Testing Experimental: Intervention arm: against a placebo for stroke
Official title: Standardized Goal-Directed vs. Self-Directed Valsalva Maneuver for the Assessment of Patent Foramen Ovale
- 2 groups
- 2 sites in Ottawa
- Recruiting
Interventions
- Medical device
Experimental: Intervention arm: Goal-Directed Valsalva maneuver
For the Goal directed Valsalva maneuver, the same method patients are instructed to blow into a plastic pipe connected to the manometer device, in order to reach a pressure of 40 mmHg for at least 5 seconds. Then patients are instructed to exhale quickly.
- Medical device
Control - standard of care: Self-Directed Valsalva maneuver
The Valsalva maneuver is performed by the patient taking a normal (or deep) inspiration, followed by forceful expiration against a closed airway for up to 15 to 20 sec and then release of the expiratory effort on entry of saline into the right atrium.
Canadian Sites (2)
1 of 2 recruiting
- Recruiting
University of Ottawa Heart Institute
Ottawa, Ontario
- Not yet recruiting
University of Ottawa Heart Institute
Ottawa, Ontario
Eligibility Criteria
See who this study is looking for5 criteria
The trial’s own eligibility text, word for word from the registry. Only the trial site can say who takes part.
Inclusion
- +Patients referred for a clinically indicated TTE and bubble study
Exclusion
- −Inability to provide informed consentInformed consentThe process of being told what taking part involves, then choosing freely.Read more →
- −Inability to insert an IV line
- −Inability to perform a Self-Directed Valsalva maneuver
- −Patient wishing to keep his mask on
In plain language
Assembled directly from this trial’s registry record. Every sentence traces to a field below — nothing here is generated or interpreted.
What this study is
This study is testing a way to identify or measure a condition.
This study is not organised into the usual phase numbers — that is common for device, behavioural, and diagnostic research.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.designInfo.primaryPurpose
- designModule.phases
Who receives what
There are 2 groups in this study.
Group A, the shamSham procedureA procedure made to feel like the real one, without the active step.Read more → group, receives ControlControl groupThe group a new treatment is measured against.Read more → - standard of careStandard of careThe treatment normally given for a condition outside a study.Read more →: Self-Directed Valsalva maneuver, together with one or more of: Experimental: Intervention armArmOne of the groups in a study, each receiving something different.Read more →: Goal-Directed Valsalva maneuver.
Registry label: A: Control - standard of care: Self-Directed Valsalva maneuver
Group B, the comparison group, receives one or more of: Experimental: Intervention arm: Goal-Directed Valsalva maneuver and Control - standard of care: Self-Directed Valsalva maneuver.
Registry label: B: Intervention arm: Goal-Directed Valsalva maneuver
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].label
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].interventionNames
How the study is run
Which group you would be placed in is decided by chance, like a coin flip — not by you and not by your doctor.
One group of people involved — usually the participants — is not told which treatment is which.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.designInfo.allocation
- designModule.designInfo.maskingInfo.masking
Is there a placebo?
One group receives a sham procedureSham procedureA procedure made to feel like the real one, without the active step.Read more → — one made to feel like the real thing but without the active step.
One group receives an existing treatment, so the two can be compared.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].interventionNames
Who the study is looking for
The study lists a minimum age of 18 years, with no upper limit given.
The study is open to people of any sex.
The study does not accept healthy volunteersHealthy volunteerSomeone without the condition being studied who takes part anyway.Read more →.
These are the criteria the study lists. Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can decide whether someone can take part.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.sex
- eligibilityModule.healthyVolunteers
How big and how long
The study aims to enrol about 488 people.
The study is currently expected to finish around October 2026.
The main measurement is taken over: From enrollmentEnrolmentThe number of participants a study plans to include, or has included.Read more → to the end of echocardiogram (40 minutes from enrollment).
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.enrollmentInfo.count
- statusModule.completionDateStruct.date
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
What the study measures
Rate of detection of PFO by Self-Directed Valsalva Maneuver and Goal-Directed Valsalva Maneuver — measured over From enrollmentEnrolmentThe number of participants a study plans to include, or has included.Read more → to the end of echocardiogram (40 minutes from enrollment).
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].measure
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
Source: NCT06670781 on ClinicalTrials.gov. The full registry text is further down this page — this summary never replaces it.
Not medical advice. What do these terms mean?
