Cure My Disease

Don't miss your cure!

 Log in / Sign up

Could fewer plasma exchange sessions be just as effective for kids with brain inflammation?

NCT ID NCT07707739

Disease control Sponsor: Menoufia University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 16, 2026 · Last updated Aug 25, 2026 · Updated 3 times

Summary

This trial tests whether plasma exchange (a blood-cleaning procedure) given every other day works as well as daily sessions for children with autoimmune encephalitis, a condition where the immune system attacks the brain. The study involves 22 children who are randomly assigned to one of the two schedules. The main goal is to see if both groups achieve similar improvements in daily functioning, measured by a standard disability scale.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Plasma exchange (PLEX) sessions
What this could lead to
If this trial succeeds, it could show that alternate-day plasma exchange works as well as daily sessions, reducing treatment burden for children with autoimmune encephalitis.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage trial with only 22 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The study does not compare against no treatment or other therapies, limiting its impact.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 22 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Aug 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Mar 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

1 month to 18 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Childern diagnosed as autoimmune encephalitis according to Cellucci et al., 2020; acute/subacute onset (\<3 months) of encephalopathy with at least one of: new focal CNS findings, seizures, CSF pleocytosis, MRI suggestive of encephalitis, and supportive antibody testing when available. * Autoimmune encephalitis cases indicated clinically for PLEX as determined by the treating team (e.g., severe disease, refractory to steroids/IVIG or as part of first-line combination therapy). Exclusion Criteria: * Hemodynamic instability not amenable to plasma exchange. * Severe coagulopathy uncorrectable prior to PLEX (INR \>2 despite correction, platelets \<50,000/µL unless corrected). * Contraindications to central venous access placement. * Enrollment in another interventional trial that would interfere with the outcomes.

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Autoimmune encephalitis (AE) are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

autoimmune disorder of the nervous system autoimmune encephalitis

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Autoimmune encephalitis (AE)

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Menoufia university hospital, Pediatric intensive care unit

    RECRUITING

    Shibīn al Kawm, Menoufia Governorate, Egypt

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.