Steroids for childhood brain artery inflammation that can cause stroke
FOcal Cerebral Arteriopathy Steroids (FOCAS) Trial
This project compares starting steroids right away versus waiting and treating only if the artery problem worsens in children with focal cerebral arteriopathy, a common cause of childhood stroke.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11306671 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Focal cerebral arteriopathy (FCA) is an inflammatory narrowing of brain arteries that can cause stroke in otherwise healthy children and often gets worse over days. The team will compare an approach of immediate steroid treatment to a strategy of close monitoring with steroids given only if imaging shows the arteriopathy progressing. Doctors will use brain imaging and clinical exams over time to watch the arteries and measure neurologic recovery and stroke size. The trial design was chosen because many clinicians are not comfortable withholding steroids entirely at initial presentation.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Children (typically infants to about 11 years old) diagnosed with focal cerebral arteriopathy who present with arterial ischemic stroke and are seen at participating pediatric stroke centers.
Not a fit: Children whose artery problems are caused by other conditions, those too unstable for steroid treatment, or those presenting well after the window when the arteriopathy progresses may not benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could prevent artery narrowing, reduce the size of childhood strokes, and improve long-term neurologic outcomes.
How similar studies have performed: Steroids are widely used for FCA in clinical practice but there are no randomized data proving they help, so the approach remains unproven.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fullerton, Heather J — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Fullerton, Heather J
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 below.