CClinicalTrials.gg
RecruitingNCT05250349TRACE-IMPAIRUpdated Feb 22, 2022

TRAnscranial Doppler CErebral Blood Flow and Cognitive IMPAIRment in Heart Failure

An observational study in Heart Failure, Cognitive Impairment and Carotid Stenosis, sponsored by John Paul II Hospital, Krakow. Recruiting at 1 site in Poland. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2022-02-22.

Sponsored by John Paul II Hospital, Krakow · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
300
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

TRACE-IMPAIR is a prospective, clinical study of consecutive patients that evaluates the relationship between heart failure (HF) and cognitive impairment in relation to carotid and cerebral flow. The carotid and cerebral flow will be assessed using Doppler ultrasonography, and cognitive function will be estimated during routine neuropsychological tests.

It is an observational, three(natural)-group, single-center study. It is also an Academic Registry - the scientific activity of the Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum, Jagiellonian University, and John Paul II Hospital.

Read the detailed description

Circumstantial evidence suggests that cognitive dysfunction may occur in HF patients as often undiagnosed comorbidity. Cognitive dysfunction may aggravate HF symptoms and influence prognosis. Cognitive dysfunction may be a reason for inadequate self-care and poor symptom control (e.g., weight gain monitoring). In addition, it may affect medication compliance, leading to hospital readmissions and increased mortality. Brain tissue hypoxia, microemboli, silent strokes, and co-existing anemia have been implicated in contributing to cognitive dysfunction in HF. However, the role of cerebral flow impairment in these patients remains unclear. This uncertainty is mainly because previous studies included small patient groups, diverse imaging techniques, and neuropsychological tests. Furthermore, these studies were primarily conducted in the elderly, a potentially important confounder due to the effect of age on cognitive dysfunction. Particularly little data is available for younger patients (\< 60 years).

This study aims to investigate the association of HF, carotid and cerebral flow, and cognitive impairment. Consecutive patients with HF with mildly reduced (HFmrEF) and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) will be included in the study. Echocardiography with routine measurements such as ejection fraction and stroke volume will be performed in each patient. The carotid and cerebral flow will be assessed on Doppler ultrasonography. Each patient will undergo cognitive function assessment using Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). The results in the index group (isolated HF) will be compared with those in a group of patients with HF and flow-limiting carotid stenosis (CS) against a control group (no HF, no CS).

02

Conditions studied

  • Heart Failure
  • Cognitive Impairment
  • Carotid Stenosis

Keywords

  • Carotid Stenosis
  • Heart Failure
  • Carotid Doppler
  • Transcranial Doppler
  • Cerebral Flow
  • Cognitive Impairment
  • Stroke Volume
03

Who can participate

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

Study population

All-comers registry of patients with HF with mildly reduced (41-49% - HFmrEF) and reduced left ventricle ejection fraction (≤40% - HFrEF)

Inclusion criteria

  • Clinically stable patients (NYHA I-III symptoms) with HF (for at least 6 months) either of ischemic or inflammatory etiology as well as genetic cardiomyopathies
  • Signed informed consent form
  • Consent to imaging studies: echocardiography, carotid and transcranial Doppler sonography and neuropsychological tests (MMSE and MoCA).

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Co-existing, severe, irreversible disease (e.g. advanced cancer)
  • Previously diagnosed dementia (including severe dementia - MMSE and MoCA score \<10)
  • Psychiatric condition which may influence cognitive function
  • Acute, decompensated HF
  • Reversible cause of HF - tachyarrhytmic, peripartum or toxic cardiomyopathy, acute myocarditis, acute myocardial infarction
  • Aortic stenosis
  • Cerebral stroke in the preceding 3 months
  • Lack of transcranial Doppler acoustic window
  • Echocardiographic projections precluding adequate measurements
  • Anemia with Hemoglobin \< 8 g/dl
  • Alcohol or psychoactive agents abuse
04

Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
300 participants (estimated)
Patient registry
No

Groups and cohorts

  • Isolated HF Group

    Patients with echocardiography - confirmed Heart Failure (HFmrEF and HFrEF) and clinical symptoms (NYHA I-III).

