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Anesthesia, LocalNCT05230134

Cervical Sympathetic Block in Patients With Cerebral Vasospasm

A study testing Cervical sympathetic block in people with Anesthesia, Local and Cerebral Vasospasm, run by Stanford University at 1 site in United States.

Enrolling by invitation

Enrolling by invitation. The study team selects and invites participants, usually from an existing group of patients.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

The purposes of this study are twofold: 1) to assess the effect of a cervical sympathetic block on cerebral blood flow in patients suffering from cerebral vasospasm, after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage; 2) to evaluate the effect of the sympathetic block on the recovery of the neurological function. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
What is being tested?
Cervical sympathetic block
Type of treatment
Surgery or procedure
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
10 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
27 Jul 2023to Dec 2026
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • ages 18 and over
  • patients hospitalized in the ICU and developing cerebral vasospasm after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

Who cannot join

  • known advanced stage kidney disease

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

United States1 site

  • Stanford University

    Stanford, California, 94305

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Cervical Sympathetic Block to Increase Cerebral Blood Flow in Patients With Cerebral Vasospasm Following Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

The purposes of this study are twofold: 1) to assess the effect of a cervical sympathetic block on cerebral blood flow in patients suffering from cerebral vasospasm, after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage; 2) to evaluate the effect of the sympathetic block on the recovery of the neurological function.

Read the detailed description

Patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) and developing clinical manifestations of cerebral vasospasm will be transferred to the neuro-interventional radiology suite for vasospasm treatment. After the vasospasm is confirmed by the angiography followed by a flat panel-computed tomography perfusion (FP-CTP) scan, a cervical sympathetic nerve block under ultrasound guidance will be performed.

The block consists of the deposition of local anesthetic at the cervical sympathetic ganglion that will be visualized with an ultrasound device. The local anesthetic solution with be mixed with a radiographic contrast agent to check the spread of the injectate in the desired anatomical location. The spread of the local anesthetic will be assessed by performing an 8-second head/neck C-arm CT scan. Following the block, another run of angiography and a second FP-CTP will be repeated to assess changes in vessels diameter and in perfusion parameters following the sympathetic block.

Patients will have a daily monitoring of their neurological function and of their cerebral blood flow with transcranial doppler in the ICU.

At 12 months post-aSAH, the patients will complete neurological and neuropsychological assessments as a part of the standard of care. The results of these tests will be collected for analysis.

Being tested
Cervical sympathetic block
Keywords
regional anesthesia, cervical sympathectomy, cerebral blood flow
Medical subject headings
Vasospasm, Intracranial, Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Cervical sympathetic blockProcedure or surgery

    All participants will get the cervical sympathetic block and catheter under ultrasound guidance.

Study groups in NCT05230134
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Cervical sympathetic blockExperimentalPatients hospitalized in the ICU and developing clinical manifestations of cerebral vasospasm will be transferred to the neuro-interventional radiology suite for vasospasm treatment. After the vasospasm is confirmed by the angiography followed by a FP-CTP scan, a cervical sympathetic nerve block under ultrasound guidance will be performed. The block consists in the deposition of local anesthetic at the cervical sympathetic ganglion that will be visualized with an ultrasound device. The spread of the local anesthetic will be assessed by performing an 8-second head/neck C-arm CT scan. Another run of angiography and a second FP-CTP will be repeated to check the effect of the block on the brain vasculature after the block is done. Patients will have a daily monitoring of their neurological function and of their cerebral blood flow with transcranial doppler in the ICU.
Receives: Procedure: Cervical sympathetic block

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Cerebral blood flow

    Cerebral blood flow as measured by computed tomography perfusion

    Measured: 1 hour after the block

  2. Neurological function

    Change in neurological status as assessed by the Glasgow Coma Scale. The Glasgow Coma Scale score can range from 3 (completely unresponsive) to 15 (responsive).

    Measured: Duration of recovery in ICU (1-2 weeks)

Secondary outcomes (9)

  1. Cerebral blood flow velocity

    Transcranial doppler measurement

    Measured: Daily during recovery in ICU (1-2 weeks)

  2. Executive Functioning - Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST)

    Measures executive functioning, including cognitive flexibility and problem-solving. The number of categories completed and total errors will be converted to age-adjusted z-scores.

    Favorable outcome: z-score ≥ -1.0, unfavorable outcome: z-score < -1.0 (indicative of cognitive impairment in executive functioning).

    Measured: 12 months post-aSAH

  3. Processing Speed - Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT)

    Assesses visual scanning, tracking, and motor speed. Raw scores are adjusted for age and converted to z-scores. Favorable outcome: z-score ≥ -1.0, unfavorable outcome: z-score < -1.0

    Measured: 12 months post-aSAH

  4. Language - Boston Naming Test (BNT)

    Evaluates confrontational word retrieval and naming ability. Scores are standardized using age norms. Favorable outcome: z-score ≥ -1.0, unfavorable outcome: z-score < -1.0

    Measured: 12 months post-aSAH

  5. Verbal Fluency - FAS Test

    Tests lexical fluency by asking participants to generate words beginning with F, A, and S in a set time period. Z-scores are calculated from age-adjusted norms. Favorable outcome: z-score ≥ -1.0, unfavorable outcome: z-score < -1.0

    Measured: 12 months post-aSAH

  6. Memory - Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised (HVLT-R)

    Assesses verbal learning and memory, including immediate recall, delayed recall, and recognition. Performance is normed and converted into z-scores. Favorable outcome: z-score ≥ -1.0, unfavorable outcome: z-score < -1.0

    Measured: 12 months post-aSAH

  7. General mental status - Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)

    Screens for mild cognitive impairment across multiple cognitive domains. Raw scores range from 0 to 30. Favorable outcome: MoCA score ≥ 26, unfavorable outcome: MoCA score < 26 (suggestive of cognitive impairment).

    Measured: 12 months post-aSAH

  8. Functional disability - modified Rankin scale (mRS)

    Measurement of functional disability using mRS, categorized as favorable (0-3) or unfavorable (4-6), to assess long-term disability and its association with baseline perfusion.

    Measured: 12 months post-aSAH

  9. Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL, SF-36)

    HRQoL will be reported as standardized z-scores, with higher scores indicating better performance.

    Measured: 12 months post-aSAH

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted8 Feb 2022
  2. Study start27 Jul 2023
  3. Primary completionDec 2026 (estimated)
  4. Study completionDec 2026 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
10 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05230134
Sponsor's protocol ID
64105
Status last verified
Oct 2025
First submitted
19 Jan 2022
Last updated
20 Oct 2025
Results posted
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Hu N, Wu Y, Chen BZ, Han JF, Zhou MT. Protective effect of stellate ganglion block on delayed cerebral vasospasm in an experimental rat model of subarachnoid hemorrhage. Brain Res. 2014 Oct 17;1585:63-71. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.08.012. Epub 2014 Aug 13.

    PubMed 25128600

  • Dagistan Y, Kilinc E, Balci CN. Cervical sympathectomy modulates the neurogenic inflammatory neuropeptides following experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage in rats. Brain Res. 2019 Nov 1;1722:146366. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2019.146366. Epub 2019 Aug 8.

    PubMed 31401069

  • Treggiari MM, Romand JA, Martin JB, Reverdin A, Rufenacht DA, de Tribolet N. Cervical sympathetic block to reverse delayed ischemic neurological deficits after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Stroke. 2003 Apr;34(4):961-7. doi: 10.1161/01.STR.0000060893.72098.80. Epub 2003 Mar 20.

    PubMed 12649526

  • Zhang J, Nie Y, Pang Q, Zhang X, Wang Q, Tang J. Effects of stellate ganglion block on early brain injury in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage: a randomised control trial. BMC Anesthesiol. 2021 Jan 20;21(1):23. doi: 10.1186/s12871-020-01215-3.

    PubMed 33472582

  • Pileggi M, Mosimann PJ, Isalberti M, Piechowiak EI, Merlani P, Reinert M, Cianfoni A. Stellate ganglion block combined with intra-arterial treatment: a "one-stop shop" for cerebral vasospasm after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage-a pilot study. Neuroradiology. 2021 Oct;63(10):1701-1708. doi: 10.1007/s00234-021-02689-9. Epub 2021 Mar 16.

    PubMed 33725155

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Cervical sympathetic block in people with Anesthesia, Local and Cerebral Vasospasm, run by Stanford University at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: enrolling by invitation, as of the sponsor's last update on 20 Oct 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Cerebral blood flow (time frame: 1 hour after the block). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT05230134, which also lists 5 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 20 Oct 2025.

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