What is being tested — in plain terms
About Experimental: Intervention arm: Goal-Directed Valsalva maneuverDevice
For the Goal directed Valsalva maneuver, the same method patients are instructed to blow into a plastic pipe connected to the manometer device, in order to reach a pressure of 40 mmHg for at least 5 seconds. Then patients are instructed to exhale quickly.
From the trial registry — its own words, unedited.
What a device is here: A physical instrument, implant, app or piece of equipment being studied.
Read the full explanation → · in clinical review
About Control - standard of care: Self-Directed Valsalva maneuverDevice
The Valsalva maneuver is performed by the patient taking a normal (or deep) inspiration, followed by forceful expiration against a closed airway for up to 15 to 20 sec and then release of the expiratory effort on entry of saline into the right atrium.
From the trial registry — its own words, unedited.
What a device is here: A physical instrument, implant, app or piece of equipment being studied.
Read the full explanation → · in clinical review
Common questions
Answered from this trial’s registry record. Where the record doesn’t say, these answers say so rather than filling the gap.
Am I eligible for this trial?
Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can decide whether someone can take part. Concord cannot make that determination, and neither can any tool that has not examined you.
What the study lists: a minimum age of 18 years.
The full inclusionInclusion criteriaThe things you must have or be for a study to consider you.Read more → and exclusion criteriaExclusion criteriaThe things that would prevent someone from taking part.Read more → are published on this page, exactly as the study team wrote them.
The useful next step is to bring this trial to your doctor. Answering a few questions first gives them something concrete to review.
From the trial registry
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.eligibilityCriteria
Is there a placebo?
This study includes a shamSham procedureA procedure made to feel like the real one, without the active step.Read more → comparison — a procedure made to feel like the real one, without the active step.
One group receives an existing treatment so the two can be compared.
From the trial registry
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
Would I know which treatment I am getting?
One group of people involved — usually the participants — is not told which treatment is which.
Which group you would be placed in is decided by chance, like a coin flip — not by you and not by your doctor.
From the trial registry
- designModule.designInfo.maskingInfo.masking
- designModule.designInfo.allocation
Who can join?
The study lists a minimum age of 18 years, with no upper limit given.
It is open to people of any sex.
It does not accept healthy volunteersHealthy volunteerSomeone without the condition being studied who takes part anyway.Read more →.
Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can confirm whether a particular person can take part.
From the trial registry
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.sex
- eligibilityModule.healthyVolunteers
How long would this take?
The study's main measurement is taken over: From enrollmentEnrolmentThe number of participants a study plans to include, or has included.Read more → to the end of echocardiogram (40 minutes from enrollment)..
The study as a whole is currently expected to finish around 2026-10.
How long any one person takes part can differ from the study length. The study team can tell you what the schedule looks like in practice.
From the trial registry
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
- statusModule.completionDateStruct.date
How many people are taking part?
The study aims to enrol about 488 people.
From the trial registry
- designModule.enrollmentInfo.count
Where is this happening?
This study lists one location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Sites can open and close during a study, so confirm with the team before travelling.
From the trial registry
- trial_locations
About This Trial
Ischemic stroke represents a major public health issue, leading to significant disabilities and deaths worldwide. When no clear cause for stroke is found following a comprehensive cardiovascular evaluation (no atrial fibrillation, cardiac masses, or atherosclerosis) i.e. cryptogenic stroke, it is recommended to search for a patent foramen ovale (PFO), especially in young patients. It is estimated that cryptogenic stroke accounts for 30% to 40% of ischemic strokes. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) with bubble study at rest and during Valsalva maneuver is the reference method for the diagnosis of PFO. The treatment of PFO using a closure device has demonstrated a significant reduction in recurrent stroke events in patients with PFO and cryptogenic stroke. The Valsalva maneuver is currently achieved using self-directed maneuver i.e. patients are instructed to ''bear down'' or ''strain as if attempting to move your bowels.'' These instructions are subjective and depend largely on individuals understanding and effort. A Goal-Directed Valsalva Maneuver using a manometer has been shown to be a more reproducible way to perform the Valsalva achieving more sensitivity in different settings such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy but its incremental diagnostic value for the detection of PFO has not been yet evaluated. The aim of the present study is to compare the sensibility and specificity of two methods of Valsalva maneuver for the detection of PFO. We hypothesize that Goal-Directed Valsalva Maneuver will significantly increase the detection rate of PFO compared to Self-Directed Valsalva Maneuver.
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See if this trial could fit youThis page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Clinical trial eligibility can only be determined by the trial site after proper screening. Trial information is sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov and may not reflect the most current status. Always consult your healthcare provider before making decisions about clinical trial participation.