    Diagnostic Test: Echocardiography · Diagnostic Test: Doppler sonography · Diagnostic Test: Neuropsychological tests

  • HF + CS group

    Patients with echocardiography - confirmed Heart Failure (HFmrEF and HFrEF) with NYHA I-III symptoms, who were diagnosed with flow limiting Carotid Stenosis on carotid Doppler ultrasound.

    Diagnostic Test: Echocardiography · Diagnostic Test: Doppler sonography · Diagnostic Test: Neuropsychological tests

  • Control group

    A cohort of patients without Heart Failure or other significant cardiac pathology and without Carotid Stenosis (a paired propensity match will be performed).

    Diagnostic Test: Echocardiography · Diagnostic Test: Doppler sonography · Diagnostic Test: Neuropsychological tests

Interventions

  • Diagnostic testEchocardiography

    Transthoracic echocardiography with standard measurements

  • Diagnostic testDoppler sonography

    Transcarotid and transcranial Doppler sonography

  • Diagnostic testNeuropsychological tests

    Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)

05

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Proportion of patients with at least moderate (i.e. mild or moderate) cognitive dysfunction (MMSE)

    Proportion of patients with at least moderate (i.e. mild or moderate) cognitive dysfunction according to Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE score ≥10)

    Time frame: At six months from HF diagnosis

Secondary outcomes

  1. Proportion of patients with at least moderate (i.e. mild or moderate) cognitive dysfunction (MoCA)

    Proportion of patients with at least moderate (i.e. mild or moderate) cognitive dysfunction according to Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA score ≥10)

    Time frame: At six months from HF diagnosis

  2. Proportion of patients with mild cognitive dysfunction (MMSE)

    Proportion of patients with mild cognitive dysfunction according to Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE score 20 - 25)

    Time frame: At six months from HF diagnosis

  3. Proportion of patients with mild cognitive dysfunction (MoCA)

    Proportion of patients with mild cognitive dysfunction according to Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA score 18 - 25)

    Time frame: At six months from HF diagnosis

  4. Proportion of patients with moderate cognitive dysfunction (MMSE)

    Proportion of patients with moderate cognitive dysfunction according to Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE score 10 - 19)4. Proportion of patients with moderate cognitive dysfunction according to Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE score 10 - 19)

    Time frame: At six months from HF diagnosis

  5. Proportion of patients with moderate cognitive dysfunction (MoCA)

    Proportion of patients with moderate cognitive dysfunction according to Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA score 10 - 17)

    Time frame: At six months from HF diagnosis

  6. Proportion of patients with moderate reduced cerebral flow velocity

    Proportion of patients with reduced cerebral flow velocity (mean cerebral flow velocity \<50 cm/s) in the middle cerebral artery among those with at least moderate (i.e. mild or moderate) cognitive dysfunction according to MMSE (MMSE score ≥10)

    Time frame: At six months from HF diagnosis

  7. Proportion of patients with significantly reduced cerebral flow velocity

    Proportion of patients with reduced cerebral flow velocity (mean cerebral flow velocity \<50 cm/s) in the middle cerebral artery among those with at least moderate (i.e. mild or moderate) cognitive dysfunction according to MoCA tests (MoCA score≥10)

    Time frame: At six months from HF diagnosis

06

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • Department of Cardiac and Vascular Diseases, The John Paul II Hospital
    Kraków, MP 31-202, Poland
    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
NCT05250349
Lead sponsor
John Paul II Hospital, Krakow
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Feb 22, 2022
Start date
Sep 1, 2021
Primary completion
Sep 1, 2022 (estimated)
Completion
Sep 1, 2027 (estimated)
Last update
Feb 22, 2022

Study contacts

Piotr Musialek, MD, DPhil
Contact
pmusialek@szpitaljp2.krakow.pl
+48126142287
Karolina Dzierwa, MD, PhD
Contact
kdzierwa@szpitaljp2.krakow.pl
+48126143158
Piotr Musialek, MD, DPhil
principal investigator · John Paul II Hospital

Oversight

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

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