Clinical Research Directory

Intracerebral Transplantation of Autologous MSC Combined With Scaffold Product for Chronic Intracerebral Hemorrhage

The goal of this clinical trial is to test intracerebral transplantation of stem cell product in patient with chronic intracerebral hemorrhage. The main questions aims to answer are: * The safety of the product * The efficacy of the product

REmifentanil And Dexmedetomidine for EarlY Intensive Blood Pressure Lowering in ICH.

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) remains the most devastating subtype of stroke, with a case fatality rate of approximately 40% at one months post-onset, imposing a particularly heavy medical and economic burden on low- and middle-income countries. Studies have shown that poor prognosis in ICH patients is associated with acute blood pressure elevation and hematoma expansion after onset. Blood pressure control during the acute phase is considered a potentially key therapeutic strategy for improving outcomes in ICH patients; however, no clinical study has yet demonstrated a clear advantage of any specific antihypertensive agent or combination. Previous researchers have confirmed that the combined use of remifentanil and dexmedetomidine, while providing effective analgesia, sedation, and anti-sympathetic effects, could reduce dramatic fluctuations in blood pressure and heart rate, thereby facilitating more stable blood pressure reduction and potentially further improving functional outcomes in ICH patients. The investigators plan to conduct a multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled, superiority clinical trial within mainland China to evaluate the efficacy and safety of an early intensive blood pressure-lowering strategy using remifentanil combined with dexmedetomidine for improving functional prognosis in acute ICH patients. This study aims to provide evidence-based medical support for the use of remifentanil combined with dexmedetomidine in early intensive blood pressure-lowering in patients with ICH, to enrich the available options for early intensive blood pressure-lowering strategies, to improve the adverse prognosis of patients.

CoMind Early Feasibility Study

The purpose of this research, which has been determined as non-significant risk by the central IRB overseeing the study, is to obtain information to help further develop a machine (a medical device) to measure the pressure around the brain from the outside (this pressure is called intracranial pressure or ICP). Monitoring and managing ICP is an important part of care for patients with conditions such as Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). However, the current way of measuring ICP requires surgery to drill a hole into the skull, and therefore can introduce additional risks such as infections and pain. Recent research has shown it may be possible to measure ICP without needing surgery. This technology is in development, but large amounts of data is required to build these new devices. Through collecting a large database of information from patients who have both the routine surgical device and the research device applied to their head, the research team will work to develop and test an effective and potentially safer way of monitoring patient ICP.

Al Prediction of Sarcopenia Risk in Neurocritical ICU Patients

This prospective observational study aims to evaluate sarcopenia in intensive care patients with intracranial pathologies using ultrasound and to compare the predictive performance of different artificial intelligence models. Rectus femoris muscle thickness will be measured by ultrasound on ICU admission (Day 0) and Day 7. Prealbumin levels will be assessed on Days 0, 3, and 7, and the modified Nutrition Risk in Critically Ill (mNUTRIC) score will be calculated on the first day of ICU admission. Clinical, laboratory, and ultrasonographic data will be integrated into different artificial intelligence models to predict sarcopenia status on Day 7. The study aims to determine the effectiveness of artificial intelligence in the early identification of sarcopenia and to support future clinical decision-making in intensive care practice.

Immune-Inflammatory Biomarkers in Predicting Early Cognitive Impairment in Adults With Acute Basal Ganglionic Stroke

Post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) is a common and disabling complication that affects memory, thinking, and daily functioning after a stroke. The immune-inflammatory response triggered during an acute stroke is believed to contribute to secondary brain injury and cognitive decline. Routine, low-cost blood tests that assess systemic inflammation, specifically the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), globulin-to-lymphocyte ratio (GLR), C-reactive protein-to-lymphocyte ratio (CLR), and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), may serve as useful early indicators of cognitive risk. The purpose of this observational study is to evaluate whether these inflammatory blood markers, measured during the acute hospital phase, can independently predict early-onset cognitive impairment in adult patients aged 18 to 59 years with acute basal ganglionic stroke (ischemic or primary hemorrhagic). Participants admitted within 72 hours of symptom onset will undergo standard clinical assessments, stroke severity evaluation using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), brain neuroimaging (CT or MRI), and routine blood testing between 24 and 72 hours post-admission. At 3 months post-stroke, participants will complete a cognitive evaluation using the Arabic-validated Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Identifying accessible admission biomarkers could help healthcare providers recognize patients at high risk of cognitive impairment early, enabling timely monitoring and early referral for cognitive rehabilitation.

