Sildenafil for DCI

Summary

Each year, approximately 30,000 people in the United States suffer an intra-cranial hemorrhage due to aneurysmal rupture. Of those surviving the initial event, up to 40% will go on to have further neurological injury secondary to stroke (delayed cerebral ischemia) caused by constriction of blood vessels (i.e. vasospasm). Previous studies have shown that the medication sildenafil, given intravenously, improves vasospasm, but has an associated degree of hypotension. The degree of hypotension was well within safety thresholds for these patients. Sildenafil is a medication that strongly inhibits the protein phosphodiesterase-V (PDE-V). The hypothesis for this study is that oral sildenafil will also improve vasospasm, but does not result in as much hypotension. Specifically, the investigators look to show that comparable doses of oral sildenafil produces the same degree of PDE-V inhibition as an intravenous dose while the degree of hypotension is reduced. Additionally, using measurements of cerebral blood flow regulation acquired using transcranial Doppler ultrasound, the investigators look to show that oral sildenafil produces the same degree of improvement in vasospasm and blood flow regulation.

Timeline

Start

2016-12

Primary completion

2022-12

Completion

2023-07

Publications

• Background Washington CW, Derdeyn CP, Dhar R, Arias EJ, Chicoine MR, Cross DT, Dacey RG Jr, Han BH, Moran CJ, Rich KM, Vellimana AK, Zipfel GJ. A Phase I proof-of-concept and safety trial of sildenafil to treat cerebral vasospasm following subarachnoid hemorrhage. J Neurosurg. 2016 Feb;124(2):318-27. doi: 10.3171/2015.2.JNS142752. Epub 2015 Aug 28.
• Background Dhar R, Washington C, Diringer M, Zazulia A, Jafri H, Derdeyn C, Zipfel G. Acute Effect of Intravenous Sildenafil on Cerebral Blood Flow in Patients with Vasospasm After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage. Neurocrit Care. 2016 Oct;25(2):201-4. doi: 10.1007/s12028-016-0243-0.

Drugs

Indications