View clinical trials related to Blindness.
Filter by:The purpose of this clinical trial is to examine the safety of gene therapy for Lebers Congenital Amaurosis (LCA) caused by RPE65 mutations using a recombinant adeno-associated virus serotype 2 (rAAV2) vector carrying the human RPE65 (hRPE65) gene. Recently, three independent short-term gene therapy studies in humans with LCA due to RPE65 mutations were published, suggesting that subretinal delivery of rAAV virus carrying the RPE65 gene is safe. As a secondary outcome, improvement in visual function was observed in seven of the first nine treated patients. The proposed study is a similar open label, Phase I clinical trial of uniocular subretinal rAAV2-hRPE65 administration to individuals with RPE65-associated retinal disease. Two cohorts of three subjects each and one cohort of four subjects will be included in this trial. Cohort 1 and 2 will consist of individuals 18 years of age and older and Cohorts 3 will consist of individuals 8 years of age and older. In cohort 2, a larger volume of vector will be administered. Enrollment in Cohort 3 will begin only after confirming the safety of rAAV2-hRPE65 administration in the older group of participants.
The purpose of the study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of an adeno-associated virus vector expressing RPE65 in patients with Leber congenital amaurosis caused by mutations in the RPE65 gene. Funding Source - FDA OOPD
To assess the effect of oral administration of the alga Dunaliella bardawil containing approximately 50% all-trans beta-carotene and 50% 9-cis beta-carotene isomers on visual functions patients with Congenital Stationary Night Blindness {Fundus albipunctatus).
The purpose of this study is to determine whether gene transfer will be safe and effective in the treatment of Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA).
Bacterial corneal ulcers are a leading cause of pediatric blindness in underdeveloped countries due to a lack of antibiotic availability and affordability, among other reasons. Povidone-iodine, an inexpensive and readily available broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent, may be an effective and affordable treatment for corneal ulcers, allowing preservation of sight for those afflicted with this disease.
This is a two-year proof-of-concept study to evaluate a new Virtual Reality (VR) "holographic" sound system for use as an audiological Orientation and Mobility (O&M) training tool
The goal of this project is to evaluate the Smart Wheelchair Component System (SWCS) for power wheelchairs and the Smart Power Assistance Module (SPAM) for manual wheelchairs in realistic indoor environments with target users performing realistic tasks. We will combine group trials involving individuals who have a visual impairment (but do not have a mobility impairment) with several single-case studio involving individuals who have a visual and mobility impairment. Our long-term objective is to provide independent mobility to veterans with mobility and sensory impairments.
Patients sometimes report subjective visual effects when taking sildenafil. Our study set out to measure these in a controlled setting. Subjects were asked to detect patterns presented on a monitor screen.
This study will determine if the brain regions in blind people that would normally be involved in vision are used instead to remember touch. Blind people have an enhanced sense of touch compared to sighted people, and they also perform better on tests for certain kinds of memory. This study will examine and compare the results of a touch memory test in blind and sighted people to determine what brain areas are involved in responding to touch. Blind people and sighted volunteers between 18 and 80 years of age who have no psychiatric problems or neurological problems (other than blindness) may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a medical interview and examination. Participants undergo one or both of the following procedures: Behavioral experiment Sighted participants are blindfolded during this experiment. Subjects sit comfortably in front of a table. They are presented with a number of surfaces placed on a table one at a time and are given 10 seconds to feel each surface with the index finger on their dominant hand. They must concentrate and memorize the surfaces as best they can. After a 15-minute break, they are again presented with a series of surfaces and given 10 seconds to feel each one. This time, they must say as quickly as possibly whether the surface is one they touched previously or is a new surface. Functional MRI MRI uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to obtain images of body organs and tissues. In this study, subjects undergo MRI scanning of the brain while performing the same touch test described above. For the MRI, the subject lies on a table that slides into the scanner. The MRI machine detects change in the brain regions involved in performing the task.
This study will examine whether blind people develop changes in the brain that improve memory function. Previous studies have shown that blind people, on average, perform better in memory tasks than sighted people. A possible reason for this is that parts of the brain that process visual information in sighted individuals are engaged in processing mnemonic (remembering) information in blind people. Blind and sighted people 18 years of age and older are eligible for this study. Healthy, sighted individuals may participate in Part 1 of the study, which is designed to find appropriate words to use in tests for Part 2 of the study. Part 2 will include sighted people and blind people. It will examine whether the (visual) brain in blind people is processing mnemonic information in a way that helps with day-to-day memory functions. Blind participants in this study must have lost their sight by age 4. Candidates will be screened with a medical interview and examination and a brief test of short-term and long-term verbal memory. Sighted patients will also be tested for visual memory and for handedness. Part 1 - Word Recognition Testing (2 sessions) - Session 1: Participants listen to a number of words over a loudspeaker and try to remember them for a memory test that will be given 30 minutes later. For the test, subjects listen to words again and press one of three buttons as quickly as possible after hearing the word. The buttons signal whether the subject does or does not recognize the word with a 1) high level of confidence or 2) low level of confidence. - Session 2: Participants hear a noun over a loudspeaker and have to find an appropriate verb for it, such as the verb (read) for the noun (book). Part 2 - MRI Scanning and TMS Experiments (5 - 7 sessions) - Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): Participants perform the same procedures as described above for Part 1 while undergoing MRI of the brain. For this test, the subject lies on a table inside the MRI scanner - a narrow cylindrical tube with a strong magnetic field. Scanning time varies from 20 minutes to 3 hours, with most scans lasting between 45 and 90 minutes. (Earphones are used to hear the words for this test instead of a loudspeaker.) - Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS): Participants undergo TMS while performing the same procedures described for Part 1. For TMS, a wire coil is held over the scalp. A brief electrical current is passed through the coil, creating a magnetic pulse that stimulates the brain. Subjects may hear a click and feel a pulling sensation on the skin under the coil. There may be a twitch in muscles of the arm or leg. During the TMS, electrical muscle activity is recorded through the electrodes with a computer or other recording device. Each session lasts a maximum of 3 hours.