CompletedNot Applicable

Vertebrobasilar Flow Evaluation and Risk of Transient Ischemic Attack and Stroke (VERiTAS)

United States, Canada82 participantsStarted 2008-07

Plain-language summary

Patients with blockage of the blood vessels that supply blood to the back of the brain, known as vertebrobasilar disease (VBD), are at risk of having a stroke or temporary symptoms of a stroke known as transient ischemic attack (TIA). The risk of repeated stroke associated with VBD may be affected by several risk factors, including the degree to which the blockage reduces the blood flow to the brain. Patients with VBD have different levels of blockage ranging from partial blockage to complete blockage, which can affect the blood flow to the brain by variable amounts. The purpose of this research is to determine if patients with symptomatic VBD who demonstrate low blood flow to the back of the brain on magnetic resonance (MR)imaging are at higher risk of developing another stroke or TIA than patients with normal blood flow.

Who can participate

Age range

18 Years

Sex

ALL

See this in plain English?

AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.

Inclusion Criteria: * Stroke or TIA in the vertebrobasilar territory * Conventional or CT angiographic demonstration of ≥50% stenosis or occlusion of extracranial or intracranial vertebrobasilar artery * Symptoms within 60 days of enrollment * Age 18 and above * Able to provide informed consent Exclusion Criteria: Neurologic criteria: * Major disabling stroke prohibiting the ability to return for follow-up assessment * Any neurological disease which would confound follow-up assessment Medical criteria: * Any severe co-morbidity condition with less than 12 month life expectancy * Known cardiac disease associated with cardioembolic risk specifically atrial fibrillation, prosthetic valves, endocarditis, left atrial/ventricular thrombus, cardiomyopathy with EF\<25%, cardiac myxoma * Blood dyscrasias, specifically polycythemia vera, essential thrombocytosis, sickle cell disease Disease criteria: * Non-atherosclerotic disease vertebrobasilar disease including dissection, fibromuscular dysplasia, vasculitis, radiation induced vasculopathy * Unilateral vertebral stenosis or occlusion Patient criteria: * Unable or unwilling to undergo MRI or cerebral angiography or CTA * Pregnancy concurrent participation in an interventional trial for treatment of vertebrobasilar disease. * Renal dysfunction will be exclusionary if it precludes angiography. No subjects will be excluded based upon gender, race, ethnic group, religion or socioeconomic status. Children will not be recruited as…

Questions worth asking your doctor

Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.

1Based on my diagnosis and history, is this trial worth exploring for me — or is there a standard treatment we should try first?
2What does this trial's phase tell us about how much is already known about its safety and benefit?
3What would taking part actually involve for me — visits, tests, time, and travel?
4What are the known and possible risks or side effects I should weigh, and how would they be monitored?
5If this trial isn't the right fit, what other options or trials would you suggest I look into?

Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.

Questions for the trial coordinator

The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.

1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?

A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.

What they're measuring

Fatal and Nonfatal Ischemic Stroke in the Vertebrobasilar Territory

Timeframe: up to 27 months

Trial details

NCT IDNCT00590980

SponsorUniversity of Illinois at Chicago

Sponsor typeOTHER

Study typeOBSERVATIONAL

Primary completion2014-07

Results submitted2017-09-18

View on ClinicalTrials.gov More Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency trials