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StrokeNCT07844109

Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein Testing and Handheld Near Infrared Spectroscopy Technology CEREBO in India.

A study testing GFAP/D-Dimer Point-of-Care Testing & CEREBO Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) and CT Head in people with Stroke, run by Christian Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, India at 2 sites in India.

Not yet recruiting

Opening soon. The study is approved but enrolment has not started yet. Sites may already take enquiries.

Sites and contacts
Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

CEREBO is an ICMR award winning point-of-care (POC) adjunct CT scanning device for detecting brain hematomas in patients with head injury. The study aims to validate the diagnostic accuracy of the PREDICT Assessment Model (CEREBO-NIRS plus GFAP/D-Dimer POC Assay) in patients with suspected stroke. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 99 years
Conditions the study is for
Stroke
What is being tested?
GFAP/D-Dimer Point-of-Care Testing & CEREBO Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) and CT Head
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
232 participants
Where
2 sitesIndia
Study dates
1 Sep 2027to 30 Aug 2031
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 to 99 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Adult patients of any gender ≥18 years with clinically suspected stroke
  • Transported by ambulance or presenting directly to ED of participating hospitals
  • Time from symptom onset/ Lost known well time (within 24 hours)
  • Consent provided by patient/ next of kin
  • Adult patients of any gender ≥18 years with clinically suspected stroke
  • Transported by ambulance to ED of participating hospitals
Show all 9Show fewer
  • Time from symptom onset/ Last well known time (≤ 24 hours)
  • NIHSS ≥ 5
  • Consent provided by patient/ next of kin

Who cannot join

  • Patients with known pre-existing neurological conditions that may confound diagnosis (Concurrent traumatic brain injury, recent TBI in last 3months, IS/ICH in last 3 months, Diagnosis of brain tumour/SOL)
  • Patients with known medical condition with estimated life expectancy ≤ 3 months
  • Those refusing consent
  • Phase 2
  • Patients with known pre-existing neurological conditions that may confound diagnosis (Concurrent traumatic brain injury, recent TBI in last 3months, IS/ ICH in last 3 months, Diagnosis of brain tumour/ SOL)
  • Patients with known medical condition with estimated life expectancy ≤ 3 months
  • Those refusing consent

Trial locations and contacts

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

Dr Ivy A Sebastian contact

09592588138

ivy29cmc@gmail.com

Dr Jeyaraj D Pandian, MD DM contact

9915784750

jeyarajpandian@hotmail.com

India2 sites
  • Christian Medical College and Hospital

    Ludhiana, Punjab, 141008

    Dr Ivy A Sebastian, 9999464986, ivy29cmc@gmail.com

  • Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research Puducherry JIPMER

    Puducherry, Puducherry, 605006

    Dr Manu Ayyan, 9846556133, manuayyan@hotmail.com

Other trials in India

About this study

Official title: Prehospital Rapid Evaluation and Detection in Cerebrovascular Triage: A Multicenter Study of Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein Point of Care Testing and Handheld Near Infrared Spectroscopy Technology CEREBO in India.

CEREBO is an ICMR award winning point-of-care (POC) adjunct CT scanning device for detecting brain hematomas in patients with head injury. The study aims to validate the diagnostic accuracy of the PREDICT Assessment Model (CEREBO-NIRS plus GFAP/D-Dimer POC Assay) in patients with suspected stroke. The study will be conducted as part of the Indian Council of Medical Research's National Health Research Priority (ICMR-NHRP) under the INDIA-EMS project using a two phase design.

PHASE I: Validation of a diagnostic accuracy and feasbility of PREDICT assessment model (a combined approach using GFAP/ D-dimer POC lateral flow assay plus CEREBO-NIRS technology).

Read more

Study Design: Prospective, Multicenter, Validation and Feasibility Study.

PHASE II: Pilot RCT to assess integration of the PREDICT assessment model into pre-hospital pathways.

