Clinical trial NCT04439760: Superior Cervical Ganglion Block, Transcranial Doppler
Official title: Efficacy of Superior Cervical Ganglion (SCG) Block on the Incidence and Severity of Vasospasm After Middle Cerebral Artery (MCA)Aneurysmal Surgery Using Transcranial Doppler(TCD). A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Brain Aneurysm
Aneurysm, Ruptured
Keywords: middle cerebral artery
Lead sponsor: Kasr El Aini Hospital
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2020-06-19
Enrollment: 36
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 70
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Brief summary: The aim of this study is to assess blood flow velocity in middle cerebral artery measured by transcranial doppler to determine the efficacy of SCG block in decreasing incidence or severity of vasospasm after MCA aneurysm surgery.

Detailed description: Sympathetic innervation to the face and head is by superior cervical ganglion(SCG), which is the most cranial part of the sympathetic chain. It is suited in a plication of the prevertebral fascia anterior to the longuscapitis muscle and dorsal to the internal carotid artery, posteromedial to the vagus nerve at c3 level. It's mainly located at the level of the transverse processes of the second and third cervical vertebrae. However, it may reach caudally to the upper border of the fourth cervical vertebra.

Noradrenergic sympathetic nerve fibers mainly originating in the superior cervical ganglion, accompanying the carotid artery supply cerebral vasculature particularly the pial vessels.

Superior cervical ganglion block was previously tried in managing neuropathic pain, neuropathic pain in head and face region was investigated in patients using ganglionic local opioid analgesia (GLOA) at the superior cervical ganglion (SCG) ,The short-term analgesic effect of the first blockade by GLOA was significant with a mean pain reduction of 52% (p \< 0.001).

Superior cervical ganglion block also used as an alternative treatment to tinnitus not responding to conventional therapy, it increases cholear blood flow and this can explain the efficacy of block.

Superior cervical ganglion block was used to improve cerebral perfusion in patients with cerebral vasospasm after aSAH.

Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) may develop vasospasm in 70% of patients. Morphological changes occur in the cerebral vessels after SAH, and the inflammatory response and local chemical agents are responsible for the induction of vasospasm.

Vasospasm is rare in the first 3 days after SAH, it reaches peak incidence at 7 to10 days and usually resolves by 10 to14 days after SAH.

The sympathetic system also has a role in the pathogenesis of this process, cervical sympathetic stimulation leads to constriction in intracerebral vessels and dilation occurs when these fibers are interrupted. Efflux and reuptake of the neurotransmitter may be prevented by sympathectomy.

Common treatments to reduce vasospasm include ;triple H therapy (hypertension ,hypervolemia and hemodilution), intraarterial infusion of Smooth muscle relaxants (papaverine, Verapamil) and endovascular balloon angioplasty . Also (nimodipine) calcium channel blocker administration is used as a prophylactic measures.

Transcranial doppler (TCD) is a non-invasive technique which can be used to observe velocity, direction and properties of blood flow in the cerebral arteries by means of a pulsed ultrasonic beam, based on the Doppler effect of ultrasounds concerning frequency variations in sound waves as a result of relative motion between source and signal receiver. It was previously used in traumatic brain injury(TBI),stroke, anesthesia and intensive care.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Patients aged from 18 to 70 years.
* Genders eligible for study: both sexes.
* ASA I-II.
* GCS (13-15)

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patient refusal
* Contraindications to regional anesthesia (Bleeding disorders, Use of any anti-coagulants, local infection).
* Known allergy to local anesthetics.
* ASA III-IV.
* Patients aged less than 18 or more than 70.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change from baseline Blood flow velocity in middle cerebral artery measured by transcranial doppler (TCD)
timeFrame: The day before surgery (TCD0), Postoperative at day 3 and day 7 (TCD3 & TCD7)
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Incidence or severity of MCA postoperative spasm over 14 days.
timeFrame: within 14 days
measure: Change from baseline heart rate
timeFrame: Baseline (Before surgery) ,after induction the block and at the end of surgery
measure: Change from baseline mean arterial blood pressure
timeFrame: Baseline (Before surgery) ,after induction the block and at the end of surgery
measure: Change from baseline oxygen saturation (Sao2)
timeFrame: Baseline (Before surgery) ,after induction the block and at the end of surgery
measure: Incidence of complications (Nerve injury, Hematoma formation, LA toxicity, Sensory or motor deficit, respiratory depression).
timeFrame: within 14 days
measure: Glasgow coma scale
timeFrame: Baseline (Preopetative), at day 3 and day 7
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Cairo
country: Egypt
facility: kasr Al Ainy hospital
Study officials:
affiliation: Kasr El Aini Hospital
name: Fatma Salman, Master
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Siegenthaler A, Haug M, Eichenberger U, Suter MR, Moriggl B. Block of the superior cervical ganglion, description of a novel ultrasound-guided technique in human cadavers. Pain Med. 2013 May;14(5):646-9. doi: 10.1111/pme.12061. Epub 2013 Feb 25.
citation: Tuor UI. Local distribution of the effects of sympathetic stimulation on cerebral blood flow in the rat. Brain Res. 1990 Oct 8;529(1-2):224-31. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(90)90831-u.
citation: Kurth CD, Wagerle LC, Delivoria-Papadopoulos M. Sympathetic regulation of cerebral blood flow during seizures in newborn lambs. Am J Physiol. 1988 Sep;255(3 Pt 2):H563-8. doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.1988.255.3.H563.
citation: Koning HM, Dyrbye BA, van Hemert FJ. Percutaneous Radiofrequency Lesion of the Superior Cervical Sympathetic Ganglion in Patients with Tinnitus. Pain Pract. 2016 Nov;16(8):994-1000. doi: 10.1111/papr.12348. Epub 2015 Aug 27.
citation: Rumalla K, Smith KA, Arnold PM, Mittal MK. Subarachnoid Hemorrhage and Readmissions: National Rates, Causes, Risk Factors, and Outcomes in 16,001 Hospitalized Patients. World Neurosurg. 2018 Feb;110:e100-e111. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2017.10.089. Epub 2017 Oct 26.
citation: Sharma AK, Bathala L, Batra A, Mehndiratta MM, Sharma VK. Transcranial Doppler: Techniques and advanced applications: Part 2. Ann Indian Acad Neurol. 2016 Jan-Mar;19(1):102-7. doi: 10.4103/0972-2327.173407.