Condition

Hydrocephalus clinical trials and research

• 20Clinical trials
• 60NIH research projects
• 8Countries

Newest Hydrocephalus clinical trials

All recruiting trials (20)

• Wearable sensor to detect CSF flow in shunt tubing

  This will test a small, wireless skin sensor to see if it can detect cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow through implanted shunts in children and adults with stable hydrocephalus.

  Recruiting Rhaeos, Inc. · Peoria, Illinois · NCT07478926

• CSF lactate and other biomarkers in patients with an external ventricular drain after acute brain injury

  This project will test whether changes in cerebrospinal fluid lactate and other blood/CSF biomarkers can help detect ventriculostomy-associated infection in adults with acute brain injury who have an external ventricular drain.

  Recruiting Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet · Copenhagen · NCT07380477

• See if a wireless thermal device can measure CSF shunt flow during daily activities and sleep

  A wireless thermal device is being tested to see if it can non-invasively monitor CSF shunt flow in people with hydrocephalus during everyday activities and sleep.

  Recruiting at 2 sites Rhaeos, Inc. · Chicago, Illinois and 1 other locations · NCT07050628

• Evaluating a device for measuring cerebrospinal fluid flow and headaches

  This study is testing a new device that measures the flow of cerebrospinal fluid in people with hydrocephalus to see if it can help understand their headaches better.

  Recruiting Rhaeos, Inc. · Chicago, Illinois · NCT06996600

• Understanding brain and heart injuries after bleeding in the brain

  This study looks at how bleeding in the brain affects both the brain and the heart in adults to better understand the connection between these injuries.

  Recruiting Beijing Tiantan Hospital · Beijing, Beijing Municipality · NCT06906432

• Light therapy for severe neonatal brain bleeding

  This study is testing if a special light therapy can help newborns with severe brain bleeding feel better and develop normally over time.

  Recruiting at 2 sites Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey · Newark, New Jersey and 1 other locations · NCT06797219

• Evaluating outcomes in neurosurgery using standardized measures

  This study is trying to see how different factors affect the results of brain surgeries by collecting information from patients before and after their operations.

  Recruiting at 11 sites Fondazione I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta · Bergamo, BG and 26 other locations · NCT06724029

• Investigating the link between early high blood sugar and shunt dependency after brain hemorrhage

  This study is trying to see if high blood sugar levels in patients with a brain hemorrhage affect their need for a special drainage device after treatment.

  Recruiting at 3 sites Cantonal Hospital of St. Gallen · Aarau and 2 other locations · NCT06486909

• Understanding the clinical outcomes of idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus

  This study is trying to learn more about idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus and its progression by looking at different tests and samples from people with the condition to help improve diagnosis and treatment.

  Recruiting Xuanwu Hospital, Beijing · Beijing, Beijing Municipality · NCT06428734

• Non-invasive measurement of brain pressure in patients with traumatic brain injury

  This study is testing a new non-invasive device to measure brain pressure in patients with traumatic brain injury to see if it can replace the need for more risky surgical methods.

  Recruiting at 13 sites CoMind Technologies Limited · Phoenix, Arizona and 16 other locations · NCT06368648

• Evaluating the safety of Bactiseal Catheters in hydrocephalus patients

  This study is trying to see if the Bactiseal catheter, used for managing hydrocephalus, is safe and helps prevent infections in patients who had it implanted.

  Recruiting at 4 sites Integra LifeSciences Corporation · Beijing, Beijing Municipality and 7 other locations · NCT06276543

• Ultrasound-guided placing of an external ventricular drain

  This trial tests whether the SOLOPASS US-guided system can accurately place an external ventricular drain in adults with hydrocephalus.

  Recruiting Milton S. Hershey Medical Center · Hershey, Pennsylvania · NCT06253858

• Measuring cerebrospinal fluid flow in shunts using a wireless device

  This study tests a new wireless device that patients with ventricular shunts can wear to see how well their cerebrospinal fluid is flowing over 30 days.

  Recruiting at 3 sites Rhaeos, Inc. · Tampa, Florida and 3 other locations · NCT06086561

• Assessing the usability of wireless thermal devices for hydrocephalus management

  This study is testing a new wireless device that measures fluid flow in people with hydrocephalus to see how easy it is to use and understand.

  Recruiting Rhaeos, Inc. · Chicago, Illinois · NCT06040697

• Investigating early signs of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus

  This study is trying to see if special brain scans and tests on spinal fluid and blood can help predict how Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus develops in people who have early signs, those with symptoms, and healthy individuals over five years.

  Recruiting at 2 sites Uppsala University Hospital · Kuopio and 6 other locations · NCT05910944

• Wireless monitoring of cerebrospinal fluid flow in hydrocephalus patients

  This study is testing a new wireless device that helps monitor fluid flow in the brains of people with hydrocephalus to see if it can improve their care and reduce hospital visits.