Study Design: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) (Year 3-5)

Read the detailed description

This study, titled "Prehospital Rapid Evaluation and Detection in Cerebrovascular Triage: A Multicenter Study of Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein Point-of-Care Testing and Handheld Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Technology (CEREBO) in India," aims to validate the PREDICT Assessment Model, which combines GFAP/D-Dimer point-of-care testing with handheld CEREBO Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) technology for the rapid differentiation of ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage in the prehospital setting.

The study will be conducted under the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) National Health Research Priority (NHRP) programme as part of the INDIA-EMS project and will use a two-phase design. Phase I is a prospective, multicenter validation and feasibility study involving patients with suspected acute stroke presenting by ambulance or directly to the emergency department. Participants will undergo clinical assessment, including BE-FAST and neurological assessment, finger-prick blood testing for GFAP/D-Dimer, and CEREBO-NIRS assessment. All participants will subsequently undergo standard diagnostic evaluation with a CT head scan, which will serve as the gold standard for stroke subtype classification. The diagnostic accuracy, feasibility, process times, and safety of the combined PREDICT Assessment Model will be evaluated.

Phase II will be a pilot randomized controlled trial evaluating the integration of the PREDICT Assessment Model into prehospital stroke pathways. Ambulance services within the catchment areas of CMC Ludhiana and JIPMER Puducherry will be randomized to intervention or control groups. In the intervention group, ambulance personnel will use GFAP/D-Dimer testing and CEREBO-NIRS technology to support prehospital stroke classification and triage, in coordination with the on-call stroke team. The control group will receive standard care, including transport to the hospital for CT-based diagnosis and subsequent treatment decisions.

The primary objective of the study is to validate the diagnostic accuracy and feasibility of the combined GFAP/D-Dimer and CEREBO-NIRS approach and to assess its potential impact on prehospital stroke triage. Phase II will additionally assess the effect of the intervention on the time from ambulance dispatch to initiation of stroke-specific treatment. Secondary outcomes include functional outcome at 90 days measured by the modified Rankin Scale, in-hospital mortality, and adverse events.

Conditions
Stroke
Being tested
GFAP/D-Dimer Point-of-Care Testing & CEREBO Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS), CT Head
Keywords
Acute stroke, Ischemic stroke, Intracerebral hemorrhage, Prehospital stroke triage, GFAP, D-Dimer, CEREBO, Near-Infrared Spectroscopy, PREDICT Assessment Model, Point-of-Care Testing, Stroke classification, Stroke diagnosis
Medical subject headings
Stroke, Ischemic Stroke, Cerebral Hemorrhage

What participants receive

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

  • GFAP/D-Dimer Point-of-Care Testing & CEREBO Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS)Diagnostic test

    A finger-prick blood sample will be obtained from patients with suspected acute stroke and tested using a GFAP/D-Dimer lateral flow assay. The test will provide rapid biomarker results to support differentiation between ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage in the prehospital setting and The handheld CEREBO-NIRS device will be applied non-invasively to the patient's scalp to detect intracranial hematoma by assessing asymmetry in near-infrared optical density. The findings will be recorded and used as part of the PREDICT Assessment Model for stroke subtype classification.

  • CT HeadDiagnostic test

    Standard care CT head imaging

Study groups in NCT07844109
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
PREDICT Assessment ModelExperimentalAmbulances in the intervention group will use the GFAP/D-Dimer point-of-care test and CEREBO Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) technology to classify suspected acute stroke in the prehospital setting. Patients suspected of ischemic stroke and large vessel occlusion will be rapidly triaged to a comprehensive stroke centre, while patients suspected of intracerebral hemorrhage will receive stringent blood pressure control in the ambulance according to established protocols. Decision-making will be undertaken in conjunction with the on-call stroke team through the PREDICT App.
Receives: Diagnostic Test: GFAP/D-Dimer Point-of-Care Testing & CEREBO Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS)
Standard CareActive comparatorAmbulances in the control group will follow standard care procedures, including rapid transport of patients to the hospital for CT head imaging, followed by treatment decisions based on the CT findings.
Receives: Diagnostic Test: CT Head

What is being measured

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

  1. PREDICT assessment model

    (Phase 1) Sensitivity and Specificity and PREDICT assessment model. Accurate identification of ICH >90% using PREDICT model.

    Measured: 30 mins

  2. Time for Device Application by Paramedics

    (Phase 1) The time taken by paramedics/ ED personnel to apply the CEREBO NIRS device and obtain GFAP/D Dimer results. Lesser time indicates good outcome.

    Measured: 30 mins

  3. Treatment initiation

    (Phase 2) Time from Ambulance dispatch to initiation of stroke-specific treatment (Triage to Stroke ready centre or rapid BP control). Lesser time indicates better outcome.

    Measured: 30 mins

Secondary outcomes (6)
  1. Inter-Center Variability

    (Phase 1) Comparison of diagnostic accuracy and feasibility metrics between CMC Ludhiana and JIPMER Puducherry to assess consistency across centres. More consistency indicates good outcome.

    Measured: 2 years

  2. Correlation with Gold Standard

    (Phase 1) Agreement between the PREDICT assessment model and the CT head scan diagnosis (the gold standard). More correlation indicates better outcome.

    Measured: 2 years

  3. Safety Metrics

    Phase 1 Documentation of adverse events related to the testing procedure. Fewer events indicate a better outcome.

    Measured: 2 years

  4. modified Rankin Scale

    Phase 2 Functional outcome at 90 days Lower score (0-3) indicates good outcome

    Measured: 90 days

  5. In-hospital mortality

    Phase 2 In-hospital mortality. Lesser mortality indicates better outcome

    Measured: 7 days

  6. Adverse events

    Phase 2 Incidence of adverse events (e.g., symptomatic ICH). Lesser events indicate better outcome.

    Measured: 90 days

Timeline

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

  1. First posted28 Sep 2026
  2. Study start1 Sep 2027 (estimated)
  3. Primary completion30 Aug 2031 (estimated)
  4. Study completion30 Aug 2031 (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
Diagnosis
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
Phase I Suspected stroke patients will undergo CEREBRO NIRS assessment during ambulance transport or upon arrival in the CMC, Ludhiana emergency department. CT imaging will serve as the gold standard reference. Phase II Ambulance services within the catchment areas of Christian Medical College (CMC), Ludhiana and JIPMER, Puducherry will be randomized into two parallel groups: an intervention group using the PREDICT Assessment Model (GFAP/D-Dimer point-of-care testing plus CEREBO Near-Infrared Spectroscopy) and a control group receiving standard prehospital stroke care and transport for CT-based diagnosis. Randomization will occur centrally at the command center using a computer-generated randomization sequence with allocation concealment.
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
232 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07844109
Sponsor's protocol ID
PREDICT INDIA-EMS
Status last verified
Sep 2026
First submitted
26 Aug 2026
Last updated
28 Sep 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No: The study protocol does not currently specify a plan for sharing individual participant data (IPD) with other researchers. Any future IPD sharing will be considered in accordance with applicable ethical, regulatory, and data-protection requirements.

Publications

  • Berkowitz AL. Managing acute stroke in low-resource settings. Bull World Health Organ. 2016 Jul 1;94(7):554-6. doi: 10.2471/BLT.15.162610. Epub 2016 Jun 2. No abstract available.

    PubMed 27429496
  • Abraham SV, Joy A, Sahu AK, Ravindra P, Dhar S, Teja R, Krishnan SV, Liu R, Rudd AG, Ford GA. Barriers to Effective Prehospital and Hyperacute Stroke Care in India: A Physician Perspective. J Emerg Trauma Shock. 2024 Jul-Sep;17(3):129-135. doi: 10.4103/jets.jets_156_23. Epub 2024 Aug 30.

