View clinical trials related to Corticobasal Degeneration.
Filter by:Investigators hypothesize that there are specific characteristic of each cognitive and motor condition that can be defined using brains scans.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate several different tests, including brain imaging, eye movement testing, body fluid samples, measurements of memory and other thinking abilities, and measures of functional independence in the hope that this information can be used to guide diagnosis and treatment of PSP and CBD in the future. Recent advances in our understanding of the biological causes of these diseases offer hope for new treatments. As such treatments are developed, sensitive and specific biological measurements (biomarkers) will be needed to provide precise and direct measures of the state of the brain, which will improve the statistical power of clinical trials. Brain imaging with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has previously been used to measure disease-related changes in the brain. The goal of this study is to identify the best methods of analysis (including eye movements, imaging, and behavioral measures) for tracking PSP and CBD over time. In addition, certain biomarkers in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid might also be useful for following these diseases over time. This study will examine the value of blood and CSF biomarkers relative to brain imaging and functional measures.
Drug therapy of atypical parkinsonism is generally considered either ineffective or minimal 1. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find alternative therapies to treat atypical parkinsonian disorders. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a noninvasive tool that modulates cortical excitability with minimal discomfort and holds therapeutic promise in treating neurological and psychiatric disorders. The basal ganglia-thalamocortical circuits that are affected in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) and Corticocbasal Ganglionic Degeneration (CBGD) are likely structurally and functionally segregated. The 'motor' circuit is implicated in parkinsonian akinesia and hypokinesia; a 'prefrontal' circuit is implicated in working memory and mood regulation, and linked with non-motor symptoms such as depression and apathy. In this proposal, we characterize motor and prefrontal network dysfunction in PSP and CBGD patients, and propose that high-frequency and low-frequency rTMS directed over separate motor and prefrontal cortical targets of each network may show specific and selective beneficial effects on motor vs. cognitive function in PSP and CBGD patients, respectively. Quantitative motor outcome measures include timed finger tapping tasks. Quantitative cognitive outcome measures comprise a visual analogue scale (VAS). If successful, this pilot study will provide proof of principle data to suggest potential benefits for rTMS in PSP/CBGD patients, and provide sufficient data and experience to support future PSP/CBGD studies that include the use of rTMS to investigate the pathophysiology of motor and non-motor features of PSP and CBGD patients.
The goal of this trial is to evaluate the safety and tolerability of lithium in people with progressive supranuclear palsy or corticobasal degeneration.