Description Module
The Description Module contains narrative descriptions of the clinical trial, including a brief summary and detailed description. These descriptions provide important information about the study's purpose, methodology, and key details in language accessible to both researchers and the general public.
Description Module path is as follows:
Study -> Protocol Section -> Description Module
Description Module
Ignite Creation Date:
2025-12-24 @ 11:46 AM
Ignite Modification Date:
2025-12-24 @ 11:46 AM
NCT ID:
NCT01949961
Brief Summary:
BACKGROUND: Thrombolytic drugs may dissolve blood vessel clots in acute ischemic stroke. The overall benefit of intravenous thrombolysis is substantial, but up to 2/3 of patients with large clots may not achieve re-opening of the vessel and up to 40% of the patients may remain severely disabled or die. Ultrasound accelerates clot break-up (lysis) when combined with thrombolysis (sonothrombolysis) and increases the likelihood of functional independence at 3 months. Adding intravenous ultrasound contrast (gaseous microspheres) further enhances the thrombolytic effect (contrast enhanced sonothrombolysis = CEST). Contrast enhanced ultrasound may also accelerate clot break-up in the absence of thrombolytic drugs (contrast enhanced sonolysis = CES).
HYPOTHESIS: Contrast enhanced ultrasound treatment administered within 4 1/2 hours after symptom onset may be given safely to patients with acute ischemic stroke, both to those receiving intravenous thrombolysis and those not receiving intravenous thrombolysis, and will improve clinical outcome.
AIMS: To compare efficacy and safety of contrast enhanced ultrasound treatment vs. no ultrasound treatment in patients with acute ischemic stroke receiving or not receiving intravenous thrombolysis.
STUDY ENDPOINTS: The primary endpoints are 1) neurological improvement at 24 hours (proof of concept) and 2) excellent clinical outcome at 3 months (effect). Secondary endpoints are bleeding complications (safety), brain damage (infarct size/location) and early clinical improvement (effect).
Detailed Description:
NOR-SASS aims at testing contrast enhanced sonothrombolysis in all patients with acute ischemic stroke. Patients eligible for thrombolysis (randomized tenecteplase or alteplase) are included in the NOR-SASS A sub-study, patients receiving standard (non-trial) thrombolysis with alteplase are included in the NOR-SASS B sub-study, and patients not eligible for thrombolysis are included in the NOR-SASS C sub-study.
DESIGN: NOR-SASS is a PROBE (prospective randomised, open-label, blinded endpoint) trial, designed to establish the superiority of contrast-enhanced ultrasound treatment given within 4½ hours after stroke onset in consecutively admitted patients with acute ischaemic stroke, as compared with 1) standard iv thrombolysis with tenecteplase (TNK) or alteplase (tPA) in patients eligible for thrombolytic treatment, and 2) no specific treatment in patients not eligible for thrombolytic treatment.
HYPOTHESIS: 1.) In patients eligible for intravenous thrombolysis, contrast enhanced sonothrombolysis (CEST) has superior effect as compared with standard intravenous thrombolysis and may be given safely. 2.) In patients not eligible for thrombolysis, contrast enhanced sonolysis (CES) has superior effect as compared with no specific treatment and may be given safely.
RANDOMISATION: In NOR-SASS-A (two step randomisation), 1st randomisation is 1:1 to either tenecteplase (TNK) or alteplase (tPA); 2nd randomisation is 1:1 to either CEST or no CEST. In NOR-SASS-B, randomisation is 1:1 to either CEST or no CEST. In NOR-SASS-C, randomisation is 1:1 to either CES or no CES.
Study:
NCT01949961
Study Brief:
Protocol Section:
NCT01949961