Clinical Research Directory

Medical Treatment With or Without Transcatheter Patent Foramen Ovale Closure

Patent foramen ovale PFO closure has been shown to reduce the risk of stroke in patients with recurrent stroke. However, the majority of existing clinical studies in this field excluded patients over the age of 60 years. Data in older patients is limited and since the population ages and stroke remains a major cause of death and morbidity, randomized clinical trials are needed to better assess the benefit of PFO closure in this elderly population. Therefore, this study proposal sought to determine the efficacy of PFO closure for the prevention of recurrent stroke in older patients with PFO and cryptogenic stroke.

Discontinuation of Antithrombotic Treatment Following Patent Foramen Ovale Closure in Young Patients With Cryptogenic Stroke

To determine the safety of antithrombotic treatment discontinuation 12 months following successful transcatheter PFO closure.

Comparing Two PFO Closure Devices in Adults With Previous Stroke or TIA

This study is a prospective, multicenter, randomized, controlled, single-blind, investigator-driven, non-profit clinical trial designed to compare the safety and efficacy of the Cocoon PFO Occluder with the Amplatzer PFO Occluder family in patients requiring percutaneous closure of a patent foramen ovale (PFO). Eligible participants are adults with a history of cryptogenic embolic stroke or neurologically confirmed transient ischemic attack (TIA) within the previous 12 months and a PFO suitable for transcatheter closure. A total of up to 1260 subjects will be enrolled across multiple European centers. Participants will be randomly assigned in a 3:1 ratio to receive either the Cocoon PFO Occluder (experimental group) or an Amplatzer PFO closure device (control group). The procedure will be performed as soon as possible after randomization, preferably within 14 days and no later than 45 days. The primary endpoint is a non-inferiority comparison of a composite outcome at 12 months, including recurrent ischemic stroke, TIA, or all-cause death. Secondary endpoints include PFO closure rate at 6 months, assessed by echocardiographic imaging, and other measures of safety, device performance, and clinical outcomes. The study is conducted in a single-blind fashion: patients will not be informed of the device they receive unless they explicitly request this information. Any patient who chooses to be unblinded will continue to participate without affecting eligibility or follow-up, and the date of unblinding will be documented to allow appropriate sensitivity analyses. This trial aims to provide robust comparative evidence on the clinical performance of the Cocoon PFO Occluder relative to the Amplatzer PFO Occluder to guide optimal device selection in patients with cryptogenic stroke or TIA associated with PFO.

PFO Closure, Oral Anticoagulants or Antiplatelet Therapy After PFO-associated Stroke in Patients Aged 60 to 80 Years

To assess whether PFO closure plus antiplatelet therapy is superior to antiplatelet therapy alone and whether oral anticoagulant therapy is superior to antiplatelet therapy to prevent stroke recurrence in patients aged 60 to 80 years with a PFO with large shunt (\> 20 microbubbles) or a PFO associated with an ASA (\> 10 mm), and an otherwise unexplained ischemic stroke.

AMPLATZER PFO Occluder Post Approval Study

The purpose of this single arm, multi-center study is to confirm the safety and effectiveness of the AMPLATZER™ PFO Occluder in the post Approval Setting.

Early Feasibility Study (EFS) Evaluating Percutaneous Repair of the Atrial Septum With a Novel PFO Occluder: The PROTEA-PFO Study

The goal of this clinical trial is to test a new heart device called P3 Occluder System in patients who have a small opening between the upper chambers of the heart (called a Patent Foramen Ovale or PFO) and have experienced a stroke that may be related to this heart opening. The main question it aims to answer is: • Is the P3 Occluder System safe and effective for closing a PFO in patients who have had a stroke that could be related to a PFO. Participants will: * Undergo the procedure to implant the P3 Occluder System, if deemed appropriate. * Visit their doctor at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 5 years after the procedure for follow up exams. * Answer a phone call from study staff at 2 years, 3 years, and 4 years after the procedure to answer a survey.

Comparing PFO Outcomes of the Occlutech Flex II PFO Occluder to Standard of Care PFO Occlusion

The objective of this study is to investigate whether percutaneous PFO closure with the Occlutech Flex II PFO Occluder is non-inferior to the AMPLATZER™ PFO Occluder and Gore® Cardioform Septal Occluder in closure of the PFO, prevention of recurrent embolic stroke, and device/procedure related Serious Adverse Events (SAE).

CeraFlex PFO Closure System PMCF Study

The purpose of this study is to compile real-world data on patient outcomes and evaluate the procedural success and performance of the CeraFlex™ PFO Closure System.

