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Can MRI scar maps guide more precise heart ablations?

NCT ID NCT03444337

Diagnosis Sponsor: Ohio State University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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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.
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Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
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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 Results may not be published yet.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)
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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

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Status unknown
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First seen Sep 09, 2026 · Last updated Sep 10, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers at Ohio State University are testing whether high-resolution contrast-enhanced MRI can show the scar tissue in the heart that matches the electrical rotors targeted during FIRM-guided ablation for atrial fibrillation. About 20 adults with symptomatic paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation who are scheduled for a clinically indicated ablation will have an MRI before the procedure. The study compares MRI-detected fibrotic regions with the sites identified by FIRM mapping to see if the two line up, and it tracks whether ablation successfully isolates the pulmonary veins and slows or stops the abnormal heart rhythm.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
FIRM-guided catheter ablation with high-resolution contrast-enhanced MRI
What this could lead to
If the imaging matches the ablation targets, doctors could plan more precise ablation procedures for atrial fibrillation and possibly reduce repeat treatments.
What could go wrong
This small imaging study may not find a clear link between MRI scar patterns and the electrical rotors that FIRM targets. MRI contrast carries rare risks, and the findings may not apply to all patients with atrial fibrillation.

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.

Participants

About 20 people

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

Started

Nov 2016

Expected to finish

Apr 2028

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.

Who is studied

Patients with symptomatic paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation undergoing clinically-indicated ablation procedure employing FIRM mapping with pre-operative MRI

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

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: 1. Patients with symptomatic paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation undergoing clinically-indicated ablation procedure employing FIRM mapping with pre-operative MRI. 2. Subjects must be at least 18 years of age. Exclusion Criteria: 1. LAA thrombus present on pre-procedure TEE 2. Unable to undergo MRI imaging 3. Unable to receive gadolinium contrast.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

atrial fibrillation

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Atrial fibrillation

How to take part

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  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.

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  3. A doctor treating you

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Ohio State University

    RECRUITING

    Columbus, Ohio, 43210, United States

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