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Cardiac CT Angiography in Acute Stroke Imaging (SCOPE-CT)
Sponsor: Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Summary
Stroke can occur when a blood clot travels to the brain and blocks blood flow. In some patients, these blood clots may originate in the heart. Standard emergency stroke imaging typically includes a CT scan of the head and CT angiography (CTA) of the head and neck, but does not routinely include imaging of the heart. This study will evaluate whether cardiac CT angiography (CTA) can be safely added to the standard acute stroke imaging workflow without delaying urgent stroke care. Participants with suspected acute ischemic stroke or high-risk transient ischemic attack (TIA) will undergo either prospective ECG-gated cardiac CTA or non-ECG-gated cardiac CTA during their acute stroke imaging examination. The primary goal of the study is to assess the feasibility of integrating cardiac CTA into routine stroke imaging by evaluating workflow impact, image quality, radiation exposure, contrast use, and protocol completion. Findings from this study may help improve the identification of cardiac sources of stroke and inform the design of future larger studies.
Official title: SCOPE-CT Pilot: Feasibility of Integrating ECG-Gated and Non-ECG-Gated Cardiac CT Angiography Into the Acute Stroke Imaging Workflow
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - Any
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
50
Start Date
2026-10-26
Completion Date
2027-12-31
Last Updated
2026-10-27
Healthy Volunteers
No
Interventions
Cardiac CT Angiography
Cardiac CT angiography performed during acute stroke imaging using prospective ECG triggering to synchronize image acquisition with the cardiac cycle. This approach is intended to improve visualization of cardiac structures, including the left atrial appendage and left ventricle, while minimizing radiation exposure. The study will evaluate the feasibility of integrating this imaging protocol into the acute stroke workflow. Cardiac CT angiography performed during acute stroke imaging without ECG synchronization. This approach extends the standard stroke CT angiography acquisition to include the heart and thoracic aorta with minimal additional imaging time. The study will evaluate the feasibility, image quality, workflow impact, and diagnostic performance of this imaging protocol within the acute stroke workflow.
Locations (1)
The Ottawa Hospital
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada