Proposed Standardized Neurological Endpoints for Cardiovascular Clinical Trials: An Academic Research Consortium Initiative

Eur Heart J. 2018 May 14;39(19):1687-1697. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehx037.

Abstract

Surgical and catheter-based cardiovascular procedures and adjunctive pharmacology have an inherent risk of neurological complications. The current diversity of neurological endpoint definitions and ascertainment methods in clinical trials has led to uncertainties in the neurological risk attributable to cardiovascular procedures and inconsistent evaluation of therapies intended to prevent or mitigate neurological injury. Benefit-risk assessment of such procedures should be on the basis of an evaluation of well-defined neurological outcomes that are ascertained with consistent methods and capture the full spectrum of neurovascular injury and its clinical effect. The Neurologic Academic Research Consortium is an international collaboration intended to establish consensus on the definition, classification, and assessment of neurological endpoints applicable to clinical trials of a broad range of cardiovascular interventions. Systematic application of the proposed definitions and assessments will improve our ability to evaluate the risks of cardiovascular procedures and the safety and effectiveness of preventive therapies.

Publication types

  • Consensus Development Conference

MeSH terms

  • Cardiovascular Surgical Procedures / adverse effects*
  • Catheterization / adverse effects
  • Clinical Trials as Topic*
  • Endpoint Determination
  • Humans
  • Nervous System Diseases / classification
  • Nervous System Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Nervous System Diseases / etiology*
  • Neurologic Examination
  • Postoperative Complications
  • Risk Assessment