View clinical trials related to Neurodegenerative Diseases.
Filter by:The goal of this project is to determine whether this device is a practical and realistic means for ALS patients to operate their computers with only the use of facial, brainwave, and eye movements. This study is intended to evaluate both the complexity of the system and the degree to which complications of ALS (such as severity of involuntary movements) may interfere with the use of cyberlink.
The literature to date indicates that noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) provides effective noninvasive ventilator support, prolongs survival, and improves quality of life (QOL) in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) patients. It is generally recommended to patients when their pulmonary function testing demonstrates a drop to 50% forced vital capacity (FVC). One result of using NIPPV may be a reduction in the work of the breathing which would lead to decreased caloric needs. However, the work of breathing and the effects of noninvasive ventilation on caloric use have not been studied in patients with ALS. This is extremely important since there may be a reduction in the caloric needs when ALS patients are placed on NIPPV and if the caloric intake is not adjusted, overfeeding can occur. Overfeeding with too many calories can lead to an increase in carbon dioxide which would actually worsen the respiratory failure. The overall aim of this project is to evaluate how many calories are used by ALS patients while at rest, when placed on NIPPV, and when breathing against a resistance. This will be accomplished using a metabolic cart during these activities. At present, the metabolic cart is routinely used in ALS patients at the time of feeding tube placement to calculate caloric needs. Using the cart to calculate the caloric expenditure on and off the ventilator will aid in calculating the work of breathing and the effects of NIPPV on work of breathing.
Despite significant progress in the identification of mechanisms involved in motor neuron degeneration in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and other motor system diseases, the actual pathogenesis and cause of these diseases remains unknown. Effective treatment of these diseases are dependent on the elucidation of their causes. The availability of diseased and control human tissues will be a critical resource for this research progress. . Samples of serum, spinal fluid, and urine from patients with motor system diseases can be used to study biochemical and genetic differences compared to tissues of neurologic disease controls and normal controls. Furthermore, the availability of autopsied CNS, PNS, as well as other tissues from patients with ALS or suspected ALS are useful for current and future research studies into the disease. Therefore, we propose to institute a Tissue Bank containing blood, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid donated from not only ALS and other motor neuron disease patients, but also those with other neurologic diseases and normals whose tissue can be used as controls. In addition there will be an autopsy band for post-mortem specimens of ALS and other motor neuron disease patients. Each specimen, whether from a living patient or autopsy will be de-identified and accompanied by a standard set of clinical information collected from the medical records in order that each specimen is characterized with the relevant clinical information to maximize the usefulness of the specimens. Once established, this tissue bank will provide a resource in which a large number of samples will be readily available and expedite research by circumventing the delays in collecting specimens prospectively. These specimens will be used for research in the ALS Center of Hope at Drexel University College of Medicine and shared with any outside investigator with a valid IRB approved protocol.
The purpose of a CSF repository is to collect samples of spinal fluid from controls and patients with neurologic disorders including but not exclusively ALS, Dementia, CRPS, neuropathies, and other neuromuscular diseases. This CSF repository will allow the use of CSF in biochemical studies of various neurologic diseases. It would also provide a supply of the necessary normal and disease control patients. CSF would be obtained from patients who are undergoing spinal taps for other reasons including diagnosis, treatment, or participation in clinical trials. We are proposing to collect an additional < 3 ml of CSF from a lumbar puncture that is already being performed for diagnostic or therapeutic reasons, in order to store it in our laboratory for use in future research studies. No lumbar punctures will be initiated specifically for this protocol.
The work of Nau et. al (Nau KL, Bromberg MB, Forshew DA, Katcha Vl. Individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are in caloric balance despite losses in mass. J Neurol Sci 1995;129 :47-49) showed that patients in the early stages of ALS initially increase their body fat. Another study showed that advanced ALS patients on mechanical ventilation were actually hypometabolic, supporting a hypothesis that ALS patients' daily oral intakes of calories fail to match their energy requirements, thus exacerbating their condition. This current study investigates and compares substrate utilization using a metabolic cart in controls and in ALS patients who are on and off ventilatory support to examine differences in substrate utilization between the two groups of ALS patients and the controls. (Substrate utilization is essentially the percentage of fats, carbohydrates, and protein utilized by the body.) The study will increase our understanding of the nutritional needs of ALS patients and improve our ability to provide the best possible nutrition in progressive illness.
This study intends to study the safety and tolerance of the combination of pyruvate, creatine, and niacinamide over 6 months in patients with PSP.
Background: - The relation between eye movement and brain function is a subject of interest to the National Eye Institute. - By comparing eye movement in healthy volunteers to research conducted on patients who have difficulty moving their eyes, the National Eye Institute hopes to develop and improve diagnostic procedures for people with eye diseases. Objectives: -The purpose of this study is to understand how we see visual patterns and how we move our eyes to see. Eligibility: - Normal volunteers: - must have no serious illnesses and must be 18 years of age or older - are able to follow directions and pay attention to visual stimuli and respond as appropriate - individuals with a history of eye or brain diseases, or previous eye or eye muscle surgery, are not allowed to participate in this study. Individuals who are currently using eye medications also are not eligible for the study. - Patients: - who are 18 years of age or older - are able to follow directions and pay attention to visual stimuli and respond as appropriate Design: - Participants will visit the National Eye Institute outpatient clinic for examination and testing. - Participants will be screened with a medical history and eye examination (including eye pressure and eye movement tests). - Participants with healthy eyes will participate in eye movement testing experiments: - One or more sessions lasting less than three hours each. - Eye movements will be recorded with a video/infrared camera system. - For the majority of the studies done under this protocol, only one or two sessions will be required. A few studies recording very small eye movements will require three or more sessions.
The purpose of this study is to assess the long term safety of SCH 420814 (preladenant) in participants with moderate to severe Parkinson's Disease who are taking an L-Dopa/dopa decarboxylase inhibitor and/or dopamine agonist. All participants must have participated in the main study (P04501; NCT00406029) entitled "A Phase 2, 12 Week, Double Blind, Dose Finding, Placebo Controlled Study to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of a Range of SCH 420814 Doses in Subjects With Moderate to Severe Parkinson's Disease Experiencing Motor Fluctuations and Dyskinesias."
The purpose of the study is to assess the efficacy and safety of a range of doses of SCH 420814 (preladenant) when used together with a stable dose of L-dopa/dopa decarboxylase inhibitor to treat Parkinson's disease. In this study, we will be comparing 3 doses (1 mg, 2 mg, and 5 mg taken twice a day) of preladenant with placebo (sugar pill). Following an Interim Analysis (temporary hold for new enrollment-ongoing subjects will continue on treatment) to review drug safety, a new dose group of 10 mg (taken twice a day) may be added. Approximately 160 participants will be randomized in this study in approximately 22 study centers worldwide for the first part of this study. Following the Interim Analysis, 40 new participants may be added, for a total of 200 participants. The study is double blind, which means neither you nor your study doctor will know whether you are receiving the study medication or placebo.
The initial study of [123I] INER will be completed in two parts. Once Part A (Preliminary whole body biodistribution) is completed, Part B (Serial dynamic SPECT assessment of regional brain uptake and washout and plasma metabolite analysis to determine the brain penetrance and regional distribution and washout counts following 123-I INER injection) will commence. All study procedures will be conducted at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders (IND) and Molecular NeuroImaging (MNI) in New Haven, CT. All subjects will undergo written informed consent and a screening evaluation including baseline clinical laboratory testing, and a baseline physical and neurological evaluation.