SEarchiNg biomarkErs Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (SENECA)

Study Overview
=================
Brief Summary
-----------------
Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is one of the major types of cerebral small vessel disease, and a leading cause of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage and cognitive decline in elderly patients. Although increasingly detected, a number of aspects including the pathophysiology, the clinical and neuroradiological phenotype and the disease course are still under investigation. The incomplete knowledge of the disease limits the implementation of evidence based guidelines on patient's clinical management and the development of treatments able to prevent or reduce disease progression. The SENECA (SEarchiNg biomarkErs of Cerebral Angiopathy) project is the first Italian multicentre cohort study aimed at better defining the disease natural history and identifying clinical and neuroradiological markers of disease progression. By a multidisciplinary approach and the collection of a large and well phenotyped series and biorepository of CAA patients, the study is ultimately expected to improve the diagnosis and the knowledge of CAA pathophysiological mechanisms.

Detailed Description
-----------------
The SENECA is an Italian multicenter network integrating the experience of neurologists, neuroradiologists, neuro-ophthalmologists and biologists and allowing the standardized collection of a well-characterized wide series of sporadic and familial CAA patients.

Official Title
-----------------
SEarchiNg biomarkErs Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (SENECA): Italian Network for the Study of CAA

Conditions
-----------------
Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy

Intervention / Treatment
-----------------
* Other: CAA patients data collection


Participation Criteria
=================
Eligibility Criteria
-----------------
Inclusion Criteria: All consecutive patients ≥55 years (with the exception of genetic cases), referred to the participating centres, with a diagnosis of possible probable and definite symptomatic or asymptomatic CAA, defined according to the modified Boston neuroradiological criteria, who had undergone at least one brain MRI (mandatory requirement for inclusion of the patient in the study) will be recruited. Exclusion Criteria: evidence of other causes of cerebral hemorrhage (brain tumors, arteriovenous malformations, aneurysms, cavernous angiomas), contraindications to brain MRI, pregnancy and breastfeeding

Ages Eligible for Study
-----------------
Minimum Age: 55 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
-----------------
All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
-----------------
No

Study Plan
=================
How is the study designed?
-----------------

Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA)<br>Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) patients | Other: CAA patients data collection<br>* Demographic and clinical data of each patient, including index event that led to the diagnosis (cerebrovascular disease, dementia, gait disturbance, TFNE, seizures, headache), vascular risk factors, history of brain injury or neurosurgery, familial history, and pharmacological treatment will be collected by neurologists in charge.<br>* Other names: Prognostic factors evaluation;|

What is the study measuring?
-----------------
Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Clinical and neuroradiological phenotype | description of the phenotypic characteristics of a large population of CAA patients collected in Italy | 24 months | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| severity of the neuroradiological picture | Evaluation of the severity of the neuroradiological picture (presence and site of WMHs, CMBs, cSS, CMIs, EPVS ,global cortical atrophy and SAH) | 24 months |