Clinical Research Directory

Florida Cerebrovascular Disease Biorepository and Genomics Center

The purpose of this study is to create a state-wide biorepository and resource center for cerebrovascular diseases in Florida, which will include collecting medical history information and blood from subjects affected by cerebrovascular disease. The information and blood samples collected may be used in future research for the study of cerebrovascular disease and to learn about, prevent or treat other health problems.

Clinical Impact of Using IMPROVE to Select Patients for Carotid Revascularisation

Narrowing of the carotid artery due to atherosclerosis with an unstable plaque can cause a stroke. Patients with carotid artery disease who have had a TIA or minor stroke and are at high risk of another stroke are often treated with surgery or stenting to remove the plaque. For lower-risk patients, medication alone is the better option, as surgery also carries risks. A new decision method, based on MRI detection of unstable plaques (IMPROVE), can better assess stroke risk and help determine which patients do or do not need surgery. We are investigating whether this method is at least as effective as the standard approach, which mainly considers the degree of narrowing. We expect that this new method will help reduce strokes and lower healthcare costs. Patients will be followed for several years to compare which method is better for health and costs.

Correlation Between Carotid Stump Pressure and Interhemispheric rSO₂ Asymmetry During Awake Carotid Endarterectomy

This study aims to better understand how well the brain is perfused (supplied with blood and oxygen) during a specific type of surgery called carotid endarterectomy (CEA), which is performed to prevent strokes in people with stenosis of carotid arteries. During this surgery, the surgeon temporarily clamps the carotid artery to remove a blockage, which can reduce blood flow to the brain. Monitoring brain oxygen levels during this time is important to prevent brain injury. Two common monitoring methods are: Stump pressure (SP) - a pressure measurement taken from the carotid artery during surgery. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) - a non-invasive technique that tracks brain oxygen levels in real time. This study focuses on the relationship between carotid stump pressure and differences in brain oxygenation between the two sides of the brain (interhemispheric asymmetry), as measured by NIRS. The study will include patients undergoing awake CEA (under regional anesthesia) at a single center university hospital. Oxygen levels in both hemispheres of the brain will be monitored before and after the carotid artery is clamped after 3 minutes. Stump pressure will also be measured. The researchers will examine whether low stump pressure is linked to greater differences in brain oxygen levels between the two sides. The primary goal is to determine whether a large difference in brain oxygenation between the two hemispheres (greater than 10%) is associated with low carotid stump pressure. Secondary goals include identifying a stump pressure threshold that predicts significant asymmetry and analyzing the influence of patient and surgical factors. The findings may help improve how surgeons and anesthesiologists monitor and protect the brain during CEA, particularly in patients who are awake and can be observed for neurological changes.

NON CANONICAL ACTIVATION OF BOOD COAGULATION

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the major cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide and most of them are characterized by enhanced generation of active -thrombin (T) from the inactive Prothrombin zymogen (ProT), a reaction catalysed by factor Xa. CVD may be idiopathic, but also appear as the expression of thrombotic complications occurring with variable incidence and severity in different (apparently unrelated) diseases, such as for instance Type-2 Diabetes (T2D) , Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) , Cancer , rheumatoid (RA) arthritis , autoimmune diseases such as the AntiPhospholipid Syndrome (APS), bacterial and viral infectious diseases, and amyloid-related diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, IgG light-chain amyloidosis and human transthyretin (hTTR) Senile Systemic Amyloidosis.This Project aims at combining different and complementary expertise with the general purpose of identifying new pathogenetic mechanisms for CVD and explored the possibility to devise novel and more effective therapeutic strategies.