  Recruiting Baylor College of Medicine · Houston, Texas · NCT05546996

• Using antibiotics with external ventricular drains to prevent infections

  This study tests whether giving antibiotics for 24 hours or for the whole time a patient has an external ventricular drain can help prevent infections in people with brain bleeding.

  Recruiting Phase 1 Montefiore Medical Center · The Bronx, New York · NCT05001750

• Evaluating the Polaris® 24 Valve System for Hydrocephalus Treatment

  This study is testing a new adjustable valve system for treating hydrocephalus to see how safe and effective it is for patients who have received it.

  Recruiting at 2 sites Sophysa · Marseille and 1 other locations · NCT04746625

• Evaluating brain fluid movement using MRI

  This study is testing if MRI can help see how cerebrospinal fluid moves in the brain to better understand conditions like hydrocephalus and Alzheimer's disease.

  Recruiting Mayo Clinic · Rochester, Minnesota · NCT04099823

• Monitoring brain blood flow and oxygen in premature infants

  This study is trying to see if monitoring blood flow and oxygen in the brains of premature infants with certain types of brain bleeding can help doctors understand how serious their condition is and how well treatments are working.

  Recruiting Boston Children's Hospital · Boston, Massachusetts and 2 other locations · NCT02601339

NIH-funded research (newest 40 of 60)

Early-stage science funded by the US National Institutes of Health. Most of these projects don't enroll patients, but they show what is being worked on.

• Targeting the brain’s fluid system to treat post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus

  This grant explores a new approach to treating post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus by studying how the brain’s fluid system and immune cells manage CSF after a brain bleed.

  NIH research Boston Children's Hospital · Boston, United States · NIH-11617794

• Endoscopic versus Shunt Treatment of Hydrocephalus in Infants

  A study compares two treatments for hydrocephalus in infants to see which keeps babies cognitively on par with the standard shunt treatment.

  NIH research Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah · Salt Lake City, United States · NIH-11608585

• Endoscopic treatment versus shunt for hydrocephalus in infants

  This project tests whether a shunt-free endoscopic procedure can be as good as traditional shunting for babies with hydrocephalus.

  NIH research Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah · Salt Lake City, United States · NIH-11608584

• Endoscopic treatment vs shunt for infant hydrocephalus

  Infants with hydrocephalus may be treated with a shunt or a shunt-free procedure called ETV+CPC, and this study compares the two to see if the shunt-free option can keep cognitive outcomes similar.

  NIH research Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah · Salt Lake City, United States · NIH-11608583

• Functional screen of hydrocephalus and heart-disease genes in a frog model

  A study uses frog embryos to test how human genetic changes might cause congenital hydrocephalus and related heart defects, with the goal of understanding why these conditions occur.

  NIH research Yale University · New Haven, United States · NIH-11608553

• Modulating choroid plexus function to restore CSF balance in hydrocephalus

  A new NIH grant aims to adjust the choroid plexus, the brain’s CSF factory, to restore normal CSF flow and reduce hydrocephalus-related problems.

  NIH research Massachusetts General Hospital · Boston, United States · NIH-11447990

• Wearable system to monitor shunt health in hydrocephalus patients

  A wearable COSMOS device would continuously monitor CSF shunt function and signs of infection to help patients and clinicians catch problems earlier.

  NIH research Johns Hopkins University · Baltimore, United States · NIH-11424984

• Endoscopic treatment vs shunt for hydrocephalus in infants

  This study compares two treatments for hydrocephalus in babies to see if a shunt-free approach can work as well as the traditional shunt option.

  NIH research Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah · Salt Lake City, United States · NIH-11411186

• Comparing endoscopic treatment and shunts for hydrocephalus in babies

  This project compares an endoscopic procedure called ETV+CPC with standard CSF shunt surgery to find out whether babies under 1 year have similar thinking and development one year after treatment.

  NIH research Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah · Salt Lake City, United States · NIH-11400235

• Endoscopic procedure versus shunts for infant hydrocephalus

  This research compares an endoscopic approach (ETV+CPC) with standard cerebrospinal fluid shunts for infants under 12 months with hydrocephalus to see if their thinking and development are similarly good one year after surgery.

  NIH research Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah · Salt Lake City, United States · NIH-11400234

• Endoscopic (ETV+CPC) vs shunt for infant hydrocephalus

  This compares an endoscopic procedure called ETV+CPC to standard shunt surgery for babies under one year with hydrocephalus to learn which leads to similar thinking and development one year after surgery.

  NIH research Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah · Salt Lake City, United States · NIH-11400233

• Wireless wearable CSF flow sensor to monitor hydrocephalus in patients

  A wearable, wireless sensor helps track cerebrospinal fluid flow in people with hydrocephalus to support safer, more informed care.

