Neonatal Brain Ultrasound With CEUS and Elastography

NCT ID: NCT05648812

Last Updated: 2026-01-15

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

PHASE3

Total Enrollment

100 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2024-01-01

Study Completion Date

2029-12-31

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

The aim of our study is to investigate changes of brain perfusion and elasticity in neonates during the time that a neonate is adapting to live outside the womb and during diseases that are suspected to affect neonatal brain perfusion. We use contrast enhanced ultrasound (sulphur hexafluoride) and ultrasound-assisted elastography to evaluate the state of brain perfusion. We will study neonates recruited from the Neonatal Units of Turku University Hospital.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

SonoVue (sulphur hexafluoride) is a contrast agent composed of micro bubbles. It increases echogenicity of the ultrasound thus enhancing the visualisation of vessels and giving better insights into tissue perfusion. The use of sulphur hexafluoride has been approved by FDA and it has been in off-label use in Europe for years. SonoVue is thought to be especially useful for children, because it can enhance the diagnostic capabilities of ultrasound and the examination can be performed without radiation or sedation.

Elastography is a method to investigate the elasticity of a tissue by tracking the shear waves generated by the ultrasound beam. Also this method has been used in Europe and America for years.

The aim of our study is to examine cerebral hemodynamics in neonates using ultrasound of the brain, contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and ultrasound-guided shear-wave elastography (US-SWE). We aim to recruit four groups of infants: those with no suspected diseases affecting brain perfusion on the first days after birth and infants with either asphyctic injury, stroke or other diseases affecting central nervous system. Total recruitment for different groups is 100 infants in total, during this first study phase. The recruitment period will be up to seven years if needed.

The injections of SonoVue will be administered through pre-existing venous cannulas. The first examination after brain injury will be done as soon as the parental consent has been given. The ultrasound examination altogether is estimated to take about 20 minutes per day. Safety monitoring period is conducted after the injection. The studies will be repeated 0-4 times according to the approval of the caretakers of the child and the disease the child is affected by. CEUS data will be analysed with proper software. US-SWE will be measured repeatedly on both brain hemispheres and on different areas to validate the measurements.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Neonatal Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy Neonatal Stroke Neonatal Encephalopathy, Unspecified

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

NON_RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

DIAGNOSTIC

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Term neonates

Diagnostic Test: Brain ultrasound, brain contrast enhanced ultrasound, brain ultrasound elastography, cardiac ultrasound To study brain perfusion with brain ultrasound, contrast enhanced ultrasound of the brain and ultrasound-guided shear-wave elastography Drug: Sulfur Hexafluoride To evaluate brain perfusion in infants with no suspected brain pathology using CEUS. Later, different patient groups could be compared to infants with no suspected brain pathology.

Other Names:

• SonoVue

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Brain contrast enhanced ultrasound, brain ultrasound elastography

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

To study brain perfusion with brain ultrasound, contrast enhanced ultrasound of the brain and ultrasound-guided shear-wave elastography

Sulfur Hexafluoride

Intervention Type DRUG

To evaluate the differences in brain perfusion studied by CEUS, comparing different patient groups and babies with no suspected brain pathology

Neonatal asphyxia

Diagnostic Test: Brain ultrasound, brain contrast enhanced ultrasound, brain ultrasound elastography To study brain perfusion with brain ultrasound, contrast enhanced ultrasound of the brain and ultrasound-guided shear-wave elastography Drug: Sulfur Hexafluoride To evaluate brain perfusion in neonates after birth asphyxia

Other Names:

• SonoVue

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Brain contrast enhanced ultrasound, brain ultrasound elastography

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

To study brain perfusion with brain ultrasound, contrast enhanced ultrasound of the brain and ultrasound-guided shear-wave elastography

Sulfur Hexafluoride

Intervention Type DRUG

To evaluate the differences in brain perfusion studied by CEUS, comparing different patient groups and babies with no suspected brain pathology

Neonatal stroke

Diagnostic Test: Brain contrast enhanced ultrasound, brain ultrasound elastography To study brain perfusion with brain ultrasound, contrast enhanced ultrasound of the brain and ultrasound-guided shear-wave elastography Drug: Sulfur Hexafluoride To evaluate brain perfusion after neonatal stroke

Other Names:

• SonoVue

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Brain contrast enhanced ultrasound, brain ultrasound elastography

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

To study brain perfusion with brain ultrasound, contrast enhanced ultrasound of the brain and ultrasound-guided shear-wave elastography

Sulfur Hexafluoride

Intervention Type DRUG

To evaluate the differences in brain perfusion studied by CEUS, comparing different patient groups and babies with no suspected brain pathology

Other neonatal brain pathologies

Diagnostic Test: Brain ultrasound, brain contrast enhanced ultrasound, brain ultrasound elastography To study brain perfusion with brain ultrasound, contrast enhanced ultrasound of the brain and ultrasound-guided shear-wave elastography Drug: Sulfur Hexafluoride To evaluate brain perfusion in infants with other type (no asphyxia, stroke or preterm birth related) of brain pathology, like hydrocephalus, hemorrhage or central nervous system infection

Other Names:

• SonoVue

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Brain contrast enhanced ultrasound, brain ultrasound elastography

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

To study brain perfusion with brain ultrasound, contrast enhanced ultrasound of the brain and ultrasound-guided shear-wave elastography

Sulfur Hexafluoride

Intervention Type DRUG

To evaluate the differences in brain perfusion studied by CEUS, comparing different patient groups and babies with no suspected brain pathology

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Brain contrast enhanced ultrasound, brain ultrasound elastography

To study brain perfusion with brain ultrasound, contrast enhanced ultrasound of the brain and ultrasound-guided shear-wave elastography

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Sulfur Hexafluoride

To evaluate the differences in brain perfusion studied by CEUS, comparing different patient groups and babies with no suspected brain pathology

Intervention Type DRUG

Other Intervention Names

Discover alternative or legacy names that may be used to describe the listed interventions across different sources.

SonoVue

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* Babies less than 7 months treated at the neonatal units of Turku University hospital

Exclusion Criteria

* Pre-known genetic disease
* Difficult congenital malformations that need surgical treatment
* Central nervous system tumors
* Weight less than 2,5 kg during examination
* Medical history of SonoVue hypersensitivity
* Uncontrolled systemic hypertension
* Systolic pulmonary artery pressure \> 90 mmHg
* Unstable cardiovascular state
Minimum Eligible Age

1 Minute

Maximum Eligible Age

6 Months

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

Turku University Hospital

OTHER_GOV

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Tiina Laurikainen

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Tiina Laurikainen

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Turku University Hospital

Riitta Parkkola

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

Turku University Hospital

Vilhelmiina Parikka

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

Turku University Hospital

Jussi Hirvonen

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

Turku University Hospital

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Turku University Hospital

Turku, Southwestern Finland, Finland

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

Finland

Central Contacts

Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.

Tiina Laurikainen

Role: CONTACT

+35823135941

Riitta Parkkola

Role: CONTACT

+35823130148

Facility Contacts

Find local site contact details for specific facilities participating in the trial.

Tiina Laurikainen, MD

Role: primary

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

TL16102021

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.

Contrast Enhanced Ultrasound in COVID-19
NCT04640038 COMPLETED PHASE3