Ask to take part

Contact the study team using the details below to take part. If there are no contact details below please ask your doctor in the first instance.

Contact Information:

Prof Hugh Markus
hsm32@medschl.cam.ac.uk


Jessica Walsh
jw959@medschl.cam.ac.uk


Study Location:

Skip to Main Content
English | Cymraeg
Be Part of Research - Trial Details - BBB permeability and Neuro-Inflammation in SVD

BBB permeability and Neuro-Inflammation in SVD

Recruiting

Open to: Female / Male

Age: 18 Years - 100 Years

Medical Conditions

Cerebrovascular diseases


This information is provided directly by researchers, and we recognise that it isn't always easy to understand. We are working with researchers to improve the accessibility of this information. In some summaries, you may come across links to external websites. These websites will have more information to help you better understand the study.


Cerebral small vessel disease is a major cause of stroke and dementia in the UK. The causes of progression of the disease are not completely understood. Recently leakiness of the blood brain barrier has been proposed as a mechanism, which itself may cause inflammation of the brain. If we can understand what causes progression of the disease it may be possible to target treatments to reduce these processes and, therefore, progression.
This is an observational study, which attempts to give a greater understanding of the disease. We aim to investigate the prevalence and pattern of leakiness and inflammation in the brain, in people with small vessel disease and controls, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET). We will calculate the volume and pattern of tissue showing abnormal permeability and inflammation and link them to disease severity as measured with other MRI parameters, such as the volume of white matter hyper-intensities or the health of normal appearing white matter, and measures of cognition, both at the time of the scan and also any change in the disease over one year.
We will recruit controls with no disease as well as people suffering with sporadic small vessel disease and also with CADASIL, a version of small vessel disease caused by a genetic mutation. The study will be performed at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus (Addenbrooke's) site and involve cognitive testing, clinical examination and blood samples being taken, as well as the MRI and PET scans, participants will also undergo a follow-up MRI scan and cognitive testing at one year. The project is funded by the Medical Research Council.

Start dates may differ between countries and research sites. The research team are responsible for keeping the information up-to-date.  

The recruitment start and end dates are as follows:

01 Mar 2017 31 Jul 2026

Observational

Observational type: Cross-sectional;



You can take part if:



You may not be able to take part if:


SVD and CADASIL group exclusion criteria: 1. Unable/unwilling to consent 2. MMSE <21 (for consent issues) 3. Age<18 4. Lacunar infarcts >1.5cm – as many of these are striatocapsular infarcts caused by embolism 5. Evidence of cortical stroke 6. Any stroke cause other than SVD including: a. Cardioembolic source b. Carotid or vertebral stenosis >50% measured on NASCET criteria 7. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) =<59 ml/min/1.73m2 within past 3 months. Estimated GFR will be calculated using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation: 186 x (Creatinine / 88.4)1.154x (Age) - 0.203 x (0.742 if female) x (1.210 if black) 8. Contraindications to taking part in MRI study, e.g., pacemaker 9. Inability to lie still in the PET/MR scanner for up to 75 minutes 10. Women who are of child bearing age, pregnant or breastfeeding Control groups exclusion criteria: 1. Unable/unwilling to consent 2. MMSE <21 (for consent issues) 3. Age<18 4. Any MRI evidence of lacunar infracts or leukoaraiosis ( >grade 1 in either periventricular or deep white matter regions on the Fazekas scale 5. eGFR=<59 within past 3 months 6. Contraindications to taking part in MRI study, e.g., pacemaker 7. Inability to lie still in the PET/MR scanner for up to 75 minutes 8. Women who are of child bearing age, pregnant or breastfeeding


Below are the locations for where you can take part in the trial. Please note that not all sites may be open.

  • Addenbrooke's Hospital
    Cambridge
    Cambridgeshire
    CB2 0QQ

Jessica Walsh
jw959@medschl.cam.ac.uk


Prof Hugh Markus
hsm32@medschl.cam.ac.uk



The study is sponsored by CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST and funded by Medical Research Council (MRC) .




We'd like your feedback

Your feedback is important to us. It will help us improve the quality of the study information on this site. Please answer both questions.


Is this study information helpful?

What will you do next?

Read full details

for Trial ID: CPMS 32353

Last updated 24 March 2025

This page is to help you find out about a research study and if you may be able to take part

You can print or share the study information with your GP/healthcare provider or contact the research team directly.