Cervical Lymphatic Microsurgery in Alzheimer's Disease

October 5, 2026 updated by: Daniel Maliszewski

Microsurgical Modification of Cervical Lymphatic Pathways in Alzheimer's Disease: A Pilot Study

This pilot study will evaluate whether microsurgical modification of cervical lymphatic drainage may influence blood biomarkers and clinical outcomes in people with mild Alzheimer's disease.

Thirty participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either a surgical intervention group or a control group. Participants in the intervention group will undergo supermicrosurgical lymphaticovenous anastomosis (LVA) and/or lymph node-to-vein anastomosis (LNVA) in the neck to create an alternative pathway for lymphatic drainage. The procedure may be performed manually or with robotic microsurgical assistance. Participants in the control group will receive clinical observation without surgery during the first 12 months.

The primary objective is to assess the change in plasma phosphorylated tau 217 (p-tau217) from baseline to 12 months. The study will also assess changes in cognitive and functional measures, including the Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB), Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living (ADCS-ADL), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), as well as the feasibility and safety of the surgical procedure.

Participants will be assessed at baseline and at 3, 6, and 12 months. After completion of the 12-month observation period, participants in the control group may be offered the surgical procedure if they wish to undergo it.

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.
30

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 Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Poland
      • Gdansk, Poland, 80-952
        • Recruiting
        • Uniwersyteckie Centrum Kliniczne w Gdańsku
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Kamil Chwojnicki, MD, PhD
      • Słupsk, Poland, 76-200
        • Recruiting
        • Wojewódzki Szpital Specjalistyczny im. Janusza Korczaka w Słupsku Sp. z o.o.
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Daniel Maliszewski, MD, PhD

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

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 18 years or older
  • Clinical diagnosis of mild Alzheimer's disease according to National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer's Association (NIA-AA) criteria.
  • Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) score of 0.5 to 1.0.
  • Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of 20 to 26.
  • Confirmation of Alzheimer's disease pathology using plasma biomarkers, with elevated phosphorylated tau 217 (p-tau217).
  • Stable pharmacological treatment for Alzheimer's disease for at least 3 months before enrollment.
  • Ability to provide informed consent or consent provided by a legally authorized representative.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Moderate or severe Alzheimer's disease.
  • Other neurodegenerative disorders or significant psychiatric disorders.
  • Previous major neck surgery or radiotherapy to the neck that may affect lymphatic drainage.
  • Contraindications to general anesthesia.
  • Active infection or coagulation 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: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

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: Surgical Intervention

Participants assigned to this arm will undergo supermicrosurgical modification of cervical lymphatic drainage using lymphaticovenous anastomosis (LVA) and/or lymph node-to-vein anastomosis (LNVA). The procedure may be performed manually or with robotic microsurgical assistance.
Procedure: Cervical Lymphatic Microsurgery

Supermicrosurgical modification of cervical lymphatic drainage by creation of lymphaticovenous anastomosis (LVA) and/or lymph node-to-vein anastomosis (LNVA). Preoperative lymphatic and venous mapping is performed using ultra-high-frequency ultrasound and indocyanine green fluorescence imaging. The procedure is performed under general anesthesia and may be carried out manually or with robotic supermicrosurgical assistance. The specific anastomotic technique and configuration are selected according to the identified lymphatic and venous anatomy.

Other Names:
  • Lymph Node-to-Vein Anastomosis (LNVA)
  • Lymphaticovenous Anastomosis (LVA)
No Intervention: Control

Participants assigned to this arm will undergo clinical observation without surgical intervention during the first 12 months. After completion of the 12-month observation period, participants may elect to undergo the surgical procedure.

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
Change in Plasma Phosphorylated Tau 217 (p-tau217) Concentration From Baseline to Month 12
Time Frame: Baseline to Month 12

Change in plasma phosphorylated tau 217 (p-tau217) concentration from baseline to the 12-month follow-up. The change over time will be compared between the surgical intervention and control groups.
Baseline to Month 12

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
Change in CDR-SB Score From Baseline to Month 12
Time Frame: Baseline to Month 12

The Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB) score ranges from 0 to 18, with higher scores indicating greater cognitive and functional impairment and therefore a worse clinical outcome. Change in CDR-SB score from baseline to Month 12 will be compared between the surgical intervention and control groups. A positive change from baseline indicates worsening, whereas a negative change indicates improvement.
Baseline to Month 12
Change in ADCS-ADL Score From Baseline to Month 12
Time Frame: Baseline to Month 12

The 23-item Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living (ADCS-ADL) total score ranges from 0 to 78, with higher scores indicating better performance in activities of daily living and therefore a better functional outcome. Change in ADCS-ADL total score from baseline to Month 12 will be compared between the surgical intervention and control groups. A positive change from baseline indicates improvement, whereas a negative change indicates worsening.
Baseline to Month 12
Change in MoCA Score From Baseline to Month 12
Time Frame: Baseline to Month 12

The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) total score ranges from 0 to 30, with higher scores indicating better cognitive performance and therefore a better cognitive outcome. Change in MoCA total score from baseline to Month 12 will be compared between the surgical intervention and control groups. A positive change from baseline indicates improvement, whereas a negative change indicates worsening.
Baseline to Month 12
Change in MMSE Score From Baseline to Month 12
Time Frame: Baseline to Month 12

The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) total score ranges from 0 to 30, with higher scores indicating better cognitive performance and therefore a better cognitive outcome. Change in MMSE total score from baseline to Month 12 will be compared between the surgical intervention and control groups. A positive change from baseline indicates improvement, whereas a negative change indicates worsening.
Baseline to Month 12
Procedure-Related Adverse Events and Serious Adverse Events
Time Frame: From surgery through Month 12

Occurrence of adverse events and serious adverse events related to the surgical procedure during the study follow-up period.
From surgery through Month 12
Postoperative Complications
Time Frame: From surgery through Month 12

Occurrence of postoperative complications following cervical lymphatic microsurgery, including local surgical complications assessed during follow-up.
From surgery through Month 12
Rehospitalization
Time Frame: Up to Month 12

Occurrence of rehospitalization during the 12-month study follow-up period.
Up to Month 12
All-Cause Mortality
Time Frame: Up to Month 12

Occurrence of death from any cause during the 12-month study follow-up period.
Up to Month 12

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.
Daniel Maliszewski

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.
University Clinical Centre, Gdansk
Janusz Korczak Provincial Specialist Hospital in Słupsk

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 1, 2026

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.
May 1, 2029

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.
May 1, 2029

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 29, 2026

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 29, 2026

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 5, 2026

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.
October 8, 2026

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.
October 5, 2026

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.
October 1, 2026

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.
  • AD-LVA-LNVA-2026-01

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

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.

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings