View clinical trials related to Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.
Filter by:The purpose of the study is to evaluate the use of autologous Bone Marrow Derived Stem Cells (BMSC) as a means to improve cognitive impairment as occurs in Alzheimer's Disease and other dementias and to improve behavior and socialization issues which occur in adult Autism Spectrum Disorder. The use of Near Infrared Light, in conjunction with the use of BMSC, will also be assessed.
to examine the relationship between repeated concussions and late decline of brain function. In addition, all participants agreeing to participate in the study will be asked to will their brains to The Krembil Neuroscience Centre Concussion Project at the Toronto Western Hospital with the consent and full knowledge of their families and doctors. However, it is possible to participate in the research without agreeing to a brain donation. The Project Team is specifically attempting a clinical-MRI-brain tissue research analysis to determine the exact mechanism of the damage to brain tissue following repeated concussions. This condition is known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and shows an abnormal protein in the brain called tau-protein.
Concussion is the most common type of brain injury throughout life. Study is seeking improvement of long-term residua following adolescent and adult post-traumatic injuries often associated with contact sports and accidental causes. Typically defined as reversible head injury with temporary loss of brain function. Symptoms range from physical, cognitive, pain (headache) and emotional signs consistent with TBI and Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Use of AD-cSVF parenteral delivery to encourage repair of damage and decreased function following concussion, particularly in contact, repetitive sports injuries. Range of damage is measured in Grade I-III according to graduated severity. Unfortunately, less information is available about repetitive concussions and the long-term health issues.
The investigators have designed an innovative proof-of-concept trial designed to provide data as to whether the treatment/rehabilitation efficacy and functional outcome of patients with organic brain syndrome are improved with intranasal inhalations of bioactive factors (BF), produced by autologous M2 macrophages (auto-M2-BFs). The rationale for this approach is the ability of central nervous system to repair and the important role of macrophages in the regulation of this process. It was found that type 2 macrophages have anti-inflammatory and reparative potential, whereas M1 cells possess pro-inflammatory and neurotoxic effects. Action of M2 macrophages is largely realized through the production a wide variety of bioactive factors (cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, neuropeptides, microvesicles etc) that inhibit inflammation, protect neurons from apoptosis, stimulate neurogenesis, the growth and remyelination of axons, the formation of new synapses and activate angiogenesis. This study uses auto-M2-BFs, as therapeutic agents and intranasal administration focusing on nose to brain transport, as a mode of delivery. Expected clinical effects in treated subjects: improvement of cognitive functions (memory, language, attention); correction of focal neurological deficit (paresis, spasticity, sensory disorders); reduction vestibular/ataxic disorders (vertigo, unsteadiness when walking); reduction of headaches; reduction of asthenia (weakness, fatigue); correction of emotional disorders (anxiety, depression).
This is a study to develop methods of diagnosing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) during life, as well as to examine possible risk factors for this neurodegenerative disease. One component of this study is the use of an investigational PET scan radio tracer to detect abnormal tau protein in the brain.
This is a human clinical study involving the isolation of autologous bone marrow derived stem cells (BMSC) and transfer to the vascular system and inferior 1/3 of the nasal passages in order to determine if such a treatment will provide improvement in neurologic function for patients with certain neurologic conditions. http://mdstemcells.com/nest/
The potential long-term effects of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) are poorly understood. Repeated concussions have been associated with an elevated incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) along with a reduced age of onset. As repetitive TBI has been studied, a syndrome has now been identified: chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). There are growing concerns about the long-term neurologic consequences of head impact exposure from routine participation in contact sports (e.g., boxing, football). Brain autopsies of athletes with confirmed CTE have demonstrated tau-immunoreactive neurofibrillary tangles and neuropil threads (known as tauopathy). The relationship between exposure to repetitive head impact and the subsequent development of chronic neurodegenerative disease has not been established. Further, as the diagnosis of CTE (defined by the presence of tauopathy) is presently made after death at autopsy, clinical tools and biomarkers for detecting it remain to be defined. With the advent of FDA-approved PET amyloid imaging, clinicians and researchers are now able to estimate plaque density in the brains of living patients. However, there are critical limitations to amyloid imaging. Current evidence suggests that markers of the presence and severity of tauopathy may be able to address these limitations. The study will utilize both [18F] Florbetapir and [18F]-T807 PET imaging to investigate amyloid and tau accumulation in subjects with a history of concussions. In order to determine whether problems with cognition and memory are seen within the populations defined for the study, the researchers will administer a core battery of neurocognitive testing. This battery will assess cognitive abilities commonly affected by TBI, including processing speed, reaction time, new problem-solving, executive functions, attention and concentration, and learning and memory. These tests, in conjunction with the imaging, will be able to determine whether regional brain activity is associated with specific cognitive problems. The researchers will obtain PET and neurocognitive data in 3 cohorts: subjects with a history of TBIs, subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and no TBI history, and healthy controls. The investigators aim to determine whether individuals with TBI are on the same trajectory of neurodegenerative disease seen in AD or in CTE. Because of the overlap in clinical/cognitive and some behavioral symptoms in AD and CTE, an additional biomarker tool is needed to prevent misdiagnosis. Accurate diagnosis is crucial in order to provide patients with appropriate treatment.
