View clinical trials related to Ataxia Telangiectasia.
Filter by:Ataxia-Telangiectasia A-T is a neurodegenerative disorder of the cerebellum, manifesting with ataxia, as well as extrapyramidal features. Treatment of A-T is discouraging, since no treatment seems to change the course of disease, but improvement can be achieved by symptomatic treatment of the bothersome movement disorder . While various dopaminergic agents are occasionally used, reports of benefit are rather sparse and anecdotal. Amantadine, a well known drug used in influenza as well as movement disorder of Parkinson, has been proved to improve various other types of movement disorder as ataxia, chorea, dystonia, akinesia and attention span. The purpose of this study is to investigate weather amantadine sulphate improves ataxia and the movement disorder (bradykinesia, parkinsonism, dystonia, chorea), as well as the general well being in patients with A-T.
Ataxia Telangiectasia (AT) is an autosomal recessive inherited condition caused by mutations in the ATM gene1. Patients suffer from neuro-degenerative problems, usually commencing in the second year of life, and affecting predominantly the cerebellum. They also develop the characteristic superficial telangiectases. Between 60 and 80% of affected children are immunodeficient. This is associated with deficiency of immunoglobulin A (IgA ) 2, of IgG23 and of antibody responses to pneumococcal polysaccharides4. Patients suffer recurrent sino-pulmonary infections but a recent study suggests poor correlation between immune status and immunological parameters5. If uncontrolled, recurrent pulmonary infections can contribute to the development of chronic lung disease and bronchiectasis. Preventative management includes continuous prophylactic antibiotic treatment in some with the need for replacement immunoglobulin therapy in only a small proportion of cases. Antibiotics have been reasonably effective in this situation but the emergence of resistance amongst community acquired pneumococcal isolates is a cause for concern. Appropriate immunisation strategies may also have a role. This study is designed to look at antibody responses in a one versus two dose regimen in a cohort of AT patients recruited through the AT Society a national charitable organisation involved in providing support to families with this condition and in fostering education and research in the field.
This research is being done to find out if Baclofen, a medicine that is often used for the treatment of abnormal stiffness, might also be useful to treat some of the neurologic problems caused by ataxia telangiectasia (A-T). The investigators also want to find out if there are better ways to measure the problems of ataxia and abnormal eye movement for future studies of medication in ataxia telangiectasia.
This is a pilot/feasibility study designed to investigate the feasibility of treating children with Ataxia-Telangiectasia (A-T) and cancer with regimens nearly as intense as non-A-T patients with cancer would receive.