Evaluation of the Impact of Pulsed Field Ablation on Autonomic Nervous System Modulation in Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation (GPfIRE)

July 8, 2025 updated by: VZW Cardiovascular Research Center Aalst

A Prospective Randomized Study for the Evaluation of the Impact of Point-by-Point Pulse Field Ablation on Autonomic Nervous System Modulation in Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation

The objective of this clinical trial is to evaluate the impact of pulse field (PF) energy, both alone and in combination with radiofrequency (RF) energy, on vagal modulation during point-by-point pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF). The effect of PF energy on ganglionated plexi (GP) will be assessed using heart rate variability (HRV) as a surrogate marker. Participants will be randomized into three groups: the PF-only group and the Hybrid group (PF posterior/RF anterior) as the experimental arms, and the RF-only group as the control arm. HRV will be measured before and 24 hours after the PVI procedure. Additionally, cardio and neuro biomarkers (Troponin and S100B) will be measured pre-procedure and 20 minutes post-ablation. All participants will be followed for 12 months, with 24-hour Holter-ECG evaluations scheduled at 3, 6, and 12 months after the initial ablation procedure.

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.

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.
105

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.
  • Not Applicable

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

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Symptomatic Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation (AF) that terminates spontaneously or with intervention within 7 days of onset
  • Age range: 18-70 years
  • Willing and capable of providing informed consent
  • Able and willing to comply with all pre-, post-, and follow-up testing and requirements

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Previously diagnosed Persistent AF (> 7 days in duration)
  • Previous LA ablation
  • Previous cardiac surgery
  • Myocardial Infarction within the previous 3 months
  • Severely compromised Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF<40%)
  • Presence of implanted pacemaker or Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD) or other implanted metal cardiac device that may interfere with the pulsed electric field energy
  • Acute illness, active systemic infection, or sepsis
  • Presence of intracardiac thrombus, myxoma, tumor, interatrial baffle or patch or other abnormality that precludes catheter introduction or manipulation.
  • Severe mitral regurgitation
  • Woman who are pregnant, lactating, or who are planning to become pregnant during the course of the clinical investigation

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: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel 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: PF-only
The PF-only arm includes patients with a clinical indication for ablation to manage their paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, who will undergo PVI using only PF energy
Procedure: PF-only PVI
It consists in performing a point-by-point PVI using the Dual Energy THERMOCOOL SMARTTOUCH™ SF (DE STSF) ablation catheter with the TRUPULSE™ generator, employing only PF energy for ablation
Experimental: Hybrid (PF posterior/RF anterior)
The Hybrid arm includes patients with a clinical indication for ablation to manage their paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, who will undergo PVI using both PF and RF energy
Procedure: Hybrid PVI
It consists in performing a point-by-point PVI using the Dual Energy THERMOCOOL SMARTTOUCH™ SF (DE STSF) ablation catheter with the TRUPULSE™ generator, employing both PF and RF energy for ablation. Specifically, PF energy is used for the posterior segments and RF energy for the anterior segments of the pulmonary veins
Active Comparator: RF-only
The RF-only arm includes patients with a clinical indication for ablation to manage their paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, who will undergo PVI using only RF energy
Procedure: RF-only PVI
It consists in performing a point-by-point PVI using the Dual Energy THERMOCOOL SMARTTOUCH™ SF (DE STSF) ablation catheter with the TRUPULSE™ generator, employing only RF energy for ablation

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
Acute HRV variation (PF-only vs. RF-only arm)
Time Frame: from enrolment to the day after the ablation procedure
It is the acute difference in the HRV variation (Δ SDNN: baseline/1-day after ablation) between the PF-only arm and the control arm (RF-only).
from enrolment to the day after the ablation procedure

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Acute HRV variation (Hybrid vs. RF-only arm)
Time Frame: from enrolment to the day after the ablation procedure
The secondary endpoint is the acute difference in the HRV variation (Δ SDNN: baseline/1-day after ablation) between the Hybrid arm and the control arm (RF-only)
from enrolment to the day after the ablation procedure

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Acute difference in biomarker release
Time Frame: Peri-procedural: from procedure start (after groin puncture) to its end (before sheaths removal)
It measures the change in blood levels of the neuro-biomarker S100B (Δ S100B) and the cardiac injury biomarker Troponin (Δ Troponin), both measured before and immediately (~ 20 minutes) after the ablation
Peri-procedural: from procedure start (after groin puncture) to its end (before sheaths removal)
Atrial arrhythmia recurrences and atrial fibrillation burden
Time Frame: from day 91 to day 365 post-ablation
It measures any difference between the study arms in terms of AT/AF/AFL documented recurrences and AF burden during the effective evaluation period (Day 91-Day 365)
from day 91 to day 365 post-ablation
Acute difference in resting Heart Rate (HR)
Time Frame: from enrolment to the day after the ablation procedure
Acute difference in average resting HR (Δ HR: baseline/1-day after ablation) between the investigational arms compared to the control arm
from enrolment to the day after the ablation procedure
HRV variation across the follow-up period
Time Frame: from the first follow-up (3-month) visit until the last one (12-month)
It measures the HRV change at 3, 6 and 12 months after the ablation procedure to assess the durability of the vagal modulation
from the first follow-up (3-month) visit until the last one (12-month)

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.
VZW Cardiovascular Research Center Aalst

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.
Biosense Webster, Inc.

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: Tom De Potter, MD, Cardiovascular Research Center Aalst

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.
January 29, 2025

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.
June 1, 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 1, 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).
October 15, 2024

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.
October 15, 2024

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.
October 17, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

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.
July 10, 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.
July 8, 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.
July 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.
  • GPfIRE01-BWI-CS-012
  • CIV-24-02-046139-RS01 (Other Identifier: Eudamed)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

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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