RECRUITING

Neuroimaging and Neuropsychological Outcomes in Urea Cycle Disorders

Study Overview

This clinical trial focuses on testing the efficacy of different digital interventions to promote re-engagement in cancer-related long-term follow-up care for adolescent and young adult (AYA) survivors of childhood cancer.

Description

In proximal urea cycle disorders (UCD), particularly ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency (OTCD), hyperammonemia (HA) causes increased brain glutamine (Gln) which perturbation is thought to be at the core of the neurological injury. In contrast, in distal UCD such as citrullinemia (argininosuccinate synthetase deficiency; (ASSD) and argininosuccinic aciduria (argininosuccinate lyase deficiency); (ASLD) cognitive impairment and neuropsychiatric disease are common even in the absence of acute HA. As a consequence, both citrulline and argininosuccinate (ASA) or their metabolic products have been implicated as neurotoxic. In this project the investigators will use state-of- the-art neuroimaging and neuropsychological methods to investigate whether patients with OTCD have chronically elevated brain Gln and reduced myo-inositol (mI) levels that correlate with regional brain structural abnormalities and neurocognitive dysfunction. The researchers will further investigate whether during an acute episode of HA elevated brain Gln and decreased mI levels correlate with the magnitude of cytotoxic edema and whether a Gln/mI ratio threshold can be identified at which the cytotoxic edema is followed by cell loss. Finally, the researchers will investigate whether regions of brain damage in ASSD and/or ASLD are distinct from those in OTCD and compare brain Gln levels in ASSD and ASLD in the absence of HA to those in OTCD. The investigators will also seek to determine if brain citrulline and ASA can be identified in the brains of patients with distal UCD and whether they correlate with brain abnormalities seen in MRI and neuropsychological testing. This project will elucidate the chronology of brain pathology both in acute hyperammonemia and chronic UCD and whether, proximal and distal UCD differ in their pathophysiology of brain damage.

Official Title

Neuroimaging and Neuropsychological Outcomes in Urea Cycle Disorders

Quick Facts

Study Start:2016-08
Study Completion:2025-12
Study Type:Not specified
Phase:Not Applicable
Enrollment:Not specified
Status:RECRUITING

Study ID

NCT02935283

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Ages Eligible for Study:7 Years to 50 Years
Sexes Eligible for Study:ALL
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:Yes
Standard Ages:CHILD, ADULT
Inclusion CriteriaExclusion Criteria
  1. 1. Confirmed diagnosis of ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency (OTCD) by genetic analysis (genotype) and/or enzyme analysis with at least a single episode of HA hyperammonemic (HA) encephalopathy
  2. 2. Ability to undergo MRI without sedation
  3. 3. Ages 7 - 50 years
  4. 4. Ability to provide informed consent or assent to the procedures
  5. 5. Healthy controls (age and gender matched)
  6. 1. Males and females with a UCD who are having an acute metabolic crisis, with ammonia levels between 100-300 µM
  7. 2. Subjects must be awake, and not comatose and able to maintain patent airway on their own and in the opinion of the examining physician, medically stable without risk for acute decompensation and must continue to be stable based on visual contact, vital sign measurement and voice contact with subjects while in the scanner
  8. 3. Age range 7-30 years
  9. 4. Able to undergo neuroimaging safely (i.e. without ferromagnetic devices)
  10. 5. Sexually active female of childbearing potential must agree to urine pregnancy test
  11. 6. Admitted to the hospital for treatment of HA at one of the 4 sites for this study
  12. 7. Can be subjects who were originally enrolled in aim 1 who then have HA (they will cross over to aim 2)
  13. 1. Confirmed diagnosis of arginosuccinate ASSD, and ASLD by genotype and/or enzyme analysis or healthy age and gender matched control
  14. 2. Ability to undergo MRI without sedation
  15. 3. Age 7 - 30 years
  16. 4. Able to provide informed consent or assent to the procedures
  1. 1. Inability to undergo MRI without sedation
  2. 2. Metal implants, including orthodontic braces
  3. 3. Other health conditions contra-indicated in MRI
  4. 4. Medically unstable at time of scheduled research visit
  5. 5. Unable to provide informed consent or assent to the procedures
  6. 1. Ammonia level \> 300 µM, or \<100 µM
  7. 2. Presence of coma and/or inability to maintain a patent airway
  8. 3. Age \<7 or \>30 years
  9. 4. Subject with ferromagnetic device that precludes safe MRI imaging
  10. 5. Pregnant female
  11. 6. Unstable medically, at risk for decompensations
  12. 7. Combative, or severely neurologically compromised irrespective of ammonia level and showing declining medical status in the scanner based on visual, voice contact and electronic HR monitoring.
  13. 1. Inability to undergo MRI without sedation
  14. 2. Metal implants, including orthodontic braces
  15. 3. Other health conditions contra-indicated for MRI
  16. 4. Medically unstable at time of scheduled research visit
  17. 5. Unable to provide informed consent or assent

Contacts and Locations

Study Contact

Andrea L Gropman, M.D.
CONTACT
202-476-3511
agropman@childrensnational.org
Andrea L. Gropman, M.D.
CONTACT
202-476-3511

Principal Investigator

Andrea L. Gropman, M.D.
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
Children's National Research Institute

Study Locations (Sites)

Children's Research Institute
Washington, District of Columbia, 20010
United States

Collaborators and Investigators

Sponsor: Children's National Research Institute

  • Andrea L. Gropman, M.D., PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, Children's National Research Institute

Study Record Dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Registration Dates

Study Start Date2016-08
Study Completion Date2025-12

Study Record Updates

Study Start Date2016-08
Study Completion Date2025-12

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

  • Urea Cycle Disorders