To learn more about the Silent Infarct Transfusion Study please visit the main website at http://pediatrics.mc.vanderbilt.edu/sit.
The Silent Infarct Transfusion Study (SIT) is an international multi-center clinical study aimed at evaluation of the effectiveness of blood transfusion therapy for silent strokes, a common and serious complication of sickle cell disease.
This six-year study involves 25 sites in the United States, Canada, England, and France. The trial is funded by an $18.5 million National Institutes of Health grant. Michael R. DeBaun, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics and the J.C. Peterson Chair in Pediatric Pulmonology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, is the principal investigator for the study.
The goal of the study is to determine the efficacy of blood transfusion therapy as a treatment for preventing silent strokes. Silent strokes are strokes that do not cause immediately obvious symptoms and frequently go unrecognized. They are one of the most serious afflictions associated with sickle cell disease. They can cause declines in school performance, increased forgetfulness and a diminished ability to follow even simple instructions.