View clinical trials related to Brain Injury.
Filter by:This open label trial is conducted to investigate the efficacy and safety of the combination therapy of allogeneic umbilical cord blood (UCB) and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) for patients with brain injury or neurodegenerative disorders.
Identification of criteria associated with extubation failure of brain injured patients. Elaboration of a prognostic score of extubation failure of brain injured patients.
Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) are brain lesions that commonly occur in preterm infants and are well-recognized major contributors to long-term brain injury and related disabilities later in life. Despite its prevalence, long term consequences, and enormous medical and social costs, mechanisms of IVH and optimal strategies to prevent or treat its occurrence are poorly defined, especially for extremely premature infants. Only one medical therapy, prophylactic indomethacin during the first 3 days of life, has been shown to prevent or decrease the severity of IVH in preterm infants, but its use is limited by toxic side effects and debatable effects on long-term outcomes. Several small studies and case reports suggest that delayed umbilical cord-clamping (DCC) may also decrease the incidence of IVH in premature infants, but thus far these trials have indomethacin treatment mixed within their cord clamping protocols. The investigators are conducting a randomized, blinded investigation of 4 treatment groups: 1) Control (no intervention); 2) DCC alone; 3) Prophylactic indomethacin alone; 4) Combination of DCC/indomethacin, with respect to survival, IVH or PVL incidence and severity, neurodevelopmental outcomes, and relevant mechanistic effects. With the steady rise in extreme prematurity births and clear links of IVH to long-term disabilities there is a need to improve care for these patients. This multi- disciplinary project addresses an important medical problem for an understudied patient population, where the current practice has clear limitations.
Severe brain injuries induce alteration of state of consciousness. These functional limitations can be significantly alleviated by treatment neurorehabilitation, particularly if this is established early. It has been shown that treatment of vertical integration in patients in a vegetative state or minimally conscious state can improve the level of supervision and positive influence on rehabilitation. Therefore, there are sufficient indications that anticipate the treatment of vertical integration, since the phase of hospitalization in ICUs, may improve the functional outcome of the patient.
The present pilot study is designed to assess the extent to which BOTOX and MYOBLOC cause muscle atrophy in spastic patients. The primary objective is to assess whether there is statistically significant difference in muscle atrophy between the two groups over a one year period.
Morbidity and mortality of ICU patients is increased by the development of a "immunosuppression" systemic (IS). This IS develops in the early hours of hospitalization and is responsible for severe infections, including viral reactivations (Cytomegalovirus or Herpes Simplex Virus). Viral reactivation was associated with increased morbidity and mortality in intensive care units. In clinical practice, they are searched at the onset of organ failure or unexplained fever. The investigators wish to conduct this research in the stroke patients to assess the predictive power of these viral reactivations on the duration of mechanical ventilation.
This is a steering group approved substudy to the Target Temperature Management trial (TTM, ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01020916). TTM compares the effect of two strictly controlled temperature regimes for survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The primary aim of this sub-study is to compare the amount of cognitive impairment in cardiac arrest survivors treated with 33 degrees and 36 degrees and with a matched group of control patients with myocardial infarction. Our secondary aims are: - To investigate the impact of cognitive impairment on our patients' ability to participate in society and their health related quality of life. - To investigate the relationship between our patients cognitive impairments and their relatives/informants health related quality of life and feelings of burden. - To test the hypothesis that the simple cognitive screening battery used in the TTM main trial is sensitive enough to detect all patients with significant cognitive disability.
What is the CHAMP Study? The CHAMP Study is a multisite clinical trial funded by the National Institutes of Health that is comparing the efficacy of alternative therapies for young children with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy (or hemiparetic cerebral palsy). Children who meet study eligibility criteria at one of the three clinical sites (Roanoke, VA; Charlottesville, VA, and Columbus, OH) will be invited to enroll, and their parents will be provided all necessary paperwork along with informed consent documentation. Assignment to one of the alternative therapy conditions will be random. Participation in the study includes assessment of each child prior to treatment, close monitoring of the child's progress during treatment, and post-treatment evaluation at the end of therapy, as well as, 6 and 12 months later. Parents will have an active role in the project, both observing their child during therapy sessions and then engaging in home-based activities that allow the child to practice and extend new motor skills. There will be no charge for the therapy provided. What are the therapies being tested? In the past decade or so, a new form of therapy for children with hemiparetic cerebral palsy was developed and has shown to produce positive changes in individual children and in small clinical trials (e.g., DeLuca, Echols, Ramey, & Taub, 2003; DeLuca, Echols, Law, & Ramey, 2006; Case-Smith, DeLuca, Stevenson, & Ramey, 2012). The therapy is named Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) and refers to a multi-component form of therapy in which the child has the unimpaired or less impaired upper extremity constrained (by a cast or a splint) while also receiving active therapy from a specially trained therapist who shapes new skills and functional activities with the child's more impaired upper extremity. Traditionally, CIMT therapy dosages have been high - often lasting many hours per day, 5 days a week, for 4 consecutive weeks. There are important clinical and scientific questions that need to be answered about the effects of different dosage levels and about different types of constraint on the child's more functional (less impaired) arm and hand. This study will be the first that will directly compare different amounts of therapy and different types of constraint to evaluate what "works best" for young children. The therapy is very play-like and engaging for children, and no negative effects of casting or the high dosages have been detected in previous clinical trials. Who is eligible: Children between 2 and 8 years of age with a diagnosis of unilateral spastic cerebral palsy or hemiparetic cerebral palsy. Children must be relatively healthy, not currently receiving Botox (or other similar medications), and able to understand simple communication and instructions. In advance, the treatment will be explained in detail to parents and a written protocol available to share with the child's physician and other current therapist for review. During the one month of treatment, children will not receive other forms of physical or occupational therapy.
Protective ventilation (association of a tidal volume < 8 ml/kg with a positive end expiratory pressure) is poorly used in severe brain-injured patients. Moreover, a systematic approach to extubation may decrease the rate of extubation failure and enhance outcomes of brain-injured patients. We hypothesized that medical education and implementation of an evidence-base care bundle associating protective ventilation and systemic approach to extubation can reduce the duration of mechanical ventilation in brain-injured patients.
A multicenter observational pilot study will be conducted to determine the natural history of infants with early diagnosis (≤ 6 hrs of age) of mild neonatal encephalopathy (NE) who are not qualified for therapeutic hypothermia. The intervention includes: neurologic examination by using modified Sarnat score at ≤ 6 hrs of age, 24 hrs and before discharge home, amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (aEEG) at 6 ± 3 hrs of age, brain MRI at before discharge home to 30 days of age and follow-up at 18-22 months of age. Primary outcome is the percentage of mild NE infants with evidence of brain injury defined by the presence of at least 1 abnormality of brain MRI, aEEG or neurologic examination in the neonatal period. Secondary outcome is the percentage of brain MRI, aEEG and neurological exam abnormalities, seizure, length of hospital stay, need of gavage feeds or gastrostomy at discharge home, death and long-term outcome.