View clinical trials related to Nerve Degeneration.
Filter by:This project will test the hypotheses that people with 5-HT RBD have systemic alpha- synuclein pathology, prodromal DLB signs, and brainstem lesions in regions that control REM sleep. AIM 1 will seek to detect abnormally phosphorylated alpha- synuclein aggregates on targeted skin biopsy in a cohort of people with 5-HT RBD and matched controls (taking SSRIs but without RBD). Aim 2 will use ultra-high field MRI at 7T to examine the pontine region of the coeruleus/subcoeruleus complex for evidence of neurodegeneration as well as segment and parcellate REM sleep related neuronal structures. Aim 3 will test for speech deficits. While these aims are independent we suspect that the severity of autonomic, speech and cognitive deficits will correlate with loss of neuromelanin signal on MRI and pathology on skin biopsy. The investigation is a longitudinal designed study to examine histopathology, neuroimaging changes and speech function from baseline (Time 1) to a follow-up after 30 months (Time 2). A total of 60 individuals, 30 with 5-HT RBD and 30 controls, will be recruited at Time 1, brought back at Time 2, and tested across all Aims at both study visits.
The goal of this observational study is to investigate biomarkers and neurocognitive markers of neurodegenerative processes in obstructive sleep apnea patients. The main questions the study aims to answer are: - Does neurodegeneration assessed by neurobiological markers and neurocognitive test performance exists in obstructive sleep apnea? - Are these neurodegenerative markers are associated with the adherence to clinical prescribed positive airway pressure therapy? Newly diagnosed patients with obstructive sleep apnea will be observed during the use of clinical prescribed positive pressure therapy. Different study related investigations take place before and six months after treatment start. Researchers will compare after six months the group of adherent treatment participants with the non-adherent treatment participants group to investigate if differences in the observed neurobiological or neurocognitive parameters exist.
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the most common degenerative Parkinson's syndrome and is linked, among other things, to the excessive accumulation of an abnormally aggregating protein, alpha-synuclein. Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) is another Parkinson's syndrome, linked, among other things, to the abnormal accumulation of the protein Tau, and expressed clinically by falls, early cognitive impairment and oculomotor disorders, not present in PD. The onset of these disorders is so gradual that differential diagnosis between the two diseases is only possible at a late stage, on average 3 to 5 years after the onset of symptoms. To date, there is a lack of validated imaging biomarkers for diagnosing and monitoring PD and PSP. There is therefore an urgent need for the development of robust biomarkers capable of detecting neurodegeneration at an early stage, in order to aid differential diagnosis as soon as symptoms appear, and to potentially enable these patients to be included in specific therapeutic trials (as these diseases are pathophysiologically different) with potential neuroprotective effects. The development of cutting-edge technologies such as 7T MRI, combined with optimized image processing methods, now enable non-invasive in vivo exploration and analysis of these small structures in terms of ion homeostasis (sodium), microstructure (volumetry, amount of iron and neuromelanin) and connectivity.
The goal of this prospective, observational study is to compare in the association of glycemic control and retinal microvascular changes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) without diabetic retinopathy (DR). The main question it aims to answer are: • Do degenerative changes in retinal microvasculature or nerves depend on glycemic control even before diabetic retinopathy is detected? Participants will receive an annual routine comprehensive examination including ultra-widefield fundus photography, spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT), and swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).
The goal of this observational study is to evaluate the safety of heading in football. We will study the release of biomarkers in blood that reflect microscopic neural damage. The main questions this study aims to answer are: - Does participation in a football match lead to a change in biomarkers that reflect microscopic neural damage? - Is the dose of exposure during a football match related to the magnitude of change in biomarkers that reflect microscopic neural damage? Participants will participate in a regular football match and provide blood samples before and right after the football match. The football match will be recorded on video to count the number of headers of all participants.
Veterans with mid to later stage Parkinson's disease (PD) may not be able to work out as hard as they need to, to prevent brain cell loss. Maybe they could work out longer and more frequently to make up for this during their good times and good weeks and then rest during the bad weeks. The investigators will compare how effective working out a lot one week per month with a break of three weeks is to continuously exercising weekly with no breaks in people with mid stage PD. The investigators will look at how fast participants walk per minute, whether they become more physically active, the biochemicals in their blood, and at how stiff their blood vessels are before and after the exercise.
The purpose of this research study is to investigate how the brain, memory, thinking, and motor behavior change both in individuals with movement and/or cognitive disorders, as well as healthy individuals. Researchers will look at measurements of memory, thinking, brain wave and muscle activity, daily functioning, and brain scans to learn more about brain disorders such as Alzheimer disease and Lewy body disease.
The aim of this observational study is to answer the following questions in individuals with acute and chronic exposure to organophosphates. The main questions to be addressed are 1. What are the prognostic values of neuroinflammatory markers? 2. What are the genotoxic effects of organophosphates? 3. what are the changes occurring in the levels of traditional oxidative stress and inflammatory markers?
American football is a high-contact sport, also known as a collision sport. American football players are exposed to various magnitudes and frequencies of head impacts throughout the season. Accordingly, during the American football season, there is an increase in biomarkers that may be associated with brain damage and the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases later in life. In addition, oxidative stress and inflammation can also increase in athletes during the American football season. This study was planned with the thought that the MIND diet, which is beneficial for brain health with its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, may have positive effects on oxidative stress, inflammation and neurodegenerative risk biomarkers in American football players. The goal of this clinical trial is to examine the effects of the MIND diet on oxidative stress, inflammation and neurodegenerative risk biomarkers in American football players. The main question it aims to answer are: • [Question] Does the MIND diet lowers or reduce the levels of oxidative stress, inflammation and neurodegenerative risk biomarkers in American football players? Participants will be randomized into 2 groups MIND diet and control group. The current diet of the players in the control group will not be interfered with during the competition period, but the current nutrition of the players in the MIND diet group will be adapted to the MIND diet according to the food groups in the MIND diet components and their consumption frequencies. The players in the MIND diet group will be asked to include the food groups in the MIND diet in their diet in accordance with their consumption frequency. Researchers will compare the MIND diet and control groups to see if the MIND diet improves oxidative stress, inflammation and neurodegenerative risk biomarkers.
Neurodegenerative diseases are a major health concern due to their growing societal implications and economic costs. The identification of early markers of pathogenic mechanisms is one of the current main challenges. The gut-brain axis has become a primary target because of its transversal role across the neurodegenerative spectrum and its effect on cognition. However, despite recent progress, how changes in the gut-microbiota composition can affect the human brain is still unclear. The goal of this observational study is to characterise the gut-microbiota composition associated with alterations in brain structure and function during the ageing process and across neurodegenerative disorders. This is based on recent studies showing that changes in the human brain and in the microbiota composition, can indicate very sensitively and in a predictive way pathological development and, consequently, be used as markers of neurodegenerative diseases. The main questions it aims to answer are: - How variation in the gut-microbiota composition correlates with the normal brain ageing trajectory? - How dysregulation in the gut-microbiota correlates with pathological changes in brain regions in specific neurodegenerative disorders? - Can the impact of the gut-microbiota on the brain be modulated by blood biomarkers? The investigators will recruit 40 young healthy participants, 40 old healthy participants, 40 participants with prodromal Alzheimer's Disease, 40 participants with Parkinson's Disease and 40 participants with Multiple Sclerosis. Participants will undergo the following examinations: - Magnetic Resonance Imaging - Analysis of a stool sample - Analysis of a blood sample - Neuropsychological assessment - Questionnaires on eating habits