  NIH research Rhaeos, INC. · Evanston, United States · NIH-11391382

• How ETV and CPC Work for Hydrocephalus in Children

  This NIH grant explores a surgical approach for young children with hydrocephalus to see if combining ETV with CPC can reduce reliance on shunts.

  NIH research Virginia Commonwealth University · Richmond, United States · NIH-11387677

• Brain growth and development after two treatments for infant post-infectious hydrocephalus in Uganda

  This trial compares two surgical treatments—shunt and ETV/CPC—for infants with post-infectious hydrocephalus to see which leads to better brain growth and long-term development.

  NIH research Yale University · New Haven, United States · NIH-11383392

• Helping brain growth and thinking after infant hydrocephalus treatment in Uganda

  This project compares two surgical treatments—shunt and ETV/CPC—for Ugandan infants who developed hydrocephalus after infection to see which better supports brain growth and thinking as they grow.

  NIH research Yale University · New Haven, United States · NIH-11383325

• Structure-guiding tools to understand how choline affects congenital hydrocephalus

  A study at UCSF is examining how choline transport across the blood-brain barrier may influence the development of congenital hydrocephalus in babies.

  NIH research University of California, San Francisco · San Francisco, United States · NIH-11381748

• AI-guided care for sudden hydrocephalus

  This project uses artificial intelligence to help doctors decide when to sample spinal fluid, remove temporary drains, and who may need a permanent shunt after sudden hydrocephalus from brain bleeding.

  NIH research Columbia University Health Sciences · New York, United States · NIH-11370118

• Ferroptosis and iron's role in brain cell death after newborn brain bleeding causing hydrocephalus

  This grant aims to understand how iron-driven cell death in brain support cells after severe newborn brain bleeding leads to hydrocephalus, with the goal of preventing this condition.

  NIH research Stanford University · Stanford, United States · NIH-11368897

• Congenital Hydrocephalus Genes Studied in a Frog Model

  Researchers are studying why certain genes linked to congenital hydrocephalus cause brain ventricle problems, using frog embryos to model the disease.

  NIH research Yale University · New Haven, United States · NIH-11349751

• Restoring ependymal integrity to help prevent posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus in preterm babies

  A doctor-scientist team is testing a way to protect and repair the brain’s fluid-transport lining in very preterm infants who have bleeding in the brain, to reduce the risk of hydrocephalus and related problems.

  NIH research Albert Einstein College of Medicine · Bronx, United States · NIH-11346021

• Why Shunts Sometimes Get Blocked in Kids with Hydrocephalus

  A study to understand why brain fluid shunts clog in children with hydrocephalus and how to prevent it.

  NIH research Wayne State University · Detroit, United States · NIH-11333817

• Noninvasive ultrasound clues to brain pressure and health in newborns with hydrocephalus

  A new ultrasound approach aims to noninvasively measure brain pressure and blood flow changes in babies with hydrocephalus to guide treatment.

  NIH research Children's Hosp of Philadelphia · Philadelphia, United States · NIH-11330498

• Eye-based ultrasound to detect dangerous brain pressure in children with hydrocephalus

  This project uses a special eye ultrasound with injected contrast to spot dangerously high brain pressure and low brain blood flow in children with hydrocephalus.

  NIH research Children's Hosp of Philadelphia · Philadelphia, United States · NIH-11326704

• Cerebrospinal fluid drainage in babies with bleeding-related hydrocephalus

  This project looks at how cerebrospinal fluid drains in newborns who develop hydrocephalus after brain bleeding, and how drainage relates to inflammation and recovery.

  NIH research University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston · Houston, United States · NIH-11324957

• Brain mechanical markers to find and guide treatment for normal pressure hydrocephalus

  This project uses a special MRI that measures brain stiffness to help people with normal pressure hydrocephalus get a clearer diagnosis and better predict who will improve after a shunt.

  NIH research Mayo Clinic Rochester · Rochester, United States · NIH-11306590

• Reducing brain fluid buildup after bleeding in premature infants

  This project tests whether changing how the brain's choroid plexus handles salt and water and how immune cells clear blood can prevent fluid buildup in premature babies after brain bleeding.

  NIH research Boston Children's Hospital · Boston, United States · NIH-11248423

• Investigating treatments for post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus in infants

  This study is looking at ways to help premature babies with post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus, a condition caused by bleeding in the brain, by finding better treatments that improve the balance of fluid in their brains and reduce damage.

  NIH research Boston Children's Hospital · Boston, United States · NIH-11221537

• Targeted biologic treatment to remove the cerebrospinal fluid–producing tissue in newborns with hydrocephalus

  A gene-delivery approach aimed at newborns with hydrocephalus to selectively remove the choroid plexus tissue that makes excess spinal fluid.

