ClinicalTrials.gg
RecruitingNCT05750979LBSLUpdated Mar 2, 2023

Quantifying Disease Progression in LBSL

An observational study in LBSL and Leukoencephalopathies, sponsored by M. Engelen. Recruiting at 1 site in Netherlands. Open to participants aged 16 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2023-03-02.

Sponsored by M. Engelen · Observational

From the registry’s dates

  • Primary completion was expected by Dec 2025, 10 months ago, but the record still lists the study as recruiting.
  • Started Mar 2021; still recruiting 5 years 8 months later.
Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
20
Ages
16 Years and older
Sex
All
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Study summary

Leukoencephalopathy with brain stem involvement and lactate elevation (LBSL) is a genetic disorder caused by biallelic mutations in the DARS2 gene that encodes mitochondrial aspartyl tRNA synthase.(1, 2) It is characterized by typical abnormalities on MRI of the brain and spinal cord.(3) Clinically, the disorder is heterogeneous and can present in the neonatal period, later in childhood or even in adults.(3) In general it can be stated that the earlier presentations are characterized by rapid progression leading to severe disability and death. Presentation at a later age is typically characterized by a more benign disease course, although considerable disability is common. Clinically, the disease presents as a slowly progressive myelopathy with mainly involvement of the corticospinal tracts and the dorsal columns. Although the natural history has been studied in large cohorts, the rate of progression has not been systematically studied with clinimetric outcome scales or potential surrogate outcomes for spinal cord disease.

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Conditions studied

  • LBSL
  • Leukoencephalopathies

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03

In context

Leukoencephalopathies

39 studies on the registry are indexed under Leukoencephalopathies; 16 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 20 is below the median of 100 across 28 observational studies indexed under Leukoencephalopathies.

Browse Leukoencephalopathies studies →

Lead sponsor

This is the only study on the registry with M. Engelen as lead sponsor.

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

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
16 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

LBSL patients and healthy age-matched controls.

Eligibility criteria

In order to be eligible to participate in this study, a subject must meet all of the following criteria:

  • Age > 16 years
  • Definite diagnosis of LBSL confirmed by DARS2 mutation analysis.
  • Able to understand Dutch or English and provide .
  • No for MRI of brain and spinal cord.

Subjects eligible to participate as healthy controls must meet all of the following criteria:

  • Willing to visit the hospital
  • 16 years or older
  • Provision of written informed consent to participate in the study obtained from the participant

For the MRI controls:

  • No contra-indications for MRI of the brain and spinal cord

A potential subject (patient or healthy control) who meets any of the following criteria will be excluded from participation in this study:

  • Unable to visit the hospital for the follow-up visits
  • Co-existing neurological disease that can cause pyramidal tract signs making interpretation of acquired data difficult (for instance, multiple sclerosis, stroke, etc)
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(2)

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.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

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.

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Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
20 participants (estimated)
Patient registry
No
Biospecimen retention
Samples with dna
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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. The primary outcome is disease progression on all parameters

    disease progression

    Time frame: 5 years

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Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
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References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Undecided

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

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Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reached

Started Mar 2021 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Dec 2025, 57 months after the start.

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

Registered
Feb 18, 2023
First posted
Mar 2, 2023
StartActual
Mar 11, 2021
Primary completionEst.
Dec 31, 2025
CompletionEst.
Dec 31, 2025
Last update
Mar 2, 2023
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 Mar 2, 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
NCT05750979
Lead sponsor
M. Engelen
Responsible party
M. Engelen (Principal Investigator, Academisch Medisch Centrum - Universiteit van Amsterdam (AMC-UvA)) — Sponsor-investigator
First posted
Mar 2, 2023
Start date
Mar 11, 2021
Primary completion
Dec 31, 2025 (estimated)
Completion
Dec 31, 2025 (estimated)
Last update
Mar 2, 2023

Study contacts

Marije Voermans
Contact
m.m.voermans@amsterdamumc.nl
+31205668227
M. Engelen, Dr
principal investigator · Academisch Medisch Centrum - Universiteit van Amsterdam (AMC-UvA)

Oversight

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

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