Perioperative GDNF as a Predictive Factor for Postoperative Delirium and Adverse Neurological Outcomes in Pediatric Surgery

September 17, 2025 updated by: General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University

Perioperative GDNF as a Predictive Factor for Postoperative Delirium and Adverse Neurological Outcomes in Pediatric Surgery:a Single-center, Prospective, Randomized Controlled Study

To observe the dynamic changes in serum levels of inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-6, TNF-α), Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), and Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (GDNF) during the perioperative period in pediatric patients undergoing Scheduled Laparoscopic Hernia Repair surgery, and to investigate their relationship with the occurrence of postoperative delirium (POD) and postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD),and to compare the different influence between propofol and sevoflurane . The aim is to provide insights into the neurobiological mechanisms underlying these complications and to identify potential biomarkers for risk stratification.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

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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

Clarify the Correlation Between Perioperative Changes in Inflammatory Factors, BDNF, and GDNF Levels and Postoperative delirium (POD) Blood and urine samples were collected from pediatric patients at three time points: 5 minutes before anesthesia induction (T0), 1 hour after surgery began (T1), and on the first postoperative day (T2). Serum levels of inflammatory factors (such as IL-6 and TNF-α) as well as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) were measured. The Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) was used to assess the children within 5-10 minutes after awakening from anesthesia. The RASS score ranges from +4 (combative agitation) to -5 (coma), comprising 10 levels, with higher scores indicating more agitated states and lower scores indicating deeper sedation. A score ≥+1 was defined as agitation. By comparing changes in inflammatory factors and neurotrophic factor levels across different time points, the association with the occurrence of postoperative agitation was analyzed.

Clarify the Correlation Between Perioperative Changes in Inflammatory Factors, BDNF, and GDNF Levels and Learning and Memory Abilities at Age 5 For the same cohort of children, based on blood and urine samples collected at the aforementioned time points (T0, T1, T2), concentrations of inflammatory factors (such as IL-6 and TNF-α), BDNF, and GDNF were measured. When the children reached 5 years of age, standardized neurocognitive assessment tools (such as the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-IV [WPPSI-IV] or age-appropriate memory and learning function tests) were used to evaluate their learning and memory abilities. Statistical analysis was performed to explore the potential correlation between the dynamic changes in the aforementioned biomarkers during the perioperative period and cognitive function scores at age 5.

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.
200

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

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

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • (1) Aged 1-3 years; (2) American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Physical Status Classification I-II; (3) Body Mass Index (BMI) 18-35 kg/m²; (4) Agreement to participate in the study and signed informed consent form.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • (1) Surgical duration exceeding 4 hours; (2) Patients with language or hearing impairments hindering effective communication; (3) Patients with postoperative infections or perioperative cardiopulmonary complications; (4) Patients with preoperative psychiatric disorders.

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: Double

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: Sevoflurane Group
Anesthesia was maintained with sevoflurane (Inhalation Sevoflurane, Brand: Kaiteli, Specification: 120 mL, Approval Number: National Drug Approval H20070172, Manufacturer: Shanghai Hengrui Pharmaceutical) combined with continuous intravenous infusion of remifentanil.
Drug: Sevoflurane group
Patients fasted for 6 hours and abstained from clear fluids for 3 hours preoperatively. Upon entering the operating room, oxygen was administered via an appropriately sized face mask at a flow rate of 6-8 L/min. Anesthesia was induced by sequential intravenous injection of remimazolam, sufentanil, and rocuronium. A laryngeal mask was inserted after the disappearance of the eyelash reflex. Anesthesia was maintained with sevoflurane (Inhalation Sevoflurane, Brand: Kaiteli, Specification: 120 mL, Approval Number: National Drug Approval H20070172, Manufacturer: Shanghai Hengrui Pharmaceutical) combined with continuous intravenous infusion of remifentanil. During surgery, vital signs and body movement responses were closely monitored, and the inhaled concentration of sevoflurane was adjusted as needed (maintained at 1%-3%). Administration of anesthetics was discontinued 5 minutes before the end of surgery.
Active Comparator: Propofol Group
Anesthesia was maintained with remifentanil combined with continuous intravenous infusion of propofol at a maintenance dose of 0.5 mg/(kg·h).
Drug: Propofol group
Preoperative preparation was identical to that of the Sevoflurane Group. Anesthesia induction was performed using the same sequence of intravenous injections of remimazolam, sufentanil, and rocuronium, followed by laryngeal mask insertion after the disappearance of the eyelash reflex. Anesthesia was maintained with remifentanil combined with continuous intravenous infusion of propofol at a maintenance dose of 0.5 mg/(kg·h). The infusion rate was dynamically adjusted based on intraoperative vital signs. Administration of anesthetics was stopped 5 minutes before the end of surgery.