Effects of PFO Closure on Glymphatic Function and Clinical Symptoms in Patients With Migraine

Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) is a common congenital heart defect. Recent studies have suggested a potential association between PFO and migraines, particularly migraine with aura. It is hypothesized that PFO may allow microemboli or vasoactive substances from venous blood to bypass pulmonary metabolism and enter the arterial system directly, potentially triggering migraines. Although PFO closure has been shown to reduce the frequency and severity of migraine attacks, its long-term efficacy and underlying mechanisms require further investigation. This study aims to explore the characteristics of glymphatic system function in PFO patients and its relationship with migraine symptoms, as well as the impact of PFO closure on glymphatic function and its role in alleviating migraine symptoms. A case-control and self-controlled before-after study design is adopted. Two groups of participants are enrolled: a case group consisting of PFO patients with significant right-to-left shunt and migraine, and a control group comprising PFO patients with significant shunt but without migraine. According to clinical guidelines and after obtaining informed consent, eligible patients in the case group undergo percutaneous PFO closure. By comparing migraine symptoms and glymphatic function indicators both before and after the procedure between the two groups, the interventional effect of PFO closure and its potential mechanism will be investigated. The primary endpoint is the improvement in migraine symptoms, while the secondary endpoints include glymphatic function metrics. The findings of this study will provide new theoretical insights and clinical guidance for the management of PFO-related migraines.

Internal Microstructure of Patent Foramen Ovale Related to Stroke

This study aims to (1) investigate the internal microstructure of patent foramen ovale related to cryptogenic stroke, transient ischemic attack or migraine and determine the effectiveness of transcatheter closure in these patients; (2) evaluate the microstructural features of asymptomatic patients with PFO and make a follow-up；(3) perform an untargeted metabolomics analysis using plasma samples from right atrium and left atrium and shunt provocative test was conducted;(4) collect the blood sample from PFO tunnel;(5) cardiac CTA was performed to evaluate the position and morphology of device.

Pioneering Advancements in Cardiocerebrovascular Interactions in the Asia pacFIC - Patent Foramen Ovale Study

A registry of patients from the Asia-Pacific region with PFO and ischemic stroke, designed to study the characteristics, investigations, treatment and outcomes using real-world data.

Establishment of a Clinical and Prognostic Follow-up Cohort of Migraine Patients With Patent Foramen Ovale

To establish a headache center in China that combines clinical, imaging and laboratory examinations, explore the feasible treatment options for migraine combined with patent foramen ovale, and search for the possible influencing factors, construct models that influence prognosis.

Russian Registry of Endovascular Closure of PFO

The study will include all patients over 18 years of age who underwent endovascular closure of patent foramen ovale in medical centers in the Russian Federation, who gave written informed consent to the closure and provided personal data as part of inpatient medical care. The project participants will be 29 medical centers in the Russian Federation, where endovascular closure of patent foramen ovale is performed.

Encore PFO Closure Device - The PerFOrm Trial

The objective of this study is to establish reasonable assurance of safety, effectiveness, and noninferiority of the Encore PFO closure device when compared to any investigator chosen FDA-approved PFO closure device.

Long-term Procedural and Device Related Complications of PFO Closure

We aimed to explore: (1）long-term complications of PFO closure; (2) antiplate or anticoagulation use after PFO closure.

Assessment of Flecainide to Lower the Patent Foramen Ovale Closure Risk of Atrial Arrhythmia or Tachycardia

About 30% of ischemic strokes are cryptogenic. Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) is present in about 25% of the general population. In cryptogenic strokes, PFO has been shown to be overrepresented and recent intervention studies have confirmed that PFO has a causal link with stroke. In patients with recent cryptogenic stroke, these randomized studies have shown at least 50%-reduction of recurrent neurological events after PFO percutaneous closure compared with medical therapy alone. At the The risk of AF reported in these studies in certainly largely underestimated as only symptomatic and recorded episodes of AF have been declared. Patients often report palpitations without a dia gnosis of AF made on the ECG or a Holter. Long term ECG monitoring provides more accurate data on AF incidence. Administration of flecainide has been shown to be effective in preventing Atrial arrhythmia and may be useful in preventing these Atrial arrhythmia(AA) episodes after PFO closure. To the knowledge of the investigators, there is no study assessing the efficacy of any antiarrhythmic drug in the prevention of AFafter PFO closure. AFLOAT will be the first randomized study to possibly validate flecainide to prevent Atrial arrhythmia in these patients.

