Metabolic and Hemodynamic Reserve in Pediatric SCA
Status:
Recruiting
Trial end date:
2026-06-14
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
The purpose of this research study is to better understand how blood flow and metabolism
change can influence brain development in the early decades of life. SCA participants and
healthy controls are age and sex-matched for comparison. Within the SCA cohort, children with
infarcts may have thinner cortices than those without, reflecting a greater loss.
The investigators will examine brain blood flow and metabolism using magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI). The brain's blood vessels expand and constrict to regulate blood flow based on
the brain's needs. The amount of expanding and contracting the blood vessels may vary by age.
The brain's blood flow changes in small ways during everyday activities, such exercise, deep
concentration, or normal brain growth. Significant illness or psychological stress may
increase the brain's metabolic demand or cause other bigger changes in blood flow. If blood
vessels are not able to expand to give more blood flow when metabolic demand is high, the
brain may not get all of the oxygen it needs. In extreme circumstances, if the brain is
unable to get enough oxygen for a long time, a stroke may occur. Sometimes small strokes
occur without other noticeable changes and are only detectable on an MRI. These are sometimes
called "silent strokes." In less extreme circumstances, not having a full oxygen supply may
cause the brain to grow and develop more slowly than when it has a full supply.
One way to test the ability of blood vessels to expand is by measuring blood flow while
breathing in carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide causes blood vessels in the brain to dilate
without increasing brain metabolism.
During this study participants may be asked to undergo a blood draw, MRI, cognitive
assessments, and brief questionnaires. The study team will use a special mask to control the
amount of carbon dioxide the participants breathe in.
Phase:
N/A
Details
Lead Sponsor:
Washington University School of Medicine
Collaborators:
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) National Institutes of Health (NIH)