The Relationship Between Controlling Risk Factors and Cerebral Haemodynamics in Lacunar Stroke (LACUNAR_CA)

Understanding the Relationship Between Controlling Risk Factors and Cerebral Haemodynamic Changes in Lacunar Stroke, and Its Interaction With Ageing

The goal of this observational study is to look at differences in brain blood flow before and after management of risk factors such as high blood pressure and diabetes in patients with lacunar stroke. Participants will be asked to undergo a simple brain blood flow assessment at their initial appointment, whereby they will be asked to sit and stand twice. The patients will then be asked for a follow-up assessment 4 weeks after, identical to the first. This will allow us to look at any changes in brain blood flow from before management of risk factors and 4 weeks after management of risk factors.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Lacunar Stroke
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Transcranial Doppler Ultrasonography (TCD) during sit-stand manoeuvres

Detailed Description

Stroke is the second major cause of death across the world leading to high mortality rates and leaving those who experience stroke with a poor quality of life. Lacunar stroke accounts for a quarter of ischemic stroke events and can occur at any age, but is more frequent in the older generation (>65 years) yet not uncommon in younger patients. Lacunar stroke is caused by small vessel disease, whereby occlusions or thrombi occur in the small vessels found deep in the brain structures, around the circle of Willis. This event leads to a decrease in blood supply to certain areas of the brain and damage to surrounding tissues, leaving the brain in a vulnerable state. Further events are then likely to occur such as recurrent stroke, intracranial haemorrhage, additional ischemic events, prolonging symptoms and increasing the risk of damage to the brain. Even though lacunar infarcts occur only in the small vessels of the brain, cognitive impairment is commonly seen post-lacunar stroke emphasising the importance of understanding the trajectory of cerebral haemodynamics after a lacunar infarction. Common treatments involve the use of anticoagulants, antiplatelet therapies (both to stop further blood clots forming), blood pressure (BP) lowering agents (reducing BP to reduce fluctuations in cerebral blood flow) and the management of hyperglycaemia (to help reduce damage to blood vessels).

Cerebral autoregulation (CA) plays a large part in regulating cerebral blood flow (CBF), through maintaining cerebral perfusion, even with fluctuating BP. It does this by regulating the cerebral vasculature through adjustments in vessel diameter. CA has been assessed at rest and challenged with paradigms in healthy volunteers and lacunar stroke patients, however comparisons between younger and older lacunar events incorporating risk factors has not been looked at. The difference in CA phenotype between those with uncontrolled high-risk cardiometabolic factors (often younger patients) and those with moderate/severe small vessel disease and recurrent lacunar stroke syndromes (often older patients) is unknown. Therefore, exploring different risk factors and the different lacunar disease phenotypes is important to identify any differences in cerebral haemodynamics.

Assessing dynamic CA (dCA) in response to fluctuations in BP represents how CA responds to BP fluctuations in the body, allowing better application to the human vasculature, compared to assessing static CA. Multiple paradigms and manoeuvres have been used to assess dCA by inducing a rapid change in BP, but both patient tolerability and ability to measure dCA accurately need to be considered for this study. The sit-stand manoeuvre is a clinically applicable manoeuvre which can be done both in the ward and laboratory with minimal stress to the patient. This manoeuvre has been evaluated in a published review and compared to a thigh-cuff technique which has been used extensively in previous research. The thigh-cuff technique induces a rapid change in arterial blood pressure (ABP) through the rapid deflation of the thigh cuff. However, this repeated action can be painful for some participants making it difficult to apply clinically to frail patients leading to issues of unsuccessful repeats. The review found that autoregulatory index (ARI) values were similar across both the sit-stand and thigh-cuff manoeuvres, showing sit-stand is an accurate manoeuvre to measure CA. The sit-stand manoeuvre was also better tolerated compared to the thigh-cuff.

Following up patients post-stroke as high-risk factors are controlled will help understand changes in CA and could help guide the timing of interventions to manipulate BP and potentially for the impact of rehabilitation programmes.

Lacunar stroke is one of the most common types of stroke, occurring in both younger and older generations. Some studies have observed impaired brain blood flow regulation (cerebral autoregulation) in a cohort of ~57 years of age (median), which has also been seen in those with small vessel disease. Small vessel disease is often seen in older patients who often present with recurrent lacunar strokes despite earlier management of risk factors.