Cardiac Interventional ICE Imaging Trial

The INTELICE trial is a prospective, multicenter, 1:1 randomized controlled non-inferiority study. It aims to compare a novel intracardiac echography (ICE) catheter and combined ultrasound system with existing commercial ones. The evaluation will be conducted on patients undergoing planned intracardiac interventional process.

AWARE Registry: Wearable ECG in Structural Heart Interventions

This study is a multi-center (Sinchon Severance hospital / Gangnam Severance hospital), prospective cohort observational study to patients who had undergone structural heart intervention including device closure for secundum type atrial septal defect or Patent foramen ovale. Transthoracic echocardiography will be performed before the procedure, immediately after, and at 6, 18, 30 months after the procedure. Wearable ECG monitoring (\> 3 days) will be performed before the procedure or immediately after procedure. Demographic, laboratory, hemodynamic data during procedure, and non-invasive imaging dat are obtained.

Safety and Efficacy of Cera™ Patent Foramen Ovale Occluders.

To evaluate the performance of Cera™ patent foramen ovale occluders developed by Lifetech Scientific (Shenzhen) Co., LTD;

Evaluation of the Efficacy and Safety of a Simplified Procedure for the Percutaneous Closure of the Patent Foramen Ovale

Patent Foramen Ovale, is an embryonic remnant, formed by apposition of the septum primum and septum secondum composing the interatrial septum. This foramen ovale is permeable during intra-uterine life and allows inter-auricular communication. It tends to close at birth, due to increased pressure from the left atrium. However, it remains permeable in almost 25% of the general population. Several studies have shown that this cardiac "anomaly" associated with the atrial septum aneurysm (ASA), easily diagnosed by ultrasound, is more common in patients with cryptogenic stroke. The diagnosis of patent foramen ovale is performed by a cardiac ultrasound with a "bubble" test: a volume of micro-bubbles obtained by emulsion of saline (9 ml) and air (1 ml) is injected intravenously. The path of these microbubbles is observed by trans-thoracic ultrasound and can detect a shunt right / left. This test can be sensitized by Valsalva maneuver and / or cough. The shunt is quantified by the number of microbubbles flowing through the right / left shunt: positive diagnosis: more than 3 bubbles passing; minimal shunt \<10 bubbles, moderate shunt between 10 and 30 bubbles, massive shunt if\> 30 bubbles. Patent Foramen Ovale Closure is an interventional cardiac catheterization procedure by venous femoral approach. Several clinical trials show that Patent Foramen Ovale closure prevents stroke recurrence in young people and that this procedure is more effective than antiplatelet therapy. Nevertheless, an increase in the incidence of peri-procedural atrial fibrillation has been observed. For some researchers, this would be explained by irritation of the atrial muscle due to the establishment of the device. To date, only percutaneous closures made in clinical trials have been evaluated. In fact, there are no specific recommendations. The use in clinical practice of this percutaneous treatment therefore requires an evaluation of the indications but also the profile of the patients to optimize these procedures and reduce the complication rate. The closure technique and the choice of the size of the prosthesis are not standardized. The closure is done under trans-esophageal echocardiography (invasive method) or trans-thoracic echocardiography (non-invasive method) depending on the choice of the practitioner. In CLOSE study, this rate is not specified. The procedure rate under general anesthesia is 54%. This category of patients can be assumed to use a trans-esophageal echocardiography. The absence of specific recommendations concerning the technical modalities of this procedure lead us to study the closure of Patent Foramen Ovale standardized under trans-thoracic echocardiography and to evaluate its possible reliefs by avoiding the general anesthesia and the use of trans-esophageal echocardiography. The objective of the study is to bring elements of standardization of the technique. As part of a "real life" study, we will evaluate the success rate of procedure under local anesthesia and under trans-thoracic echocardiography control. This evaluation will be done by trans-thoracic echocardiography at 3 months, the re-endothelisation time of the medical device being between 1 and 3 months.

Study on the Safety and Effectiveness of the SnowyTM PFO Closure System

To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the SnowyTM PFO closure system in plugging patent foramen ovale

Canadian Adult Congenital Heart Disease Intervention Registry

The ACHDi Registry study will create a foundational database for adult congenital heart disease interventions. This Pan-Canadian Registry will collect clinical and patient-reported information that will enable the evaluation of care processes and outcomes in five most common ACHDi interventions by enabling prospective and retrospective registry-based studies to answer important clinical practice and policy-relevant questions.