View clinical trials related to Perceptual Disorders.
Filter by:Unilateral spatial neglect (USN) is believed to be a disorder of attention, characterized by impairment in the ability to perceive or respond to stimuli presented to the contralesional space, and which is not attributable to significant sensory or motor deficits. USN has serious consequences for rehabilitation and long term disabilities. Efforts have been made to clarify both the theoretical basis of this phenomenon and the rehabilitation methods that will be best in improving function. The purpose of this study is to try and contribute to both efforts by examining treatment effectiveness of two methods; one targeting general arousal (phasic alerting), and the other targeting increasing awareness to left side stimuli and habit changes. Functional neuroimaging methods (PET [positron emission tomography] and fMRI [functional magnetic resonance imaging]) have been applied to understand the functional anatomy of the brain during mental processes. Only a few attempts have been made to use functional neuroimaging in patients with neurological deficits such as USN, usually speculations are made based on findings with healthy participants to explain this disorder. This study's aim is to examine the functional reorganization of the attentional network in the brain of USN patients while performing visual tasks, by means of functional neuroimaging techniques, in light of specific rehabilitation techniques. Patients will be examined before and after 3 weeks of rehabilitation both using standardized neurobehavioral tests and PET imaging procedures.
The purpose of the current proposal is to pilot a new and potentially improved treatment for neglect. The procedure involves the delivery of transcutaneous small-amplitude current to the vestibular nerves that lie directly below the mastoid bones.
The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on hearing in post-menopausal women.
The investigators propose to explore the hypothesis that vibrotactile channels for indicating spatial orientation can be exploited as a sensory prosthesis. The specific research applications will be used for guiding visual orientation, to provide alternative feedback to vision and vestibular signals for controlling balance, and for directional and lateralisation cueing in patients with neglect syndromes. The programme will study whether vibrotactile feedback improves performance and also if it speeds rehabilitation when used as an adjunct to conventional therapy.
Some children with certain language disorders may not properly process the sounds they hear, resulting in language impairments. The purpose of this study is to determine if deficits in auditory temporal processing the way the brain analyzes the timing and patterns of sounds are an inherited trait. Families with auditory temporal processing deficits are sought in order to identify the genes responsible for auditory temporal processing deficits. Children and adults with a diagnosis or history of language impairment in the family and their family members both affected and non-affected are eligible for this two-part study. In Part 1, participants undergo a series of language tests and listening tests to measure various characteristics of how they perceive sound. In Part 2, they are interviewed about language disorders, learning disabilities, and other medical problems of family members. This information is used to construct a pedigree (family tree diagram) showing the pattern of inheritance of family traits. Study subjects whose pedigree indicates that language disorders may be hereditary in their family will provide either a small blood sample (1 to 2 tablespoons) or a tissue specimen obtained from a cheek swab (rubbing the inside of the cheek with a small brush or cotton swabs). The sample will be used to isolate DNA for genetic analysis.