Chinese Multicenter Cohort Study of Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage is a severe form of stroke associated with high mortality and long-term disability. The Chinese Multicenter Cohort Study of Intracerebral Hemorrhage (CASA) is a prospective observational patient registry designed to enroll approximately 10,000 adults with imaging-confirmed spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage and 2,000 adult healthy controls at more than 30 hospitals in China. The study will collect standardized clinical, laboratory, neuroimaging, lifestyle, and treatment data together with ethically approved blood, urine, and other biospecimens. Participants with intracerebral hemorrhage will be followed at 3 months, 6 months, and annually for up to 10 years. The primary objective is to characterize and identify determinants of the full distribution of modified Rankin Scale scores at 90 days. Secondary objectives include evaluating 90-day unfavorable functional outcome defined as mRS 4-6, recurrent intracerebral hemorrhage and mortality, identifying clinical and molecular biomarkers, and developing and externally evaluating multimodal prognostic models. The study does not assign treatment; all clinical care is determined by treating clinicians.

Determinants of Incident Stroke Cognitive Outcomes and Vascular Effects on RecoverY

The overall goal of the DISCOVERY study is to better understand what factors contribute to changes in cognitive (i.e., thinking and memory) abilities in patients who experienced a stroke. The purpose of the study is to help doctors identify patients at risk for dementia (decline in memory, thinking and other mental abilities that significantly affects daily functioning) after their stroke so that future treatments may be developed to improve outcomes in stroke patients. For this study, a "stroke" is defined as either (1) an acute ischemic stroke (AIS, or blood clot in the brain), (2) an intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH, or bleeding in the brain), (3) or an aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH, or bleeding around the brain caused by an abnormal bulge in a blood vessel that bursts). The investigators hypothesize that: 1. The size, type and location of the stroke play an important role in recovery of thinking and memory abilities after stroke, and pre-existing indicators of brain health further determine the extent of this recovery. 2. Specific stroke events occurring in individuals with underlying genetic or biological risk factors can cause further declines in brain heath, leading to changes in thinking and memory abilities after stroke. 3. Studying thinking and memory alongside brain imaging and blood samples in patients who have had a stroke allows for earlier identification of declining brain health and development of individualized treatment plans to improve patient outcomes in the future.

Emergency Stroke Unit for Acute Cerebrovascular Events: A Prospective, Single-arm Trial With a Historical Control Group

Background Reperfusion therapies, i.e., intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and/or endovascular thrombectomy (EVT), are most effective treatments in the management of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients. The benefits of reperfusion therapies, however, may be reduced by treatment delays due to tests and examinations and logistic issues. Emergency Stroke Unit (ESU), a new concept of stroke unit locating at the Accident and Emergency Department (AED), equipped with a mobile, low-field MR imaging (lfMRI) scanner for fast diagnosis of ischemic stroke, differentiation of intracranial hemorrhage and identification of large vessel occlusion (LVO), is being tested in Mainland China. It may shorten the door-to-needle time (DNT) for IVT and door-to-groin puncture time (DPT) for EVT, which may hance associate with improved functional outcomes of AIS patients. This is a prospective, single-center, open-label, non-randomized, single-arm study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the ESU workflow using lfMRI in shortening the DNT/DPT and improving functional outcomes in AIS patients, who are eligible for IVT and/or EVT and can be treated within 6 hours after onset, compared with standard practice in Hong Kong; to reveal the changes in the ischemic lesions over a few days after IVT/EVT in these patients, with serial follow-up lfMRI exams.

TrIal of Early Minimally Invasive Catheter Evacuation With Thrombolysis in IntraCerebral Hemorrhage

TIME-ICH (TrIal of early Minimally Invasive catheter Evacuation with thrombolysis in IntraCerebral Hemorrhage) is a multicenter, randomized, adaptive clinical trial comparing best medical management to early minimally invasive surgery with thrombolysis (eMIST) in the treatment of acute spontaneous supratentorial intracerebral hemorrhage.

Regulating Blood Pressure During Recovery From Intracerebral Hemorrhage and Ischemic Stroke

The purpose of this research study is to determine whether blood pressure treatment regimens with spironolactone are better than blood pressure treatment regimens without spironolactone at lowering blood pressure in stroke survivors.

Huayu Jiedu Formula (FTFY-919) Granules Versus Traditional Decoction for Acute Hypertensive Intracerebral Hemorrhage

This is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, controlled, non-inferiority clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Huayu Jiedu Formula (FTFY-919) Chinese medicine formula granules compared with traditional decoction in patients with acute hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). A total of 300 eligible patients will be randomized in a 1:1:1 ratio to receive FTFY-919 formula granules, FTFY-919 traditional decoction, or placebo granules for 28 days, in addition to standard western medicine treatment. The primary outcome is the utility-weighted modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at Day 90. Secondary outcomes include NIHSS score, hematoma volume and perihematomal edema volume, death or severe disability, EQ-5D-5L, Barthel Index and TCM syndrome scores. The trial will be conducted at 5 centers in China.

