RecruitingOBSERVATIONAL

Prognostic Potential of Olfactory Function in Glioblastoma: a Prospective Observational Study

This study is investigating if your sense of smell can tell us important things about glioblastoma, a serious type of brain tumour. We're looking at how your smell changes over time and if this relates to how well you do, your day-to-day life, and your thinking skills. We compare this to people without a tumour. By understanding these connections, we hope to find new ways to monitor glioblastoma and improve care for patients in the future. You'll have your sense of smell, thinking skills, and well-being checked at different times if you take part.

At a glance

Status

Recruiting

Sponsor

Sied Kebir

Enrolment target

128

Start

03 May 2023

Estimated completion

31 Dec 2028

Glioblastoma Multiforme, Adult Glioblastoma or Gliosarcoma Glioblastoma, Adult

What is this study about?

This study is looking into a type of brain tumour called glioblastoma. We are especially interested in understanding if your sense of smell could give us clues about how the disease might progress over time. We know that many people with glioblastoma experience changes in their sense of smell, and previous research suggests this might be linked to how well patients do in the long run. However, those older studies sometimes had other factors that made it hard to be certain.

The main goal of this study is to see if your sense of smell can act as an important indicator for things like how long you live, your overall quality of life, and your thinking abilities when you have glioblastoma. To do this, we'll be checking your sense of smell at different points during your treatment. We will also ask you to complete some tests to look at your thinking skills and talk about your general well-being and how you feel day-to-day. We are comparing patients with glioblastoma to a group of healthy volunteers to help us understand the differences.

By gathering all this information, we hope to find out if changes in your sense of smell are a reliable sign that doctors could use to help understand your condition better. This could potentially lead to new ways of monitoring your health and tailoring your care in the future. We're also trying to understand the science behind why glioblastoma might affect your sense of smell by looking at blood samples and genetic information.

Key takeaways

Researchers are studying if your sense of smell can predict how glioblastoma affects your health.
The study involves smell tests, thinking tests, and questionnaires about your well-being.
Participants will have regular check-ups, and some may give blood samples.
The goal is to improve understanding and care for future glioblastoma patients.
Taking part will not change your current glioblastoma treatment.

Who may be eligible?

This study is looking for adults aged 18 or over who have been recently diagnosed with glioblastoma and have not yet started chemotherapy or radiotherapy to their head or neck. You should also generally be well enough to take part in the study activities, with a good level of physical activity in your daily life.

There are certain health conditions or situations that would mean you couldn't join. For example, if you have other brain disorders like Parkinson's or Alzheimer's disease, or if you've had major head or brain injuries in the past. We also can't include you if you have a current respiratory infection, or if you have severe speaking difficulties that would make it hard to understand the tests.

Finally, if you have had long-lasting problems with your sense of smell due to infections (like flu or coronavirus) or if you've had surgery around your head or neck (other than for very minor skin cancers), you wouldn't be able to join. The researchers also need to make sure that you can understand the study tasks and commit to them fully.

Could this study suit you?

Answer these quick questions to see if you may be eligible. This is a guide only — the research team makes the final call.

Are you 18 years old or older?
Have you been recently diagnosed with glioblastoma?
Have you NOT started chemotherapy or radiotherapy to your head/neck yet?
Are you generally well and active in daily life?
Do you NOT have serious problems with your sense of smell from old infections?
Do you NOT have conditions like Parkinson's or Alzheimer's?

Answer every question to see your result.

What does participation involve?

If you decide to take part in this study, you will have regular assessments from the time you are diagnosed and throughout your treatment. These assessments will involve several different parts. You will have your sense of smell tested using 'Sniffin' Sticks', which are like pens that carry different scents. There will be two types of smell tests: one to see how well you can identify smells from a list, and another to find the weakest smell you can detect. You will also complete questionnaires about your quality of life and your mood, and take part in some memory and thinking skill tests.

Additionally, doctors will review MRI scans of your brain to see if the tumour affects areas related to smell. You may also be asked to provide blood samples as part of the study, which will be used to look at genetic information and other tiny particles in your blood. The study will also include a similar group of people who do not have a brain tumour, for comparison, who will also have their sense of smell tested.

Potential risks and benefits

Taking part in this study might not directly benefit your health right now, but the information we gather could help future patients with glioblastoma by improving our understanding of the disease and how to monitor it. The risks are generally low; the smell tests are safe and the thinking tests are similar to puzzles. Blood tests involve a small needle stick, which may cause minor bruising. You are free to withdraw from the study at any time without giving a reason, and this will not affect your medical care.

Locations (2)

University Hospital Essen, Department of Neurology, Division of Clinical Neuro-Oncology
Verified postcode
Essen, Germany· Recruiting
Department of Neurosurgery
Verified postcode
Münster, Germany· Recruiting

Common questions

What is glioblastoma?

Glioblastoma is a serious type of brain tumour that grows quite quickly.

Why is my sense of smell important for this study?

Changes in your sense of smell might give doctors clues about how glioblastoma is affecting your brain and overall health.

What are 'Sniffin' Sticks'?

These are special pens that smell of different things, used to test how well you can detect and identify various scents.

Will I have to take any new medicines?

No, this study does not involve new medications. It only involves tests and assessments.

How long will I be in the study?

You will be followed from your diagnosis and throughout your treatment, with regular check-ups at different times.

How to find out more

Christoph Oster, Dr. med.

christoph.oster@uk-essen.de +49201-723-82598 Official trial record

Always speak to your GP or specialist before deciding to take part in a study.