Biomarkers to guide spinal nicardipine for blood-vessel spasm after bleeding around the brain
Official title: Development of Biomarkers to Optimize Intrathecal Nicardipine Treatment for Cerebral Vasospasm and Delayed Cerebral Ischemia after Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Funded at Emory University · NIH-11174552 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Doctors are using a bedside optical monitor to see if it helps pick which patients with bleeding around the brain should get spinal (intrathecal) nicardipine to treat blood-vessel spasm.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Emory University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project start | September 27, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $386,840 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS130036-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11174552 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people hospitalized after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage who show signs of cerebral vasospasm and can receive intrathecal therapy and bedside monitoring.
✕Less likely to help
People who did not have subarachnoid hemorrhage, who do not develop vasospasm, or who cannot receive intrathecal treatment are unlikely to benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
If I had a subarachnoid hemorrhage (bleeding around the brain) and developed vessel spasm, doctors in this project would give nicardipine directly into the spinal fluid to try to open narrowed brain arteries. They will use non-invasive diffuse optical spectroscopy (DOS) at the bedside to measure changes in cerebral blood flow after the first nicardipine dose and look for patterns that predict recovery. The team will combine these optical signals with clinical outcomes and other data to create biomarkers that help choose who should receive the treatment. This work builds on Emory's retrospective data from over 400 patients and small pilot DOS data and aims to make treatment decisions more personalized.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help doctors target intrathecal nicardipine to patients most likely to avoid delayed brain injury and improve recovery.
How similar studies have gone: Retrospective data from over 400 Emory patients suggest intrathecal nicardipine can dilate vessels and lower delayed ischemia, but using bedside optical biomarkers to guide who gets treatment is a new approach supported so far only by small pilot data.
Where this research is happening
-
Emory University
Atlanta, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sadan, Ofer — Emory University
- Study coordinator: Sadan, Ofer
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Cognitive screening after an aneurysmal brain bleed
Using patient questionnaires to find thinking and memory problems in people recovering from aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.
-
Blood test to predict delayed brain injury after an aneurysm bleed
This project is creating a blood test to spot which people who had a brain aneurysm bleed are likely to develop delayed brain injury in the days after the bleed.
-
3D brain blood vessel model to study subarachnoid hemorrhage and test therapies
A researcher will develop a 3D printed, biomimetic brain model to study subarachnoid hemorrhage and screen potential nanoparticle-based treatments.
-
Biomarkers to Fine-Tune Intrathecal Nicardipine for Brain Bleeding-Related Stroke
Researchers are testing biomarkers to personalize intrathecal nicardipine treatment for patients after subarachnoid hemorrhage to prevent brain damage.
-
Adropin as a shield for the brain after a brain hemorrhage
A potential treatment with adropin is being studied to protect brain cells after a subarachnoid hemorrhage and reduce stroke-like damage.
-
Manganese-based compound as a potential therapy for subarachnoid hemorrhage
A new manganese porphyrin-based drug is being explored as a possible treatment to reduce brain injury after a subarachnoid hemorrhage.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.