    PubMed 39552827
  • Ma L, Hu X, Song L, Chen X, Ouyang M, Billot L, Li Q, Malavera A, Li X, Munoz-Venturelli P, de Silva A, Thang NH, Wahab KW, Pandian JD, Wasay M, Pontes-Neto OM, Abanto C, Arauz A, Shi H, Tang G, Zhu S, She X, Liu L, Sakamoto Y, You S, Han Q, Crutzen B, Cheung E, Li Y, Wang X, Chen C, Liu F, Zhao Y, Li H, Liu Y, Jiang Y, Chen L, Wu B, Liu M, Xu J, You C, Anderson CS; INTERACT3 Investigators. The third Intensive Care Bundle with Blood Pressure Reduction in Acute Cerebral Haemorrhage Trial (INTERACT3): an international, stepped wedge cluster randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2023 Jul 1;402(10395):27-40. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)00806-1. Epub 2023 May 25.

    PubMed 37245517
  • Palaniswami M, Yan B. Mechanical Thrombectomy Is Now the Gold Standard for Acute Ischemic Stroke: Implications for Routine Clinical Practice. Interv Neurol. 2015 Oct;4(1-2):18-29. doi: 10.1159/000438774. Epub 2015 Sep 18.

    PubMed 26600793
  • Ren C, Kobeissy F, Alawieh A, Li N, Li N, Zibara K, Zoltewicz S, Guingab-Cagmat J, Larner SF, Ding Y, Hayes RL, Ji X, Mondello S. Assessment of Serum UCH-L1 and GFAP in Acute Stroke Patients. Sci Rep. 2016 Apr 14;6:24588. doi: 10.1038/srep24588.

    PubMed 27074724
  • Ramos-Pachon A, Lopez-Cancio E, Bustamante A, Perez de la Ossa N, Millan M, Hernandez-Perez M, Garcia-Berrocoso T, Cardona P, Rubiera M, Serena J, Ustrell X, Garces M, Terceno M, Davalos A, Montaner J. D-Dimer as Predictor of Large Vessel Occlusion in Acute Ischemic Stroke. Stroke. 2021 Mar;52(3):852-858. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.120.031657. Epub 2021 Feb 10.

    PubMed 33563016
  • Kalra LP, Khatter H, Ramanathan S, Sapehia S, Devi K, Kaliyaperumal A, Bal D, Sebastian I, Kakarla R, Singhania A, Rathore S, Klinsing S, Pandian JD, Foerch C. Serum GFAP for stroke diagnosis in regions with limited access to brain imaging (BE FAST India). Eur Stroke J. 2021 Jun;6(2):176-184. doi: 10.1177/23969873211010069. Epub 2021 May 11.

    PubMed 34414293
  • Gaude E, Murphy D, Gerstl JVE, Kappel AD, Dmytriw AA, Nawabi NLA, Izzy S, Guardia REA, Vicenty-Padilla JC, Gropen T, Patel NJ, Liebeskind DS, Siddiqui AH, See AP, Aziz-Sultan MA, Bernstock JD. Detection of GFAP and D-Dimer in a Point-of-Care Test for Large Vessel Occlusion Ischemic Stroke. Stroke Vasc Interv Neurol. 2025 Jan 11;5(2):e001559. doi: 10.1161/SVIN.124.001559. eCollection 2025 Mar.

    PubMed 41573178

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing GFAP/D-Dimer Point-of-Care Testing & CEREBO Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) and CT Head in people with Stroke, run by Christian Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, India at 2 sites in India.

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 9 inclusion and 7 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: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 28 Sep 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 2 sites in India. 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?

Contact Dr Ivy A Sebastian (09592588138, ivy29cmc@gmail.com), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

PREDICT assessment model (time frame: 30 mins). The study lists 3 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 NCT07844109, which also lists 8 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 28 Sep 2026.

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