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RecruitingNCT07682155ICGBRAINUpdated Aug 19, 2026

Study of the Brain's Natural Cleaning System in Potential Organ Donors.

An interventional study of Indocynanine Green meningeal injection to understand anatomical connection from the meningeal lymphatic system to the cervical lymph nodes in Anatomical Description, sponsored by Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital. Recruiting at 1 site in Spain. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-19.

Sponsored by Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital · Not applicable, Interventional, and Other

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
10
Allocation
Not applicable
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Alzheimer's disease is a condition that affects the brain and is associated with the build-up of waste substances that can damage brain cells. Scientists have recently discovered a natural drainage and cleaning system around the brain, called the meningeal lymphatic system, which may help remove these waste products.

Researchers believe that this brain drainage system is connected to lymph nodes located in the neck. However, this connection has not yet been clearly demonstrated in humans because it is difficult to study.

The purpose of this study is to investigate how fluid drains from the brain to the lymph nodes in the neck. To do this, researchers will use a fluorescent dye called indocyanine green, which can be seen with a special camera. The study will be carried out in potential organ donors who have been authorized for organ donation.

The researchers will record images and videos to observe how the dye moves, how long it takes to reach the lymph nodes, whether the drainage is similar on both sides of the body, and which lymph nodes are involved.

A better understanding of these drainage pathways may help researchers develop and improve future treatments for Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders.

Read the detailed description

Design Prospective interventionist study: in which the flow of lymph fluid from the intracranial region to the deep cervical ganglia will be studied in the potential organ donor (PDO).

Study population Potential organ donor patients (PDO), both donors in Brain Death and Donors in Controlled Asystole, candidates to perform extraction thereof and authorized by the Transplant Coordination of the University Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital.

total number of subjects There will be 20 flow measurements, so if it is bilateral, there would be 10 potential donors.

Variables Images and videos will be obtained using the fluorescence camera. To be evaluated: time, direction, ganglion levels, symmetry. Data source Memory storage of the PDE (Hamamatsu, Photonics) fluorescence device. They will be collected in a database.

Medical history of the donor. Medicinal product or medical device under evaluation (where applicable) Not applicable Data analysis The images and videos collected will be evaluated, analyzing the variables in the different corpses.

02

Conditions studied

  • Anatomical Description

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Keywords

  • Alzheimer's disease
  • meningeal lymphatic system
  • cervical lymph nodes
03

Who can participate

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Potential organ donor patients, both in Brain Death and in Controlled Asystole, candidates to perform organ harvesting authorized by the Transplant and Tissue Coordination of the Universitary Germans Trias i Pujols Hospital, according to the usual channels and whose family members have previously signed the authorization of the donation and the specific informed consent of the study. Will be included in the study always after death is certified by neurological or cardiocirculatory criteria

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Absence of informed consent signed by family members.
  • Individuals with a history of having intracranial lymphatic drainage affected.
04

Study design

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

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Interventional single arm

    During the donor's usual organ removal, a bicoronal incision and craniectomy will be performed to inject a small amount of indocyanin green into the meningeal space and evaluate migration with a fluorescence chamber. A small cervical lateral incision is added for flow monitoring and ends with the aesthetic closure of this. It will be completed with the aesthetic closure of the incisions, which can also be easily hidden.

    Procedure: Indocynanine Green meningeal injection to understand anatomical connection from the meningeal lymphatic system to the cervical lymph nodes

Interventions

  • ProcedureIndocynanine Green meningeal injection to understand anatomical connection from the meningeal lymphatic system to the cervical lymph nodes

    Bicoronal incision and craniectomy will be performed to inject a small amount of indocyanin green into the meningeal space and evaluate migration with a fluorescence chamber. A small cervical lateral incision is added for flow monitoring and ends with the aesthetic closure of this. It will be completed with the aesthetic closure of the incisions, which can also be easily hidden.

05

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. presence or absence of bilateral and symmetrical distribution of indocyanin green drainage

    indocyanin green drainage pathway and distribution

    Time frame: baseline

  2. Assessment of the Indocyanin Grees pathways in its migration through the lymph channels to the cervical region.

    The fluorescence camera will be used to take images and videos to assess whether flow drainage is present or absent

    Time frame: baseline

  3. Cervical ganglion levels to which the ICG migrates.

    cervical nodes receiving the migrated ICG anatomical level location

    Time frame: baseline

06

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • Germans Trias i Pujol Universitary Hospital
    Badalona, Barcelona 08916, Spain
    Recruiting
07

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No — The porpouse of this clinical study is to know the existence of a migration flow from the meningeal lymphatic system and cervical lymph nodes. It doesn't describe the population or subjects

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

08

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07682155
Lead sponsor
Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Jul 2, 2026
Start date
Feb 1, 2026
Primary completion
Nov 30, 2026 (estimated)
Completion
Dec 31, 2026 (estimated)
Last update
Aug 19, 2026

Study contacts

Carmen Higueras, PhD
Contact
chigueras.germanstrias@gencat.cat
+34 934 65 12 00
Maria Del RIo, PhD
Contact
mariadelriomd@gmail.com
+34 934 65 12 00

Oversight

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

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