View clinical trials related to Disease.
Filter by:OBJECTIVES: I. Determine whether the benzodiazepine alprazolam reinforces self-medication behavior in anxious patients with varying histories of using other drugs. II. Establish outpatient methods for the study of self-medication and drug reinforcement in patients vulnerable to prescription drug abuse or dependence. III. Evaluate the influence of alcohol and other non-prescription drug use as determinants of vulnerability in these patients. IV. Identify personality, attitudinal, or other variables that might predict different patterns of self-medication. V. Assess the effects of cognitive-behavioral therapy on alprazolam self-medication.
OBJECTIVES: I. Determine whether the prevalence of abnormalities on clinical vestibular (balance) tests is higher in panic disorder with agoraphobia than in uncomplicated panic disorder and nonpanic anxiety disorder. II. Determine whether the prevalence of abnormalities on audiological tests of cochlear or brainstem function is elevated in panic disorder without agoraphobia or nonpanic anxiety disorder. III. Determine whether symptom patterns can be identified that are indicative of vestibular abnormalities in panic disorder. IV. Determine whether vestibular dysfunction can be induced by psychosomatic mechanisms.
OBJECTIVES: I. Characterize inheritance patterns of mutations in patients with beta-oxidation disorders.
This research study is designed to improve understanding about voice disorders that are due to uncontrolled muscle contractions affecting the voice box. The type of voice disorder depends on which muscles of the voice box are involved. Abductor spasmodic dysphonia may lead to a weak voice. Adductor spasmodic dysphonia may result in a strangled voice. Muscular tension dysphonia may lead to a strained voice. Some of the major goals of the study are to; 1. understand how sensation from the voice box affects voice and speech production 2. develop better ways to diagnose sensation abnormalities affecting the voice box 3. determine if patients with voice disorders differ from persons without voice disorders in the way they respond to sensory information from their voice box Researchers believe that by understanding better how sensations of the voice box are presented and how the muscles in the larynx respond to those sensations they will be able to develop better treatments for patients suffering from voice disorders. ...
Bipolar disorder is a mood (affective) disorder characterized by the occurrence of alternating feelings of excitement (mania) and depression. It is a common, but serious condition, and potentially life-threatening. Patients are considered to have a rapid cycling form of bipolar disorder if they experience four or more episodes of hypomania (mild degree of mania), mania, and/or depression. Approximately 20% of the patients in bipolar clinics have the rapid cycling form of the disorder. Therefore it can be said that RCBD is not a rare condition and that it can severely impair a patient. These reasons alone justify studying RCBD. However, researchers also believe that information gathered by studying patients with RCBD can be used while studying other patients with different forms of bipolar disorder. The purpose of this study is to screen patients diagnosed as having rapid cycling bipolar disorder to see if they fit the criteria for the diagnosis and to see if they would be interested in participating in other research studies. Patients will undergo diagnostic interviews, physical examination, routine blood tests, EKG (electrocardiogram), and complete self-rating forms as part of the screening process.
Abnormalities in the re-uptake of dopamine and serotonin have been described in various neuropsychiatric disorders and substance abuse. [I-123] Beta-CIT is a recently developed radioligand for SPECT imaging of dopamine and serotonin transporters. [I-123]Beta-CIT SPECT has been used at the SPECT-lab of the Clinical Brain Disorders Branch in over fifty subjects without adverse events. Due to the trace concentrations used, a pharmacological effect of Beta-CIT is unlikely and has not been observed. The purpose of this study is to use Beta-CIT and SPECT to study the expression of dopamine and serotonin transporters in vivo in normal controls and various patient populations to address hypothesized abnormalities of the transporters in different disorders and to understand the effects of genetic variations in the genes of these transporters on their in vivo expression.
Often women are prescribed hormone replacement therapy (HRT) during the perimenopause or menopause. Hormone replacement therapy includes both estrogen and progesterone. The estrogen component of HRT helps to relieve the symptoms and has a beneficial effect on the heart and bones, but estrogen also increases the risk of uterine cancer. The progesterone component of the HRT (progestin) works to prevent the increased risk of uterine cancer. There is evidence that some women experience unpleasant mood symptoms (such as irritability, depressed mood and anxiety) while receiving hormone replacement therapy (HRT) while taking the progestin / progesterone component of the HRT. This study is designed to evaluate the ability of progestins to produce negative mood symptoms in women. Researchers intend on doing this by comparing the effects of medroxyprogesterone acetate (Provera) and a placebo inactive sugar pill. Patient's moods will be monitered based on their response to questionnaires answered in the outpatient clinic and at home. This research will attempt to answer the following questions: 1. Are progestins associated with changes in mood during hormone replacement therapy? 2. If progestins are associated with mood disturbance, is it because they are blocking the beneficial effects of estrogen?
The purpose of this protocol is to identify families with inherited neurologic conditions, especially movement disorders, to evaluate affected and unaffected individuals clinically, and to obtain blood samples for genetic analysis.
The purpose of this study is to assist training doctors about different diseases of the nervous system affecting sleep. Patients selected to participate in this study will have any of a variety of sleep disorders. They will undergo several tests including an overnight recording of brain activity, eye movement, leg movement, breathing, heart rate, and other measures. Results of these tests will be used to better understand diseases causing sleep disorders and may be used to develop better treatments for them.
Bereavement refers to the expected reactions and sadness associated with the loss of a loved one. It has been reported that the loss of a spouse is rated as the major life stressor among survivors of varying ages and diverse cultural backgrounds. Statistics have shown that in the United States over 800,000 men and women lose a spouse each year. A wide range of symptoms has been associated with bereavement including; depressed mood, tearfulness, sleep disturbances, and irrational behavior. Previous studies have shown that up to 50% of bereaved individuals can develop major depression. Bereavement has also been associated with dysfunction of the immune system. As a result, bereaved adults are more vulnerable to infection. However, the exact relationship between bereavement and immunity is uncertain. Researchers firmly believe that a relationship does exist between stress, more specifically bereavement, immunity, and the increased chance of dying following the loss of a long-term spouse. The objective of this study is to find possible links between bereavement, depression, and the immune system. This study will follow a group of elderly bereaved spouses and a group of elderly people who have not lost a long-term spouse. The group of bereaved individuals will be followed for approximately 13 months after the loss of their spouse and the group of controls will be followed for 13 months after entering the study. Researchers will make note of any clinical, biological, and immunological changes in any participants of the study.