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Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in Autonomic Failure

NCT01607268 · Status: TERMINATED · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 6

Last updated 2017-01-18

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

This research study will be conducted in patients with primary autonomic failure, a disabling condition that is associated with low blood pressure upon standing. These patients are also not able to control for changes in their blood pressure due to a loss of cardiovascular reflexes that are mediated within the brain. The purpose of this study is to determine whether magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), a non-invasive imaging technique, can measure levels of chemicals (neurotransmitters) in the dorsal medulla, a brain area important for control of cardiovascular function, in autonomic failure patients. Importantly, this study will determine whether there are differences in brain chemicals between patients with peripheral versus central origins of their autonomic failure. The hypothesis is that the neurotransmitter profile in the medulla will be intact in patients with peripheral autonomic failure compared to those with central impairment. Overall, this study will provide insight into understanding the mechanisms involved in autonomic failure and will determine whether a single session of MRS imaging can improve the ability to make an accurate diagnosis in these patients. This would lessen the need for more extensive and invasive clinical testing.

Conditions

Interventions

PROCEDURE

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Imaging

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy \[1H-MRS\] is an emerging imaging tool that allows for non-invasive assessment of brain neurochemistry in human subjects. This technique allows for in vivo quantification of the concentration of neurotransmitters and metabolites in discrete brain regions through detection of hydrogen nuclei in these molecules. Autonomic failure patients will undergo a single imaging session lasting 30 to 90 minutes (0.5-1.5 hours) in the Vanderbilt Human Imaging Institute.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Vanderbilt University

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Italo Biaggioni, MD · Vanderbilt University

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
80 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2012-07-31
Primary Completion
2017-01-31
Completion
2017-01-31

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Entities

Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT01607268 on ClinicalTrials.gov