Involvement of the Mediodorsal Nucleus of the Thalamus in Higher Order Cognitive Processes

Not Applicable

• Conditions: Thalamic Infarction
• Interventions: Other: neuroimaging; Other: Neuropsychological assessment

• Registration Number: NCT03867149
• Lead Sponsor: University Hospital, Toulouse

Brief Summary

The aim is to expand evidence about the importance of the mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus as a key node in human higher-order cognitive functions such as learning, decision-making, and adaptive behavior. Thus, the project proposes to assess global cognition along with higher-order cognition integrity via sensitive behavior tasks in patients with well localized lesions (mediodorsal thalamic infarcts) compared with healthy participants.

Detailed Description

The recruitment of patients with isolated thalamic lesion after stroke is known to be a challenge that the investigators overcame through the expertise of neurologists within their stroke unit.

First, they will describe the cognitive profile consecutive to a lesion of the thalamus, assessed with standardized neuropsychological tests.

Second, and more specifically, they will study performances at experimental tasks focusing on higher-order cognition (decision-making, updating, interference managing, multitasking).

They will use the automatic localization method already performed : the lesions will be manually segmented from T1 morphologic sequences, and then normalized in a template. Finally a numerical atlas of thalamus will be applied on the lesions, determining the injured substructure and the lesion volume.

Besides, this method will be compared with new high resolution thalamus-centered anatomical sequences allowing direct and individual identification of the involved thalamic nucleus.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2018-11-15
• Study First Submitted QC: 2019-03-06
• Study First Posted: 2019-03-07
• Study Start: 2019-05-14
• Status Verified: 2020-01
• Last Update Submitted: 2020-01-10
• Last Update Posted: 2020-01-14
• Primary Completion: 2023-04
• Study Completion: 2023-04

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: UNKNOWN
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 40

Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
patient with first thalamic infarct	Neuropsychological assessment	Patient with first thalamic infarct, they will undergo detailed neuropsychological assessment of memory, language, executive functions and mood along detailed neuroimaging including high-resolution imaging of the thalamus, DTI and resting state fMRI.
healthy subject matched with control	neuroimaging	Healthy subject matched with control, they will undergo detailed neuropsychological assessment of memory, language, executive functions and mood along detailed neuroimaging including high-resolution imaging of the thalamus, DTI and resting state fMRI.
healthy subject matched with control	Neuropsychological assessment	Healthy subject matched with control, they will undergo detailed neuropsychological assessment of memory, language, executive functions and mood along detailed neuroimaging including high-resolution imaging of the thalamus, DTI and resting state fMRI.
patient with first thalamic infarct	neuroimaging	Patient with first thalamic infarct, they will undergo detailed neuropsychological assessment of memory, language, executive functions and mood along detailed neuroimaging including high-resolution imaging of the thalamus, DTI and resting state fMRI.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Performance at the SET (Six Elements Test)	Day 1	Performances of patients with a mediodorsal thalamic infarct in tasks assessing higher order cognition compared to healthy participants. Assessment of multitasking : 6 sub-tasks have to be achieved within 15 minutes.; They include arithmetic tasks, image naming tasks, and dictation of a known route.; Quantitative scores are derived from quantitative et qualitative data, then interpreted with international normative values.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Performances at the PASAT (Pace Auditory Serial Addition Test) updating during working memory	Day 1	Performances of patients with a mediodorsal thalamic infarct in sensitive executive tests compared to healthy participants.The PASAT assesses the updating during working memory.
Performances at the Brown-Petterson task	Day 1	Performances of patients with a mediodorsal thalamic infarct in sensitive executive tests compared to healthy participants. The Brown-Petterson task focuses on the management of interference during working memory.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Hopital Purpan - CHU de Toulouse; 🇫🇷 Toulouse, France