronavirus Infection and SARS-CoV Infection, sponsored by University of Alberta. Completed at 2 sites in Canada. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2023-01-26.

Sponsored by University of Alberta · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
215
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
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Study summary

While many people with COVID-19 suffer from respiratory disease, there is growing evidence that the virus also affects other organs. The purpose of this study is to better understand the effects of COVID-19 on the lungs and other organs.

The study investigators have developed new techniques in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to scan the lungs, heart, brain and liver. The study investigators hope to learn more about how the virus causes inflammation in these organs and how this inflammation changes over time as people recover from COVID-19 illness.

The study aims to enroll 228 people in Alberta. Participants will undergo one or more MRI scans and have blood testing at one or more time points to assess for inflammation, kidney function, liver function and possible heart injury. Participants will also undergo testing to assess sense of smell, cognition (thinking and memory), spirometry (breathing test for lung function) and and exercise tolerance (walk test).

The study investigators hope this study will help us learn more about the long-term risks of COVID-19 disease.

Read the detailed description

Participants with newly or recently diagnosed COVID-19 infection (inpatients and outpatients) will undergo multi-organ MRI (heart, brain, lungs, liver), blood work, and functional testing at one or more time points. Functional testing will include olfaction testing, cognitive testing, spiromety, and a walk test.

02

Conditions studied

03

In context

Infections

6,687 studies on the registry are indexed under Infections; 807 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 215 is below the median of 240 across 2,136 observational studies indexed under Infections.

Browse Infections studies →

Lead sponsor

University of Alberta is the lead sponsor of 800 studies on the registry; 168 are open to participants now.

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

04

Who can participate

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

Study population

Adult participants with new or recent COVID-19 infection.

Eligibility criteria

Troponin substudy Inclusion Criteria:

  1. 18 years of age or older
  2. Willing and able to provide informed consent
  3. COVID-19 positive test (within 14 days of positive test date)
  4. High-sensitivity Troponin-I >100ng/L or Troponin T > 52ng/L
  5. Ability to obtain Baseline MRI imaging within 7 days (up to 14 days maximum) of Troponin result

Troponin substudy Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Contraindication to MRI or MRI contrast
  2. GFR \< 30ml/kg/min/1.73m2
  3. Hemodynamic instability requiring inotropic agents
  4. Active ventilatory support

Late cross-sectional substudy Inclusion Criteria:

  1. 18 years of age or older
  2. Willing and able to provide informed consent
  3. Previously diagnosed with COVID-19 > 3 months ago
  4. Ability to obtain MRI imaging at minimum 12 weeks from COVID-19 diagnosis

Late cross-sectional substudy Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Contraindication to MRI or MRI contrast
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Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
215 participants (actual)
Patient registry
No

Groups and cohorts

  • Troponin Substudy

    Participants with new COVID-19 infection will undergo high-sensitivity Troponin testing; participants with elevated Troponin will undergo MRI, bloodwork, and olfaction testing at Baseline, then repeat MRI, bloodwork and all functional testing at the Recovered (ie 12weeks post diagnosis) phase. Participants with normal Troponin will undergo only olfaction testing and bloodwork at baseline, then MRI, bloodwork and all functional testing at the Recovered phase.

    Diagnostic Test: MRI (heart, brain, lungs, liver) · Diagnostic Test: Bloodwork · Other: Cognitive testing · Other: Olfaction testing · Diagnostic Test: Spirometry · Other: Walk Test

  • Late Cross-Sectional Substudy

    Participants with a COVID-19 diagnosis at least 3 months prior to enrollment will undergo MRI, bloodwork and all functional testing at the Recovered phase only.

    Diagnostic Test: MRI (heart, brain, lungs, liver) · Diagnostic Test: Bloodwork · Other: Cognitive testing · Other: Olfaction testing · Diagnostic Test: Spirometry · Other: Walk Test

Interventions

  • Diagnostic testMRI (heart, brain, lungs, liver)

    MRI (heart, brain, lungs, liver)

  • Diagnostic testBloodwork

    Serum biomarkers to assess systemic inflammation, renal function, cardiac injury, liver injury and steatosis, ACE-2 related peptides, cytokines, Activin A and autoantibodies to cardiac antigens, humoral cell RNA

  • OtherCognitive testing

    NIH toolbox Cognitive Measures

  • OtherOlfaction testing

    Brief Smell Identification Test (BSIT)

  • Diagnostic testSpirometry

    Spirometry to evaluate forced expiratory volume in 1 second and forced vital capacity

  • OtherWalk Test

    Walk test to record overall distance walked in 6 minutes and time taken to walk the first 25 feet

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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Native myocardial T1 relaxation time

    Myocardial T1 is a surrogate marker of myocardial edema and the most sensitive MRI measure of acute myocarditis. We will show that myocardial T1 at baseline is significantly higher than myocardial T1 at 12 weeks follow-up. At 12 weeks, we will also compare native myocardial T1 in patients with baseline elevated troponin to those with baseline normal troponin as well as healthy controls

    Time frame: 12 weeks post COVID-19 diagnosis

Secondary outcomes

  1. FLAIR imaging

    Similar within group and between group comparisons of MRI derived lung water content, liver water content, and the presence of brain inflammation on FLAIR imaging

    Time frame: 12 weeks post COVID-19 diagnosis

  2. Compare 12-week cognitive testing to the corresponding findings on MRI of brain, heart and lung at baseline

    Compare 12-week cognitive testing (NIH toolbox score) to the corresponding findings on MRI of brain, heart and lung at baseline

    Time frame: 12 weeks post COVID-19 diagnosis

  3. Compare 12-week spirometry to the corresponding findings on MRI of brain, heart and lung at baseline

    Compare 12-week spirometry (FEV1, FVC and FEV1:FVC) to the corresponding findings on MRI of brain, heart and lung at baseline

    Time frame: 12 weeks post COVID-19 diagnosis

  4. Compare 12-week walk test results to the corresponding findings on MRI of brain, heart and lung at baseline

    Compare 12-week walk test results (distance and time) to the corresponding findings on MRI of brain, heart and lung at baseline

    Time frame: 12 weeks post COVID-19 diagnosis

  5. Compare 12-week cognitive testing in patients with normal smell and/or normal appearing brainstem on MRI to patients with no or impaired smell and/or injury to brainstem on MRI

    Compare 12-week cognitive testing in patients with normal smell and/or normal appearing brainstem on MRI to patients with no or impaired smell and/or injury to brainstem on MRI

    Time frame: 12 weeks post COVID-19 diagnosis

  6. Compare MRI measures of organ dysfunction at 12-24 weeks in survivors according to severity of prior COVID-19 illness: (i) hospitalized, (ii) symptomatic, not hospitalized and (iii) asymptomatic

    Compare MRI measures of organ dysfunction at 12-24 weeks in survivors according to severity of prior COVID-19 illness: (i) hospitalized, (ii) symptomatic, not hospitalized and (iii) asymptomatic

    Time frame: 12-24 weeks post COVID-19 diagnosis

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Study locations

2 sites
  • University of Calgary
    Calgary, Alberta, Canada
  • University of Alberta
    Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Undecided

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 Jan 26, 2023, 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
NCT04525404
Lead sponsor
University of Alberta
Collaborators
Canadian VIGOUR Centre
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Aug 25, 2020
Start date
Nov 12, 2020
Primary completion
Sep 22, 2021
Completion
Sep 30, 2022
Last update
Jan 26, 2023

Study contacts

Ian Paterson, MD
principal investigator · University of Alberta

Oversight

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

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Sep 2022. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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