New breathing technique could uncover hidden stroke cause
NCT ID NCT06670781
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study compares two ways of performing the Valsalva maneuver during a heart ultrasound to detect a patent foramen ovale (PFO), a small hole in the heart that can cause strokes. About 488 stroke patients will be asked to do both a standard self-directed maneuver and a goal-directed maneuver using a manometer to measure their effort. The goal is to see if the goal-directed method finds more PFOs, which could lead to better treatment and fewer repeat strokes.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Goal-directed Valsalva maneuver using a manometer device
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could improve detection of PFO in stroke patients, leading to more accurate diagnosis and treatment to prevent recurrent strokes.
- What could go wrong
- This is a diagnostic method comparison, not a treatment trial. Even if it improves detection, it may not change patient outcomes. The study is still recruiting and results are not yet available.
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 488 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Jan 2025
- Expected to finish
-
Oct 2026
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
-
18 years and older
- 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 Hide 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: * Patients referred for a clinically indicated TTE and bubble study Exclusion Criteria: * Inability to provide informed consent * Inability to insert an IV line * Inability to perform a Self-Directed Valsalva maneuver * Patient wishing to keep his mask on
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Stroke are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
-
The places running it
2 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
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
-
University of Ottawa Heart Institute
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGOttawa, Ontario, K1Y 4W7, Canada
-
University of Ottawa Heart Institute
RECRUITINGOttawa, Ontario, K1Y 4W7, Canada
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can a checklist and heart monitor stop repeat strokes?
- Heart hole or stroke trigger? global registry tracks who gets closure and what happens next
- Zapping the spine while wearing a robotic ankle: a new way to help kids walk?
- Can a nurse and a neighbor help tame chronic disease?
- Can PET scans reveal hidden heart inflammation after a stroke?
- Two ways to catch a hidden heart rhythm after stroke