NCT06911385

Augmenting Cerebral Blood Flow in Acute Ischemic Stroke

Not yet recruiting Phase 1, PHASE2 Last updated 6 January 2026

What this trial tests

Phase 1, PHASE2 trial testing Arm Remote Ischemic Conditioning plus Pneumatic Compression lower limb in Stroke in 150 participants. Not yet recruiting.

Timeline

1 February 2026

Primary endpoint
31 May 2027

31 May 2027

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	University of Alberta
Phase	Phase 1, PHASE2
Status	Not yet recruiting
Study type	INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation	na
Design	single group
Masking	none
Primary purpose	treatment
Enrollment	150
Start date	1 February 2026
Primary completion	31 May 2027
Estimated completion	31 May 2027

Drugs / interventions tested

• Arm Remote Ischemic Conditioning plus Pneumatic Compression lower limb

Conditions studied

• Stroke — all drugs for Stroke →

Sponsor

University of Alberta

Who can join

18 and older, any sex, with Stroke. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Sponsor's own description

The most common type of stroke is ischemic (lack of blood flow to the brain due to a clot blocking a blood vessel). Time is brain and an average of 1.9 million brain nerve cells per minute are destroyed in patients experiencing a typical LVO. The main goal of treatment is to help restore blood flow as quickly as possible and prevent brain tissue and cell death. Acute treatments like clot-busting medication or clot removal by wire are standard of care but are available in comprehensive stroke centers in a few urban centers. Often, patients need to be transferred to these centers via ground or air ambulance, sometimes over hours, and no active treatment can be provided during these transfers.

Enhancing or increasing blood flow to the brain is associated with good outcomes in stroke. This study involves an innovative approach combining two treatment interventions - Remote ischemic conditioning (arms) and Air compression therapy (legs, applied simultaneously to all four limbs, that may help improve blood flow to the brain. Remote Ischemic Conditioning is a type of treatment delivered with the help of a regular blood pressure machine. This does not involve any drug. A typical treatment involves the application of a blood pressure cuff followed by brief sessions of compressions and relaxation on the arm muscles, much akin to blood pressure measurement, but for 5 min. It leads to a transient safe state of less blood flow in arm muscles which initiates the release of molecules and signals transmitted by blood. These signals may then go on to improve blood flow in the brain. Air Compression is delivered by a commercially available device (Normatech Elite). They are inflatable sleeves resembling puffy thigh-high boots that deliver compressive pulses stimulating blood flow in the legs, in a graded manner from the ankles to the thighs. We believe this air compression device may help improve and divert blood flow to stroke-affected areas in the brain.

Publications & conference data

No peer-reviewed publications indexed yet for this trial.