Comprehensive Esophageal Diagnostics Study

November 5, 2025 updated by: Anand Jain, Emory University

Comprehensive Assessment of Histopathologic and Physiologic Profile in Esophageal Motility Disorders

The prospective clinical trial will study muscle fibrosis in relation to lower esophageal sphincter (LES) measurements on Functional Lumen Imaging Probe (FLIP) Topography (the novel technology that utilizes impedance planimetry) after pharmacologic challenge. A better understanding of achalasia will allow intervention at an earlier stage.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Achalasia is a disease characterized by inadequate opening of the lower esophageal sphincter. Achalasia is presumed to be due to neuronal dysfunction (active), however there are other variables such as muscle layer fibrosis (passive) that may contribute, particularly in milder or earlier achalasia variants. A new technology, impedance planimetry, may be able to measure active vs passive features of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES).

The prospective clinical trial will study muscle fibrosis in relation to lower esophageal sphincter (LES) measurements on Functional Lumen Imaging Probe (FLIP) Topography (the novel technology that utilizes impedance planimetry) after pharmacologic challenge. A better understanding of achalasia will allow intervention at an earlier stage.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
80

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 4

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Georgia
      • Atlanta, Georgia, United States, 30342
        • Recruiting
        • Emory Saint Joseph's Hospital
      • Atlanta, Georgia, United States, 30322
        • Recruiting
        • Emory University Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Male or female patients, age 18 and above.
  2. Evaluated by Emory Digestive Diseases Clinic, Emory Motility Lab, the Emory Endoscopy Unit, or Emory Surgery Department starting October 1, 2020.
  3. Has a diagnosis of achalasia or an esophageal motility disorder with confirmed evaluation by one of the following modalities: functional lumen imaging probe (FLIP) or high-resolution esophageal manometry (for Aim 1)
  4. Undergoing a diagnostic Functional Lumen Imaging Probe (FLIP) study at Emory University Hospital with anesthesia assistance (for Aim 1)
  5. Undergoing Heller myotomy or per oral endoscopic myotomy for the treatment of their esophageal motility disorder (for Aim 2)

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Patients younger than 18 years old
  2. Pregnant women
  3. Prisoners
  4. Non-English speaking - the rationale is that the symptom characterization and outcome data are measured on detailed and fairly lengthy (5-7 pages) questionnaires written in English with some medical terms. These are standardized questionnaires with no short forms available.
  5. Cognitively impaired adults unable to provide informed consent
  6. Cardiac disease in the form of - arrhythmia requiring ICD or pacemaker, baseline bradycardia with HR <60 or tachycardia with HR > 90, congestive heart failure with ejection fraction <35%, history of myocardial infarction, baseline MAP <65 or systolic BP >140, asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, urinary retention requiring the use of foley catheterization (including intermittent use), narrow-angle glaucoma, myasthenia gravis, GFR <60 [exclusions for Aim 1 only]

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Pharmacologic challenge
Measurement of esophageal response to atropine using functional lumen imaging probe (FLIP)
Drug: Atropine challenge
Atropine challenge. After baseline FLIP, subjects will be administered 15 mcg/kg of intravenous atropine. Two minutes after administration, FLIP will be repeated.
Procedure: Esophageal muscle biopsy
Esophageal muscle biopsy. During standard-of-care Heller myotomy or per-oral endoscopic myotomy, 5mm of lower esophageal sphincter and distal esophageal circular muscle will be collected via biopsy forceps.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Degree of lower esophageal sphincter contraction and relaxation
Time Frame: Two minutes after the study drugs administration
Degree of lower esophageal sphincter contraction and relaxation will be measured
Two minutes after the study drugs administration
The collagen content in muscle biopsy specimens
Time Frame: Two minutes after the study drugs administration
The collagen content in muscle biopsy specimens will be measured on Sirius Red and Masson Trichrome staining.
Two minutes after the study drugs administration

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Emory University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Anand Jain, MD, Emory University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
March 17, 2021

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
September 30, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
November 18, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 18, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
November 24, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
November 7, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 5, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • STUDY00001665
  • 1K23DK131317-01A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)
  • 2025P013181 (Other Identifier: Emory IRB)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Esophageal function testing data, symptom questionnaire data, treatments performed, and biospecimen analysis results will be shared.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

Estimated January 2025.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Collaborators with whom the study team has Data Use Agreements in Place will have access through secure electronic means.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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