View clinical trials related to Central Nervous System Diseases.
Filter by:This study will examine how HIV affects the brain and nervous system, learning, and behavior in children on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Although HAART has resulted in fewer HIV-infected children getting sick and even fewer dying from AIDS, many children on this treatment regimen develop significant brain or nervous system problems, such as learning difficulties, attention problems, hyperactivity, and depression. People who acquired HIV disease in the first decade of life and who have evidence of central nervous system (CNS) disease (e.g., encephalopathy, CNS compromise, ADHD, bipolar disease, major depression or psychosis) may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a medical history, physical examination, neuropsychological testing and a CT scan of the head, if one has not been done within 12 months of entering the study. Participants undergo the following tests and procedures: - MRI and MRS scan of the head: These tests use a magnetic field and radio waves to obtain images of the brain and detect changes in certain brain chemicals that may be affected by HIV infection. Both procedures are done at the same time. The patient lies on a table that is moved into the scanner (a narrow cylinder), wearing earplugs to muffle loud knocking and thumping sounds that occur during the scanning process. The procedure lasts about 50 to 60 minutes, during which time the patient can communicate with the staff. - Neuropsychological testing: Patients' thinking and behavior are evaluated with tests to measure their memory, attention, language, problem-solving, academic, and motor skills and questionnaires to assess behavioral and emotional functioning, quality of life, and adherence to HIV medication. Parents are also asked to complete questionnaires assessing their child's behavioral and emotional functioning, quality of life, important life events, and adherence to HIV medication. - Lumbar puncture (spinal tap): Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is collected for analysis. For this procedure, a local anesthetic is given and a needle is inserted in the space between the bones in the lower back where the CSF circulates below the spinal cord. Some fluid is collected through the needle. Blood tests and a physical examination are done before the procedure to make sure it can be done as safely as possible. Patients may also be sedated to prevent any discomfort. - Follow-up: The blood tests, MRI and MRS scans and spinal tap are repeated 1 and 2 years after the initial evaluation. Some blood and spinal fluid samples from participants are stored for possible future studies related to HIV research
This study will examine the underlying mental processes that determine how people understand social behavior, remember information, and think. Language, planning, problem solving, reasoning, social behavior, and memory are the critical parts of cognition that make up daily life. This study will explore the association between performance on various experimental tasks and day-to-day functioning. Healthy normal volunteers and patients with certain kinds of brain damage (primarily focal or degenerative lesions of the human prefrontal cortex) or psychiatric disorders may be eligible for this study. Candidates with central nervous system trauma, disease or dysfunction will be screened with a routine neurological examination and history. Participants may be asked to complete written tests, sit in front of a computer monitor and press a key to indicate a decision about what appears on the screen (for example, whether a statement is accurate) and answer questions from a test examiner. A skin conductance response (SCR) test may be done along with some of the cognitive tests. SCR uses electrodes (pieces of metal attached to wires) placed on the fingers to measure the subject's emotional reaction to a test. Participants may also do an evoked response test, in which the subject watches words or scenes on a TV screen while his or her responses are recorded from electrodes placed on the scalp (similar to an electroencephalogram). The tests will be scheduled for an average of one session a week, with each session lasting from 30 minutes to 3 hours. Generally, 15 sessions will be scheduled over a 1-year period. Special arrangements will be made to accommodate participants from out-of-town. Participants may have a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the brain. This test uses radio waves and a strong magnetic field to picture structural and chemical changes in tissue. For the procedure, the subject lies on a table in a space enclosed by a metal cylinder (the scanner) for about 1 hour. In addition, some study subjects will be invited to participate in a training study designed to improve their planning or social behavior. Participation requires coming to NIH daily over a 1- to 2-month period for 1 to 2 hours each visit.
This research trial will study discourse processing-that is, how the brain processes the meaning of language. It will examine, for example, how words and sentences are interpreted in cases where more than one meaning is possible. The study will include two parts: 1. An investigation of the role of the prefrontal cortex of the brain in discourse processing will compare test performance of patients with prefrontal cortex damage with that of healthy age-matched normal volunteers. 2. An investigation of the role of aging in discourse processing will compare test performance of young healthy subjects (18 to 40 years old) with older healthy subjects (41 to 80 years old). All study candidates-both normal volunteers and patients with brain damage-must be at least 18 years old, speak English as their native language, have a high school degree or equivalent (GED), read on a minimum fourth grade level and be right-handed. Study candidates who have central nervous system disease, dysfunction or trauma will have a routine history and neurological examination. They will also undergo neuropsychological testing if they have not already done so. Patients with neurological damage who have not had a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan within six months or a year will be asked to undergo this procedure. Study participants will take verbal or written tests; sit in front of a computer screen and press computer keys in response to what they are shown; answer questions from an examiner, which may be tape-recorded; and fill out questionnaires. There will be rest breaks between tasks. The studies will be spread over three to four days, with sessions lasting from 30 minutes to three hours.
OBJECTIVES: I. Evaluate the safety, tolerance, and potential efficacy of 3 doses of human anti-cytomegalovirus (CMV) monoclonal antibody SDZ MSL-109 (MOAB MSL-109) in the treatment of newborns with congenital CMV infection and no central nervous system disease. II. Determine the relationship between plasma concentrations of MOAB MSL-109 and therapeutic outcome. III. Determine whether MOAB MSL-109 influences the antibody response and clearance of virus from the urine.