Title: Pacing the Octogenarian Plus Population (POPP): A Comparison of Physiologic Versus Ventricular Pacing in Those Who Are 80 Years of Age and Older
Number of Patients: 200
Trial Start Date: August 2003
Trial End Date: Expected completion in August 2009
Status: Recruiting
Purpose: Of the 19,000 pacemakers implanted across Canada in 2002, one-third of them were implanted in patients 80 years and older. Unfortunately, no study has specifically been done in this age group to determine the optimal pacing mode. This purpose of this study is to determine which pacing mode, physiologic or ventricular, is associated with a reduction in emergency room visits or hospitalizations for cardiovascular causes (e.g., congestive heart failure, atrial fibrillation), resulting in improved quality of life.
Contact: Anne M. Gillis, MD, Principal Investigator, Director of Pacing and Electrophysiology, Professor of Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada; Derek V. Exner, MD, MPH, Study Director, University of Calgary, Canada; D. George Wyse, MD, PhD, Study Director, University of Calgary, Canada; L. Brent Mitchell, MD, Study Director, University of Calgary, Canada; Robert S. Sheldon, MD, PhD, Study Director, University of Calgary, Canada; John M. Rothschild, MD, Study Director, University of Calgary, Canada; Henry J. Duff, MD, Study Director, University of Calgary, Canada; John Burgess, MD, Study Director, University of Calgary, Canada; Alexander Bayes, MD, Study Director, University of Calgary, Canada (emails N/A)

Title: Atrial Fibrillation and the Risk for Neurological Complications
Number of Patients: 1,000
Trial Start Date: January 2004
Trial End Date: 2009
Status: Recruiting
Purpose: The purpose of this longitudinal, prospective study aims at evaluating the influence of different types of atrial fibrillation on silent strokes and the related impairment in cognitive functions. Other risk factors and cardiovascular diseases that are known to provoke the development of strokes will be assessed as well.
Contact: Stefan Knecht, Prof., Principal Investigator, University Hospital Münster, Department of Neurology, Germany (knecht@uni-muenster.de)

Title: Medtronic Concomitant Utilization of Radio Frequency Energy for Atrial Fibrillation (CURE-AF)/Permanent AF Study Arm and a Persistent AF Study Arm
Number of Patients: 75 patients - Permanent AF Study; 75 patients - Persistent AF Study
Trial Start Date: November 2004
Trial End Date: Expected completion in December 2009
Status: Recruiting
Purpose: This is a prospective, nonrandomized multicenter trial evaluating the outcome of patients with atrial fibrillation requiring concomitant open heart surgery plus the Cardioblate Surgical Ablation System using the modified Maze III procedure.
Phase: III
Contact: Ralph Damiano, MD, Principal Investigator, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; A. Marc Gillinov, MD, Principal Investigator, The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio (emails N/A)