Testing brain blood vessel response to carbon dioxide in children with sickle cell
Uses brain MRI and breathing carbon dioxide in children with sickle cell disease.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Cerebral Oxygen Metabolism in Children
Key facts
- Where
- St Louis, United StatesSee the site
Could this be for you?
Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.
- Are you between 3 and 50 years old?
Source: NCT04157179, who can take part
Where in United States
- Washington University of St. LouisSt Louis, United StatesTaking people
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- Washington University School of Medicine
- Trial code
- NCT04157179
- Record updated
- 11 September 2025
- Original description
The purpose of this research study is to better understand how blood flow and metabolism change can influence brain development in the early decades of life.Read full original descriptionShow less
Cerebral Oxygen Metabolism in Children
The purpose of this research study is to better understand how blood flow and metabolism change can influence brain development in the early decades of life.
We will examine brain blood flow and metabolism using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The brain's blood vessels expand and constrict to regulate blood flow based on the brain's needs. The amount of expanding and contracting the blood vessels can do varies by age. The brain's blood flow changes in small ways during everyday activities, such as normal brain growth, exercise, or deep concentration. Significant illness or psychological stress may increase the brain's metabolic demand or cause other bigger changes in blood flow. If blood vessels are not able to expand to give more blood flow when metabolic demand is high, the brain may not get all of the oxygen it needs. In extreme circumstances, if the brain is unable to get enough oxygen for a long time, a stroke may occur. Sometimes small strokes occur without other noticeable changes and are only detectable on an MRI. These are sometimes called "silent strokes." In less extreme circumstances, not having as much oxygen as it wants may cause the brain to grow and develop more slowly than it should.
One way to test the ability of blood vessels to expand is by measuring blood flow while breathing in carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide causes blood vessels in the brain to dilate without increasing brain metabolism.
During this study participants may be asked to undergo a blood draw, MRI, and potential neuropsychological assessments. It is also possible that the study team will use a special mask to control the amount of carbon dioxide the participants breathe in so they don't breathe in too much.
Healthy Controls:; Healthy controls ages 3-50 years of age; Able to participate in MRI scan without sedation; Not currently pregnant; No significant psychiatric history, defined as having a severe psychiatric diagnosis, per PI discretion; No history of epilepsy; No history of stroke or cerebrovascular disease; May have occasional headaches if not taking a daily preventative medication for headaches; Not on vasodilatory medication, such as sildenafil or verapamil; Sickle Cell Anemia Participants:; Ages 3-50 years of age; Hb SS or SBeta-thal; Able to participate in MRI scan without sedation; Not currently pregnant; Not on vasodilatory medication, such as sildenafil or verapamil; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Survivors:; Ages 3-50 years of age; History of cannulation for ECMO; Able to participate in MRI scan without sedation; Not currently pregnant; Not on vasodilatory medication, such as sildenafil or verapamil.