  NIH research Cincinnati Childrens Hosp Med Ctr · Cincinnati, United States · NIH-11194484

• Wearable wireless device to continuously track cerebrospinal fluid flow in hydrocephalus

  This project builds a small, wireless wearable that continuously tracks cerebrospinal fluid flow to help people with hydrocephalus and their care teams spot shunt problems earlier.

  NIH research Rhaeos, INC. · Evanston, United States · NIH-11190499

• Endoscopic opening plus choroid plexus treatment for childhood hydrocephalus

  This research explores whether combining an endoscopic third ventriculostomy with choroid plexus cauterization can help infants and young children with hydrocephalus avoid lifelong shunt surgery.

  NIH research Virginia Commonwealth University · Richmond, United States · NIH-11189757

• Molecular clues for congenital hydrocephalus in diverse patients

  A patient-facing look at a research project to understand why congenital hydrocephalus occurs and why it affects some children more than others, with a focus on diverse early-life genes.

  NIH research Washington University · Saint Louis, United States · NIH-11180382

• Investigating treatments for post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus in the brain.

  This study is looking at ways to help premature babies with post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus, a condition caused by bleeding in the brain, by figuring out how to better manage the fluid in their brains and reduce damage, which could lead to new treatments for them.

  NIH research Boston Children's Hospital · Boston, United States · NIH-11178723

• Understanding why shunts fail in children with hydrocephalus

  This project aims to discover why shunts, which drain fluid from the brain, often stop working in children with hydrocephalus.

  NIH research Wayne State University · Detroit, United States · NIH-11178389

• Endoscopic (ETV+CPC) versus shunt care for infants with hydrocephalus

  This compares two treatments for babies under one year with hydrocephalus—an endoscopic procedure (ETV+CPC) and a traditional CSF shunt—to see if their thinking and development are similar one year after surgery.

  NIH research Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah · Salt Lake City, United States · NIH-11178386

• Investigating new surgical options for treating hydrocephalus in infants

  This study is looking at how a special surgery called endoscopic third ventriculostomy combined with choroid plexus cauterization can help treat hydrocephalus in babies, using young pigs to see how it affects brain growth and function, so we can better understand the benefits and risks for kids with this condition.

  NIH research Virginia Commonwealth University · Richmond, United States · NIH-11162101

• Brain growth and thinking outcomes after two treatments for post-infectious hydrocephalus in Ugandan children

  This project follows children treated as infants for post-infectious hydrocephalus to compare long-term brain growth and thinking skills after shunt surgery versus endoscopic third ventriculostomy with choroid plexus cauterization.

  NIH research Yale University · New Haven, United States · NIH-11160768

• New ultrasound methods to measure brain pressure and health in newborns with hydrocephalus

  This study is working on a new, safe way to check brain health and pressure in newborns with hydrocephalus using a special ultrasound technique, which could help doctors make quicker and better treatment decisions for these babies.

  NIH research Children's Hosp of Philadelphia · Philadelphia, United States · NIH-11141504

• Improving brain fluid flow in premature infants with bleeding issues

  This study is looking at how to help premature babies who have had bleeding in the brain by finding ways to fix important cells that help manage fluid in their brains, with the hope of reducing problems and improving their health.

  NIH research Albert Einstein College of Medicine · Bronx, United States · NIH-11140356

• How faulty heme transport can cause congenital hydrocephalus

  This project is finding out whether problems moving heme, an oxygen-carrying molecule, in developing brain cells lead to congenital hydrocephalus in infants.

  NIH research University of California, San Francisco · San Francisco, United States · NIH-11126670

• Understanding Alzheimer's Disease in Patients with Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus

  This project looks at brain tissue and spinal fluid from older patients having hydrocephalus surgery to understand how early Alzheimer's disease affects them.

  NIH research Columbia University Health Sciences · New York, United States · NIH-11094792

Related topics

Quick answers

How many Hydrocephalus clinical trials are recruiting right now?

20, as of November 12, 2026. We update this list each time we refresh our data from ClinicalTrials.gov.

Where are these trials running?

In 8 countries. The most sites are in United States (12 trials), China (3 trials), Italy (2 trials), Switzerland (1 trial), Denmark (1 trial). Each study page lists its sites and which ones are recruiting.

What phases are they in?

Phase 1: 1. Trials with no phase listed are usually device, behavioural or observational studies.

How do I join one?

Open a study, check the "Is this trial a fit for you?" section, then contact the study team listed on the page. They will ask a few screening questions. Asking is free and does not commit you to anything. Talk it over with your doctor first.

Find the studies that fit you

A list is a starting point. Tell us your situation in your own words and we'll rank the studies that match and explain why. It's free and needs no account.

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