Florida Cerebrovascular Disease Biorepository and Genomics Center

The purpose of this study is to create a state-wide biorepository and resource center for cerebrovascular diseases in Florida, which will include collecting medical history information and blood from subjects affected by cerebrovascular disease. The information and blood samples collected may be used in future research for the study of cerebrovascular disease and to learn about, prevent or treat other health problems.

APEX-STROKE CALM-ICH Domain

In this domain of APEX-STROKE, participants with acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) who meet the eligibility criteria for this domain will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive either Angong Niuhuang pills (ANP) or matching placebo, both in addition to guideline-based standard care. The matching placebo is the control condition and is not counted as a domain intervention. • Intervention: Angong Niuhuang pills (ANP) in addition to guideline-based standard care. ANP should be initiated as soon as possible after randomization in the ambulance or emergency department setting, with subsequent treatment continued for a total of 14 days according to the domain-specific intervention schedule. • Control condition: matching placebo in addition to guideline-based standard care.

Rapid Evacuation and Access of Cerebral Hemorrhage Registry

The goal of this observational study is to quantify the real-world effect of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) in patients with acute spontaneous supratentorial intracerebral hemorrhage.

The Natural History of Procalcitonin in Hemorrhagic Stroke

Approximately 12% of strokes in the United States are hemorrhagic.1 Hemorrhagic stroke can lead to multiple complications including fever that is not infectious. Identifying the cause of fever can help physicians choose the best care for the patient to try and prevent further damage to the already injured brain. Bacterial infection is one possible cause of fever in the stroke patient; however an incorrect diagnosis of infection can lead to unnecessary antibiotic use. Better screening tools for infection are being developed to help fight the problem of antibiotic resistance and unnecessary antibiotic use. Unnecessary use of antibiotics in patients increases the risk of adverse events and overall healthcare costs. Procalcitonin (PCT) is one such screening tool which has been used previously to help tell apart bacterial and nonbacterial causes of infection in other disease states; however, PCT has not been studied in hemorrhagic stroke patients. The purpose of this study is to understand the progress of PCT in hemorrhagic stroke patients in order to see whether PCT can be a useful marker for infection in these patients.

Recombinant Factor VIIa (rFVIIa) for Hemorrhagic Stroke Trial - Part 2

The objective of the rFVIIa for Acute Hemorrhagic Stroke Administered at Earliest Time (FASTEST) Trial is to establish the first treatment for acute spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) within a time window and subgroup of patients that is most likely to benefit. The central hypothesis is that rFVIIa, administered within 120 minutes from stroke onset with an identified subgroup of patients most likely to benefit, will improve outcomes at 90 days as measured by the Modified Rankin Score (mRS) and decrease ongoing bleeding as compared to standard therapy. FASTEST Part 2 is an extension of the FASTEST Trial where the subgroups include those treated within 2 hours with a positive spot sign on a baseline CT angiogram or patients treated within 90 minutes of stroke onset, with or without a positive spot sign.

Systemic Nitrosative/Oxidative Stress in Patients With Acute Brain Injury

Acute brain injury due to traumatic brain injury (TBI), intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH), and aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) carries a high morbidity and mortality, in part due to the development of secondary brain injury. The mechanisms behind secondary brain injury are incompletely understood, but oxidative/nitrosative stress and disturbances in the metabolism of the vasodilator nitric oxide (NO) are believed to be involved. The aim of the present study is to characterise systemic changes in markers of oxidative/nitrosative stress and NO metabolism in the early phase after acute brain injury, and to examine their relationship to clinical course, neurological outcome, and mortality.

Prophylactic Antibiotics Useful With Antibiotic Impregnated External Ventricular Drains (EVDs)?

The principal objective of this study is to compare the incidence of ventriculostomy related infections (VRIs) in patients who receive twenty-four hours of antibiotics, beginning no more than sixty minutes prior to EVD placement, to the incidence of VRIs in patients who also receive a pre-procedural dose of antibiotics with continued dosing of antibiotics for the duration of the external ventricular drain (EVD). At this time, the duration of prophylactic antibiotic use with antibiotic impregnated EVDs is unknown.

Clevidipine for the Antihypertensive Treatment of Acute Intracerebral Hemorrhage

The aim is to compare the rate of hypertensive subjects with ICH who reach SBP target with stability within 60 minutes of enrollment, among patients treated with IV clevidipine with those treated with alternate IV antihypertensive regimen.

Invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation Paired With Rehabilitation After Stroke

This study evaluated the feasibility, safety, and preliminary functional outcomes of invasive vagus nerve stimulation (iVNS) paired with upper-limb rehabilitation in participants with chronic stroke-related upper-limb motor dysfunction. Participants received cervical iVNS implantation followed by a 6-week supervised rehabilitation program and subsequent home-based rehabilitation. Changes in upper-limb motor function, spasticity, quality of life, and safety outcomes were assessed. Exploratory neuroimaging assessments using positron emission tomography/computed tomography and arterial spin labeling were performed in selected participants to evaluate changes in brain metabolism and perfusion.

A Study to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability and the Effects of Ixodes Ricinus-Contact Phase Inhibitor (Ir-CPI) in Adult Patients With Spontaneous Intracerebral Haemorrhage

The purpose of the study is to provide a first assessment of safety, tolerability and efficacy of Ir-CPI, administered on top of standard-of-care, on secondary brain injury in patients with spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage.

The Fifth INTEnsive pReventing Secondary Injury in Acute Cerebral Haemorrhage Trial Within ACT-GLOBAL

This is a domain within the ACT-GLOBAL platform trial to compare the effectiveness of early and appropriate pharmacological interventions in acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) to control secondary brain injury. Up to 2000 patients with presumed spontaneous supratentorial intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) will be followed for 6 months (or death, if prior to 6 months). Adaptive interim analyses will be used, with statistical triggers to determine if any of the interventions are superior to control. The end of the trial is defined as the date that all participants have completed their 6-month assessment. A large amount of preclinical data indicates that the outcome from ICH is linked to the detrimental effects of breakdown substances from brain bleeds. However, there remains a lack of compelling evidence supporting the effectiveness of any pharmacological intervention that can mitigate the secondary cerebral injury. The INTERACT domain aims to assess the effectiveness of intravenous deferoxamine and low-dose oral colchicine, both individually and in combination, to standard of care alone, on improving functional outcome in patients with spontaneous supratentorial ICH. Those patients who meet eligibility criteria will be randomized to receive one of four interventions: 1. No deferoxamine mesylate and no colchicine (labeled as control) 2. Deferoxamine mesylate only: deferoxamine mesylate at a dose of 32mg/kg/day via intravenous infusion immediately (within 1 hour) post-randomization and continue for the following 2 consecutive days. 3. Colchicine only: 0.5mg of oral colchicine daily for 30 consecutive days. 4. Both deferoxamine mesylate and colchicine: deferoxamine mesylate at a dose of 32mg/kg/day via intravenous infusion immediately (within 1 hour) post-randomization and continue for the following 2 consecutive days; plus 0.5mg of oral colchicine daily for 30 consecutive days.

Auricular VNS Following Intracerebral Hemorrhage

This study will evaluate whether non-invasive auricular vagal nerve stimulation lowers inflammatory markers, and improves outcomes following intracerebral hemorrhage.

Improving Outcomes for Patients With Life-Threatening Neurologic Illness

Background: While the intensive care of patients with life-threatening brain illnesses has advanced tremendously, a large number of therapies are still without proper scientific support. This can be partly explained by the fact that mechanisms of initial brain injury are still not well understood. Why additional neurological injury occurs during a patient's stay in the NeuroCritical Care Unit (NCCU) despite current best, evidence-based clinical practices, is also not well understood. However, over the past decade, better tools have become available to measure and monitor the impact of our clinical care on the rapidly changing physiology and chemistry of the injured brain. Some of these tools are CT, MRI, ultrasound, and catheter-based technology measuring blood flow and metabolism. These tools have enabled earlier detection of injury and complications and newer therapeutic strategies. Purpose: Examine disease pathways common to all brain injuries seen in the University of Maryland's 22-bed NCCU. Life-threatening neurological illnesses cared for in the NCCU include massive stroke, bleeding in and around the brain (subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral hemorrhage, subdural hemorrhage, intraventricular hemorrhage), brain tumors, difficult to control seizures, neurologic infections, nerve and muscle diseases (such as myasthenia gravis or Guillain-Barre Syndrome), and spinal cord disorders among others. Many NCCU patients are comatose or paralyzed and may suffer injuries in other parts of the body as well. This effort will require the creation of a robust clinical database for the capture of data including patient characteristics (age, sex), clinical characteristics, medical treatments, surgical interventions, physiological data (such as vital signs, cerebral blood flow, intracranial pressure, cerebral oximetry, etc), laboratory data, and standard-of-care diagnostic studies such as electroencephalography (EEG), ultrasound, CT, MRI, and angiograms. Similar databases exist at other major centers for neurocritical care and have been instrumental to the identification of characteristics both predictive of and associated with outcomes of patients long after their stay in the NCCU. In addition, the samples collected will be included in the University of Maryland Medicine (UMM) Biorepository which is a shared resource to enable biomedical research by University of Maryland faculty.