Background: - Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a brain disease caused in part by head injury. The brain changes from CTE can only be seen at autopsy. Researchers want to test a new brain scan to help diagnose CTE in living patients. Objective: - To determine if a new type of brain scan can detect changes that occur in chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Eligibility: - Adults age 18 60 with previous head injury or participation in certain sports. Design: - Participants will be screened with: - Physical exam - Blood and urine tests - Tests of thinking, mood, and memory - 30-minute magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scan. A magnetic field and radio waves take pictures of the brain. Participants will lie on a table that slides into a metal cylinder. They will get earplugs for the loud knocking sounds. - Visit 1: Participants will have a 70-minute PET scan of the brain with a small amount of a radioactive chemical. That will be injected through an intravenous tube (catheter) in each arm. A catheter will also be put into an artery at the wrist or elbow. - Participants will lie on a bed that slides in and out of a donut-shaped scanner. A plastic mask may be molded to their face and head. Vital signs and heart activity will be checked before and during the scan. - Blood and urine will be taken before and after the scan. - Participants will be checked on by phone the next day. - Visit 2: Participants will repeat Visit 1 with a different chemical and no artery catheter. - Visit 3: Participants may have a spinal tap. Some fluid will be removed by needle between the bones in the back.
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive degenerative brain disease with symptoms that include memory loss, problems with impulse control, and depression that can lead to suicide. As the disease progresses, it can lead to dementia. Currently CTE can only be diagnosed postmortem where an over-accumulation of a protein called tau is observed. There is now a new experimental measure that makes it possible, for the first time, to measure tau protein in the living human brain using a novel positron emission tomography (PET) ligand, [F-18] AV-1451 (aka, [18F]-T807). The main objective of this study is to use a novel PET approach to measure tau accumulation in the brain. The presence of CTE at autopsy in deceased National Football League (NFL) players has been well documented. Accordingly, we will conduct this study in a group of retired NFL players who have clinical symptoms of CTE and are suspected of having CTE based on high levels of tau in their spinal fluid and abnormalities seen on research brain scans. We will compare them with a control group of former elite level athletes who have not experienced any brain trauma, deny any clinical symptoms, and who have completely normal spinal fluid tau and amyloid levels, and brain scans. We will also include a group of subjects with AD. All participants will be recruited from ongoing studies, headed by the Partnering PI of this proposal, Dr. Robert Stern, at the Boston University Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy and the Alzheimer's Disease Center. We will use both a beta amyloid PET scan ([18F]-florbetapir) and a tau PET scan ([18F]-T807) on consecutive days. With the beta amyloid scan we expect little or no evidence of amyloid in the NFL players with presumed CTE, and no evidence of amyloid in the control group of athletes with no history of repetitive brain trauma. In contrast we expect to see beta amyloid accumulation in the AD patient brains. With the new tau ligand, we expect that the NFL players with presumed CTE will show elevated levels of tau protein in the brain, which will not be observed in athletes without a history of brain trauma, but which will be seen in the AD patients' brains. Another goal is to use the latest MRI technologies to develop specific tau imaging biomarkers that correlate with the PET and spinal fluid tau measures but without the radiation of PET or invasiveness of spinal taps. The development of these surrogate imaging markers of tau, is critically important to diagnosing CTE. This in turn will lead to studies relevant to treatment and prevention of this devastating disease. Finally, as an exploratory method of examining possible genetic risk for CTE, we will also use cutting edge genetic analysis of blood samples from subjects in this proposal and compare tau load, measured by PET tau ligand uptake and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) p-tau level, with a measure of genetic susceptibility to tau load, referred to as the genetic risk score for tau.
This study will explore the use of flortaucipir as a biomarker for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and examine the relationship between clinical presentation and tau deposition.