By targeting a younger cohort with uncontrolled risk factors (hypertension and diabetes), the investigators aim to perform a more comprehensive study to investigate the haemodynamic consequences of lacunar strokes in this group. This would be done by using Transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TDC) to measure CBv in patients who are diagnosed with a lacunar stroke and have undiagnosed diabetes and/or hypertension at their initial appointment. To measure a dCA response, the sit-stand manoeuvre will be used. These patients would then receive management of their risk-factors and would be asked to undergo another TCD assessment 4 weeks after their initial appointment. Data would be collected and analysed to look at any differences in cerebral haemodynamics between before and after management of such risk factors.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 75

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Jatinder S Minhas, SFHEA; Phone Number: +44 116 252 3299; Email: jm591@leicester.ac.uk

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • Leicestershire
    • Leicester, Leicestershire, United Kingdom, LE1 5WW
      • Recruiting
      • University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
      • Contact: Amit Mistri; Email: amit.mistri@uhl-tr.nhs.uk

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The participants will be recruited from Leicester Royal Infirmary TIA clinic or stroke ward.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adults aged between 18-120 years.
• Diagnosis of lacunar stroke syndrome.
• New diagnosis or known diagnosis of hypertension and/or diabetes.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Those who lack capacity can have a personal consultee consent to the study if they can still perform study requirements such as the sit-stand manoeuvre. Those who either cannot perform the manoeuvre or do not have a personal consultee to allow them to consent, are not able to take part.
• Those with poorly controlled medical comorbidities affecting cerebral haemodynamics. (eg., heart failure).

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Intervention / Treatment

Lacunar Stroke Syndrome Patients; Patients who have been diagnosed with lacunar stroke syndrome. This is a non-intervention study so no intervention will be given. However, the investigators will observe the changes in cerebral haemodynamics of this group before and after they have been given medications to help control hypertension and/or diabetes which are common risk factors of lacunar stroke syndrome.

Device: Transcranial Doppler Ultrasonography (TCD) during sit-stand manoeuvres; TCD will be used to measure the cerebral blood flow in the middle and posterior cerebral arteries. This will be done at rest and during two sit-stand manoeuvres, whereby the participant will be asked to stand (from a seated position) and stay standing for 1 minute. The participant will then be given time to recover before repeating the manoeuvre. This will occur at the first visit and the follow-up visit 4 weeks after.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Cerebral blood velocity measurements before and after management of uncontrolled risk-factors in those diagnosed with lacunar stroke syndromes.	Absolute values (cm/s) and percentage change (%) in cerebral blood velocity measurements before and after management of uncontrolled risk-factors in lacunar stroke patients.	From enrolment to the end of the follow-up measurements at 4 weeks.
Arterial blood pressure measurements before and after management of uncontrolled risk-factors in those diagnosed with lacunar stroke syndromes.	Absolute values (mmHg) and percentage change (%) in arterial blood pressure measurements before and after management of uncontrolled risk-factors in lacunar stroke patients.	From enrolment to the end of the follow-up measurements at 4 weeks.
Heart rate measurements before and after management of uncontrolled risk-factors in those diagnosed with lacunar stroke syndromes.	Absolute values (bpm) and percentage change (%) in heart rate measurements before and after management of uncontrolled risk-factors in lacunar stroke patients.	From enrolment to the end of the follow-up measurements at 4 weeks.
End-tidal carbon dioxide measurements before and after management of uncontrolled risk-factors in those diagnosed with lacunar stroke syndromes.	Absolute values (mmHg) and percentage change (%) in heart rate measurements before and after management of uncontrolled risk-factors in lacunar stroke patients.	From enrolment to the end of the follow-up measurements at 4 weeks.
Compare cerebral haemodynamics in lacunar stroke patients with older patients experiencing advanced chronic cerebrovascular disease with lacunar stroke syndromes, whose risk-factors are already managed.(CA).	Efficiency of regulatory mechanisms will be analysed through measuring cerebral autoregulation.	Data collected from enrolment to the end of the follow-up measurements at 4 weeks. Comparisons to other data and other studies to be done at analysis stage.
Compare cerebral haemodynamics in lacunar stroke patients with older patients experiencing advanced chronic cerebrovascular disease with lacunar stroke syndromes, whose risk-factors are already managed. (VMR).	Efficiency of regulatory mechanisms will be analysed through measuring vasomotor reactivity.	Data collected from enrolment to the end of the follow-up measurements at 4 weeks. Comparisons to other data and other studies to be done at analysis stage.
Compare cerebral haemodynamics in lacunar stroke patients with older patients experiencing advanced chronic cerebrovascular disease with lacunar stroke syndromes, whose risk-factors are already managed.(ARI).	Efficiency of regulatory mechanisms will be analysed through measuring the autoregulatory index.	Data collected from enrolment to the end of the follow-up measurements at 4 weeks. Comparisons to other data and other studies to be done at analysis stage.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Leicester
• Collaborators: University Hospitals, Leicester; British Heart Foundation

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 2, 2024
• Primary Completion (Estimated): March 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): March 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 19, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 4, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): April 9, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 21, 2025
• Last Verified: March 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Stroke; Cerebral Blood Flow; Cerebral Autoregulation; Lacunar
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Thrombotic Stroke; Ischemic Stroke; Cerebrovascular Disorders; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Vascular Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases; Pathologic Processes; Brain Infarction; Infarction; Necrosis; Ischemia; Cerebral Small Vessel Diseases; Stroke; Stroke, Lacunar
• Other Study ID Numbers: 0967; TM61008S3 (Other Grant/Funding Number: British Heart Foundation)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Individual patient data will not be shared, however once analysed and combined (statistically through mean averages etc), the results will be compiled into a report and submitted to a relevant journal, allowing researchers to view them.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No