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
Correlation between Perioperative Inflammatory Factors and Neurotrophic Factor Levels with Postoperative Delirium
Time Frame: Preoperative to postoperative day 1
The levels of inflammatory factors IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in pediatric patients will be measured using ELISA before surgery, 30 minutes during surgery, and one day after surgery. Simultaneously, the levels of neurotrophic factors BDNF and GDNF will be detected using ELISA. The RASS scale was employed to assess the level of emergence agitation in the children. A t-test will be used to compare whether the inflammatory factor levels between the two groups were correlated with the occurrence of emergence agitation, to determine whether the pre- and postoperative changes in neurotrophic factors are statistically significant, and to evaluate whether these changes is correlated with the incidence of emergence agitation.
Preoperative to postoperative day 1
Correlation between Perioperative Inflammatory Factors and Neurotrophic Factor Levels with Neurodevelopmental Outcomes at 5 Years of Age
Time Frame: Preoperative until the child reaches 5 years of age
The levels of inflammatory factors IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in pediatric patients will be measured using ELISA before surgery, 30 minutes during surgery, and one day after surgery. Simultaneously, the levels of neurotrophic factors BDNF and GDNF will be detected using ELISA. The Wechsler Scale II will be employed to assess the learning and memory abilities of the children at five years of age. A t-test was used to compare whether the inflammatory factor levels between the two groups will be correlated with the development of long-term learning and memory function, and to evaluate whether changes in these levels were associated with the occurrence of long-term learning and memory function.
Preoperative until the child reaches 5 years of age

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
Correlation between Surgical Type on the Expression of Inflammatory Factors with Neurotrophic Factors
Time Frame: Intraoperative to postoperative day 1
We will categorize the surgeries into upper abdominal, lower abdominal, and limb procedures based on human anatomical structure. Correlation analysis will performe between these surgical categories and the levels of inflammatory factors and neurotrophic factors measured by ELISA. This analysis aim to evaluate whether the type of surgery will correlate with changes in inflammatory factor levels, as well as to examine the association between surgical categories and the occurrence of postoperative delirium.
Intraoperative to postoperative day 1
Correlation between Surgical Duration on the Expression of Inflammatory Factors with Neurotrophic Factors
Time Frame: Intraoperative to postoperative day 1
We will classify the surgeries into two categories based on a 2-hour duration threshold and performed correlation analysis with the levels of inflammatory factors and neurotrophic factors measured by ELISA. This analysis aimed to evaluate whether the duration of surgery was correlated with changes in inflammatory factor levels, as well as to examine the association between surgical duration and the occurrence of emergence delirium and long-term neurological function.
Intraoperative to postoperative day 1
Collection between Anesthetic Drugs on the Expression of Inflammatory Factors with Neurotrophic Factors
Time Frame: Intraoperative to postoperative day 1
We will categorize the surgeries into propofol-based maintenance group and sevoflurane-based maintenance group. Correlation analysis will be performed between these two anesthetic approaches and the levels of inflammatory factors and neurotrophic factors measured by ELISA. This analysis aim to evaluate whether the choice of anesthetic agent was correlated with alterations in inflammatory factor levels.
Intraoperative to postoperative day 1

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.
General Hospital of Ningxia Medical 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 (Estimated)

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.
September 15, 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.
September 1, 2030

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, 2030

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).
September 10, 2025

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.
September 17, 2025

First Posted (Estimated)

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.
September 25, 2025

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.
September 25, 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.
September 17, 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.
September 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

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.
  • Hui Wang-2025.9

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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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