Structural brain abnormalities and hypoxia in sickle cell anaemia
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Structural brain abnormalities and hypoxia in sickle cell anaemia
IRAS ID
166688
Contact name
Fenella Kirkham
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 4 months, 30 days
Research summary
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is associated with significant neurological complications, the most common clinical stroke, silent cerebral infarction, cerebrovascular disease and brain atrophy. Cerebral infarction often occurs in the distribution of the anterior and middle cerebral arteries, usually leading to small focal lesions in the frontal lobes. Anterior cortical regions are associated with intelligence, executive function and memory. These ischaemic events often occur within the first decade of life, and can be associated with cognitive dysfunction in those domains in childhood into adulthood.
Ischaemic stroke may be related to low oxygen saturation (hypoxia) and chronic anaemia, both complications of SCD, but the specific impact of chronic desaturation and anaemia in the brain is unknown. We propose to investigate the influence of these complications in a cohort of children and adults with SCD who participated in the multi-centre Sleep Asthma Cohort (SAC) trial. SAC established a unique cohort of 84 children with SCD, who have been very well observed since 2006 to identify interactions between asthma and sleep-disordered breathing. During SAC, these children underwent two overnight polysomnography studies, and annual blood tests, oximetry results and various standardised questionnaires. We propose to follow-up these children and adults, along with any siblings who wish to take part in the research, with brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) investigation and neuropsychological testing, using medical history of chronic oxygen desaturation to infer neuroimaging biomarkers in this population.REC name
London - West London & GTAC Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/0347
Date of REC Opinion
1 May 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion