View clinical trials related to Usher Syndromes.
Filter by:This study is aimed to characterize Russian population of Retinitis Pigmentosa
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and tolerability of QR-421a administered via intravitreal injection (IVT) in subjects with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) due to mutations in exon 13 of the USH2A gene.
This study is aimed to characterize Russian population of Usher patients.
This clinical trial is a single-site, 30 patient study for participants who have early stage retinitis pigmentosa, or Usher syndrome (type 2 or 3). Funding Source - FDA OOPD and Foundation Fighting Blindness.
This study will explore clinical and genetic aspects of Usher syndrome, an inherited disease causing deafness or impaired hearing, visual problems, and, in some cases, unsteadiness or balance problems. Patients with type 1 Usher syndrome usually are deaf from birth and have speech and balance problems. Patients with type 2 disease generally are hearing impaired but have no balance problems. Patients with type 3 disease have progressive hearing loss and balance problems. All patients develop retinitis pigmentosa, an eye disease that causes poor night vision and eventually, blindness. Patients of any age with Usher syndrome may be eligible for this study. Patients who have had eye and hearing evaluations are asked to send their medical records to the research team at the National Eye Institute (NEI) for review. They are also asked to have a blood sample drawn by a medical professional and sent to NEI for genetic analysis. Finally, they are interviewed about their family histories, particularly about other relative with eye disease. Patients who have not been evaluated previously have the following tests and procedures at NIH: - Family medical history, especially regarding eye disease. A family tree is drawn. - Blood draw for genetic studies of Usher syndrome. - Eye examination to assess visual acuity and eye pressure, and to examine pupils, lens, retina, and eye movements. - Electroretinogram (ERG) to test the function of visual cells. Wearing eye patches, the patient sits in a dark room for 30 minutes. Electrodes are taped to the forehead and the eye patches are removed. The surface of the eye is numbed with eye drops and contact lenses are placed on the eyes. The patient looks inside a hollow, dark globe and sees a series of light flashes. Then a light is turned on inside the globe and more flashes appear. The contact lenses sense small electrical signals generated by the retina when the light flashes. - Fluorescein angiography to evaluate the eye's blood vessels. A yellow dye is injected into an arm vein and travels to the blood vessels in the eyes. Pictures of the retina are taken using a camera that flashes a blue light into the eye. The pictures show if any dye has leaked from the vessels into the retina, indicating possible blood vessel abnormality. - Hearing tests to help determine the patient's type of Usher syndrome. Tests to evaluate hearing include examination of both ears with an otoscope, evaluation of the middle ear and inner ear, and hearing tests using earphones that deliver tones and words the subject listens and responds to. - Vestibular testing for balance function. Balance testing involves three procedures: Videonystagmography: This test records eye movements with little cameras. First the patient follows the movements of some small lights. Next, while wearing goggles, the patient lies on an exam table and turns to the right and left. Lastly, a soft stream of air is blown into the patient's ears four times, once in each ear with cool air and once in each ear with warm air. Rotary chair test: With electrodes placed on the forehead, the patient sits in a rotary chair in a dark room. Several red lights appear on the wall of the room and the patient follows the lights as they move back and forth. Then the chair turns at several speeds, all slower than a merry-go-round. Vestibular evoked potential: Electrodes are placed behind the patient's ear and at the base of the neck. Seated in a reclining chair and wearing earphones, the patient hears a brief series of loud clicking sounds. When the sounds are on, the patient is asked to lift his or her head up a few inches from the chair. The electrodes record information from the muscles in the neck as the sounds enter the ear.
Hearing loss and loss of vision can be very harmful to the well-being and life of people who suffer from them. Usher syndrome is the name of a disease where people have both hearing loss and visual loss. In fact more than half of people who are deaf and blind have Usher syndrome. In this study we are trying to find the causes of all types of Usher syndrome and to learn more about how the eyes and ears work. Usher syndrome is caused by changes in our genes that lead to mistakes in the functioning of our eyes and ears. We may conduct hearing tests called audiograms to test hearing and a vision test called an electroretinogram (ERG) to test how well the retina (the part of your eye that senses light) is working on participants in the study. From these tests we can tell what kind of Usher syndrome a participant may have. We will then get DNA from participants by drawing blood. The DNA will be studied, along with DNA from members of the participant's family and other families, to try to find the gene that is causing Usher syndrome in the participant. Once the gene is found we will be able to study it to learn more about how the eyes and ears work. If a subject has already been diagnosed we may just need copies of their medical records and blood can be drawn locally. In order to increase the power of the study and the likelihood of detecting relevant genes participants will be taken from the Ashkenazi Jewish population group only. This will make it much easier to find the genes.
The purpose of this investigation is to gain additional knowledge about what causes type 1 and type 2 Usher syndrome-inherited diseases that can cause balance problems and impaired hearing and vision-and to develop better diagnostic tests. Patients with type 1 Usher syndrome usually are deaf from birth and have speech and balance problems. Patients with type 2 disease generally are hearing impaired but have no balance problems. All patients develop eye problems that cause difficulty seeing in the dark. The development of newer and more sophisticated diagnostic tests may detect subtle differences in signs and symptoms that allow more accurate distinction between the two types of Usher syndrome. This study will use these tests to classify these syndromes and eventually identify the genes responsible for them. Study participants will have a medical and family history taken and a family tree constructed. They will undergo a thorough eye examination, including special tests of color vision, field of vision, and ability to see in the dark. An electroretinogram will be done to measure the function of cells in the retina, and a procedure called fluorescein angiography will be done to look at and photograph the blood vessels in the retina. Special hearing and balance tests will also done. Hearing tests include physical examination of the ears and wearing earphones while listening to tones. Balance and coordination tests require tasks such as walking in a straight line and standing in the dark with eyes closed. A caloric stimulation test will also be done, in which a small amount of water is irrigated into the ear canal. For gene studies, blood samples will be collected from patients and all available family members.