Neurogenetic And Hemodynamic Of Migraine Aura And Pfo

Brief summary (registry, in English)

The PFOCUS Study aims to clarify the relationship between patent foramen ovale (PFO) and migraine with aura (MA). Patients diagnosed with MA according to ICHD-3 criteria will be classified as cases (PFO+) or controls (PFO-) based on the presence or absence of a right-to-left shunt detected by transcranial Doppler or a previously documented PFO. The study will enroll 240 adult participants over 36 months. The primary objective is to determine whether genetic variants differ significantly between patients with MA with and without PFO. Secondary objectives include assessing cerebral blood flow regulation and platelet function in patients with MA with and without PFO. Participants will undergo a single study visit including the collection of demographic and clinical data and a comprehensive neurosonological assessment. This will include microembolic signal counts, cerebrovascular reactivity testing, and a contrast-enhanced transcranial Doppler study for shunt detection. Blood samples will be collected for whole-exome sequencing (with a focus on NOTCH3 and an expanded gene panel) and for platelet aggregometry. The study is expected to provide new insights into the biological mechanisms linking PFO and MA-potentially involving endothelial dysfunction, altered vascular smooth muscle responses, or platelet activation-thereby informing prevention strategies and guiding future research.

What you commit to

• Study type: Observational
• Planned participants: 240
• From 24 Nov 2025 to the primary completion date, 24 Nov 2025
• 1 site in 1 country
• Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them

Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.

Who cannot take part

Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.

Who the study is looking for

Age in the registry: 18 years to - · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers

Full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov

Sites (1)

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Related publications

• PFOCUS study protocol: a prospective case-control study investigating genetic, haemodynamic, and platelet function in migraine with aura with or without patent foramen ovale.Front Neurol · 2026 · PMID 42964338