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Glymphatic MRI in Clinically Isolated Syndrome
Sponsor: University of Exeter
Summary
The brain possesses a system to get rid of unwanted substances, named Glymphatic System (GS). When this system is faulty, these accumulate, there is local inflammation, and progressive death of the cells. This occurs in neurological diseases including Parkinson's, or Alzheimer's. Inflammation and progressive death of the cells are also present in another neurological disorder, named Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Doctors think that GS dysfunction plays a role in MS too. In this research therefore, the aim is to study whether it drives inflammation, and disease progression in MS patients. The researchers have developed a new way to find signs of alteration of the GS using a scan named Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and will use it in a pilot study on patients with a condition named Clinically Isolated Syndrome (CIS), which often represents the very beginning of MS. It would therefore be demonstrated that the GS is a new mechanism of disease in CIS, which may associate with the symptoms, or the alterations in the levels of some substances in the blood suggestive of brain cells damage. Should this study be successful, this would provide preliminary evidence to perform a larger research study to assess if GS dysfunction drives the progression of MS.
Official title: A Pilot Study to Investigate Glymphatic System Alterations in Vivo in Patients With Clinically Isolated Syndrome, Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - Any
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
30
Start Date
2024-05-01
Completion Date
2025-12-31
Last Updated
2025-10-07
Healthy Volunteers
Yes
Conditions
Interventions
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
A Magnetic Resonance Imaging (duration: about 60 minutes) with research sequences for the visualization of alterations of the glymphatic system.
Locations (2)
University of Exeter
Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Exeter, United Kingdom