Sanne Hulsmann, PhD student: ‘Since 2023, I work as a PhD student at the Princess Máxima Center, researching hypothalamic and pituitary dysfunction in children diagnosed with, or treated for, a suprasellar brain tumor. This is a tumor located in the area of the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus. My research is part of the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Neuro-Oncology and Supportive Care.’ Under the supervision of Dr. Hanneke van Santen, pediatric endocrinologist, Sanne is working on the EndoWatch study. This project investigates how a smart watch can help manage hypothalamic dysfunction in children and adolescents with this rare condition.
Captain of balance
The hypothalamus is a small but vital area of the brain that regulates many bodily functions, including body temperature, sleep-wake cycles, appetite, energy expenditure, behavior and hormone balance. When the hypothalamus is damaged by a tumor or its treatment, it can lead to hypothalamic dysfunction. This condition causes a chronic imbalance in the body that can cause children to develop symptoms such as severe obesity, sleep disturbances, temperature regulation problems, behavioral disorders and hormone deficiencies. ‘Children with hypothalamic dysfunction often require continuous care,’ says Sanne. ‘This has a major impact on the quality of life of both the child and the parents, who now have to act as their 'external hypothalamus'.’
Smart Watch
Sanne explains: ‘We hope the smart watch will help children and their parents to monitor and manage the imbalance caused by hypothalamic dysfunction. By continuously monitoring things like temperature, stress, sleep and activity, parents and caregivers can respond earlier to the child's needs. For example, symptoms of low temperature, or low levels of the stress hormone cortisol, often occur when the child is already out of balance. Early detection of a drop in body temperature or increased stress levels (even before the child or parents notice it) can help with possible interventions. For example, putting on a warmer sweater or giving extra/earlier doses of stress hormone. By intervening earlier, the imbalance could be (partially) reduced. This can then affect overall health and quality of life.’
Study Results
The first part of the EndoWatch study (I) has now been completed. Sanne: 'We asked ten patients with hypothalamic dysfunction , due to a suprasellar brain tumor, to wear the Corsano watch for fourteen days. In this first phase, we mainly investigated what it is like to wear a watch all the time: is it comfortable? How does the accompanying app work? What works appropriately and what could be improved? A first impression is, that most participants had a positive experience of wearing the watch, but the results still need to be studied further.’ The goal is to make the watch as user-friendly as possible, so that it can make a real difference in daily lives of children with hypothalamic dysfunction and their families.
Follow-up research
Dr. Hanneke van Santen adds: ‘We are now preparing the next phase of the study, the EndoWatch-II study, which is expected to start in the second quarter of 2025. In this follow-up study, 50 patients will wear the watch for six months. We hope this will provide further insight into whether the watch actually helps children and parents in managing hypothalamic dysfunction. The results of both studies will guide further studies and determine what steps are needed to eventually bring the EndoWatch into practice.’
EndoWatch Study I and II
This study is a collaborative project between the Princess Máxima Center, Eindhoven University of Technology and Corsano Health B.V., funded by KWF Kankerbestrijding. The aim is to investigate whether the smart watch can help children and their parents to better manage hypothalamic dysfunction.