View clinical trials related to Blepharospasm.
Filter by:Background: Some people who have increased blinking may later develop blepharospasm. Blepharospasm is a neurological disorder that causes involuntary closing of the eyes. Researchers want to learn more about how eyes close in response to different stimuli. They want to study this in healthy people, people with increased blinking, and people with blepharospasm. Objective: To learn how light exposure affects people with blepharospasm. Eligibility: People ages 18 and older with blepharospasm or increased blinking, and healthy volunteers Design: Participants will be screened with: Medical history Physical exam Neurological exam Participants will have up to 5 visits. The number of visits will depend on the number of tests they opt to have. They can opt to have up to 4 tests. Visits last 60-90 minutes. They cannot drink alcohol or caffeinated drinks for at least 12 hours before visits. Visits could include the following tests: Evaluation of eyelid movements. This will be video recorded. Electromyography: Small sticky electrodes are placed on the lower eyelid skin. These are attached to wires. Muscle activity is recorded during blink reflex procedures. Electrical stimulation: An electrode is placed close to the eyebrow. It will deliver small electrical shocks. The strength of the shocks will be enough to provoke a blink. Photic stimulation: A lamp is placed in front of the face. It will deliver single or paired flashes. The flashes will be at various intervals and intensities. Participants will wear a patch over one eye during this test. Combination of electrical and photic stimulation
Background: - Blepharospasm is caused by excessive contraction of the muscles that close the eye. One treatment is botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT), which works by weakening those muscles. Like BoNT, acetyl hexapeptide-8 (AH-8) works to weaken the muscles, but is available as a skin cream. AH-8 is the active ingredient in a number of cosmetic creams used to treat wrinkles. Researchers thought that AH-8 cream could be used to treat blepharospasm, but the original dose studied was not very effective. They want to try a higher dose of AH-8 in a cream to see if it can be a more effective treatment. Objectives: - To see if AH-8 cream can improve the symptoms of blepharospasm. Eligibility: - Individuals at least 18 years of age who have blepharospasm that is severe enough to require treatment. Design: - This study will involve up to eight study visits. - Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history. They will answer questions about their symptoms. They will also have a blink test to see how severe the blepharospasm is. At this visit, participants will receive one of three types of cream. One cream will have a low dose of AH-8, one will have a higher dose of AH-8, and the other will be a placebo (no AH-8). - One month later, participants will have a followup visit, with tests similar to the first visit. They will also receive more of the cream. - One month later, participants will have another visit with the same tests. They will be videotaped at this visit to study their facial movements. Those who have responded to the treatment will continue to use the cream. Those who have not responded will be offered the chance to have BoNT injections, and will stop taking the cream. - One month later, participants who had BoNT injections will have a final visit to check for possible side effects. Those who continued to take the cream will continue on the study. - The fifth and sixth visits will involve the same tests as before. At the seventh visit, remaining participants will be offered the chance to have BoNT injections, and will stop taking the cream. - The final visit will check for any side effects from the cream or the injections.
The objective of this Phase II study is to show that pre-treated patients with BEB with the need of shortened injection intervals achieve an improved and stable quality of life level if they receive repeated NT 201 injections at short injection intervals. In addition, the tolerability of repeated shortened NT 201 administrations in patients with BEB including the development of neutralizing antibodies will be investigated.
This study will examine the role of certain areas of the brain in blepharospasm, a type of dystonia (abnormality of movement and muscle tone) that causes unwanted or uncontrollable blinking or closing of the eyelids. The study will compare brain activity in healthy volunteers and in people with blepharospasm to find differences in the brain that may lead to better treatments for dystonia. Healthy volunteers and people with blepharospasm who are 18 years of age and older may be eligible for this study. All candidates are screened with a medical history. People with blepharospasm also have a physical examination and blepharospasm rating. Participants undergo transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electromyography (EMG) in two 4-hour sessions, separated by 1 to 7 days. TMS A wire coil is held on the subject s scalp. A brief electrical current is passed through the coil, creating a magnetic pulse that stimulates the brain. The subject hears a click and may feel a pulling sensation on the skin under the coil. There may be a twitch in muscles of the face, arm or leg. During the stimulation, subjects may be asked to tense certain muscles slightly or perform other simple actions. Repetitive TMS involves repeated magnetic pulses delivered in short bursts of impulses. Subjects receive 60 pulses per minute over 15 minutes. EMG Surface EMG is done during TMS to measure the electrical activity of muscles. For this test, electrodes (small metal disks) are filled with a conductive gel and taped to the skin of the face.