Onderzoek - Buffalo

Thank you for your interest in the Combined Transcranial and Extracranial Venous Doppler (CTEVD) Evaluation in MS and related Diseases study. Chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) is an ongoing problem when blood from the brain has difficulty flowing properly to the heart due to blockages or stenoses (narrowing of the veins). The main goal of the CTEVD study is to investigate the prevalence (frequency) of CCSVI in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) when compared to healthy controls (HC) and controls with other neurological disorders (OND). Another important aim of the CTEVD study is to investigate the relationship between CCSVI and clinical, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and environmental-genetic outcomes in MS patients, HC, and controls with OND.

We have received an enormous response to recent media reports about our study. Due to the number of applicants and limited funding we are providing you some detailed information on our study and requesting some details about you in order to assist us in evaluating your eligibility to participate.

1. Applications will be processed according to our study criteria and in the order they are received
2. .Please only use the ctevd@bnac.net email address to communicate with our study.
3. If you decide to write to the email address above, you will receive a response with instructions to complete an online questionnaire.
4. Once the team evaluates the information you provide in the questionnaire, you will be contacted to inform you if you are eligible for further screening.

Please note this is a research diagnostic study - there are no treatment interventions planned in this study. The study procedures include doppler/ultrasound testing, blood collection, a clinical examination and completion of an Environmental Questionnaire. Interested participants can also have an MRI performed. A subset of these individuals with also have an MRI of the neck veins.

You must:

• Be an adult or child with confirmed MS
• Adult MS must be supported by fulfillment of the McDonald criteria
• Pediatric MS must be supported by fulfillment of Krupp and International criteria
• Have a disease course of Clinically Isolated Syndrome (CIS),
  Relapse-Remitting (RR),
  Secondary-Progressive (SP), or
  Primary-Progressive (PP) supported by the Lublin criteria
• Have normal kidney functioning as supported by lab work performed within 2 months of MRI testing (within 2 weeks if other criteria are met)
• Be able to communicate effectively
• Pass screening for MRI and contrast agent safety
• Be able to travel to Buffalo, NY to complete testing (we only have this site for testing)

You must not:

• Be in active relapse or have steroid treatment in 30 days prior to MRI
• Have any vascular or heart problems
• Have severe cognitive impairment/dysfunction
• Have a history of drug or alcohol abuse, cerebrovascular disease or cerebral vascular malformations, head injury or brain trauma
• Have any vascular malformations (Bechet Disease, Budd Chiari Syndrome, Congenital vascular malformations, Deep Vein Thrombosis within the past year, Chronic Venous Insufficiency of the lower limbs)
• Be pregnant or expect to be pregnant during participation

If you are writing on behalf of a relative or friend, please instruct him/her to contact us directly at this email address: ctevd@bnac.net

Please do not make any travel plans until your enrollment is confirmed. All testing procedures are paid for by BNAC. However, there is no financial compensation for your participation, or travel and related expenses.

No Doppler or MRV reports will be given to participants or their physicians. Research MRI reports of the brain can be made available upon request. If you think you are eligible to participate and are willing to travel to Buffalo, NY for testing, please take a moment to complete an online questionnaire which has been designed to assist our team in determining your eligibility as well as providing valuable clinical data for your research record. The questionnaire can be accessed by the link in the email response.

Due to the overwhelming response, it will take some time to contact you for any next steps. But you can get the process started by completing the online questionnaire. Thank you in advance for your patience.

Kind regards,

Cheryl Kennedy, LMSW, MPH
Clinical Trial Manger/Senior Project Coordinator
Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center