Actively Recruiting
Left Atrial Strain and Cryptogenic Stroke
Led by University of Pittsburgh · Updated on 2026-01-07
900
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
106 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
Cryptogenic stroke is a type of stroke in which the cause of the blood clot cannot be identified, leaving many patients without a clear treatment plan and at high risk for another stroke. Current medical guidelines recommend blood-thinning medication (anticoagulation) only when atrial fibrillation (AF) -an irregular heart rhythm- can be documented. However, AF may occur silently and remain undetected. Long term implantable (placed invasively under the skin) devices may be needed to capture these episodes. AF is known to develop from disease of the left atrium, the upper chamber of the heart that receives blood from the lungs. When the left atrium does not contract normally, blood flow may slow down, increasing the risk of clot formation. Nowadays, the left atrial (LA) function can be quantified precisely using a noninvasive ultrasound technique called strain imaging. This study aims to determine whether reduced LA function is associated with cryptogenic stroke and its recurrence even when AF is not observed. If such an association is confirmed, LA strain could serve as a new biomarker to identify patients at risk, earlier than the development of overt AF, enhance preventive measures to reduce recurrent strokes. Because echocardiographic strain imaging is safe, cost-effective, and widely available, it may become an important tool for improving care in this high-risk population.
CONDITIONS
Official Title
Left Atrial Strain and Cryptogenic Stroke
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Adult patients aged over 18 and under 80 years
- Patients who had a complete transthoracic echocardiography exam at UPMC Presbyterian Echocardiography Lab with suspected stroke
- Patients with an established diagnosis of stroke by stroke neurologists
- Patients in sinus rhythm documented at the time of referral
- Availability of adequate echocardiographic images for strain measurement
- Clinical follow-up data available to evaluate stroke recurrence, atrial fibrillation development, and mortality
- Patients from collaborating centers with de-identified images and clinical data meeting the above criteria
You will not qualify if you...
- Incomplete or technically difficult transthoracic echocardiography studies
- Patients younger than 18 years
- History of atrial fibrillation before the echocardiography study
- Significant structural heart disease such as moderate or severe mitral stenosis or regurgitation, prosthetic heart valves, left atrium devices, atrial septal defect, or patent foramen ovale
- Diseases causing hypercoagulable states such as cancer, antiphospholipid antibodies, or hematological diseases
- Insufficient clinical follow-up data or missing medical records except documented death
- Poor echocardiographic image quality preventing reliable strain analysis
AI-Screening
AI-Powered Screening
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Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
UPMC Presbyterian
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 15213
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
L
Leyla E Sade, MD
CONTACT
B
Benay Ozbay, MD
CONTACT
How is the study designed?
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Masking
N/A
Allocation
N/A
Model
N/A
Primary Purpose
N/A
Number of Arms
2
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