View clinical trials related to Encephalomyelitis.
Filter by:The goal of this observational study is to assess the clinical response and the effect of autophagy function in ME/CFS patients before, during and throughout oral low dose sirolimus (rapamycin) therapy. The main questions this study aims to answer are: - Does rapamycin reduce the overall symptom burden of ME/CFS and does it improve the quality of life? - Does rapamycin change mTOR driven autophagy deficits observed in a subset of ME/CFS patients? Participants will be asked to complete a series of questionnaires and quality of life instruments before starting rapamycin therapy prescribed by their physician and throughout their course of treatment. Study blood samples will be collected before starting therapy and throughout the course of treatment to assess serological markers of autophagy.
There is no cure or approved treatments for ME. Several causes have been implicated in ME, including poor mitochondrial function. Mitochondria are the powerhouse of cells, producing energy. Therefore, loss of mitochondrial function and reduced energy production could be an explanation for the debilitating chronic fatigue that defines ME. The primary site of red light absorption in cells is the mitochondria. Mitochondrial red light absorption can boost energy production. Light therapy is already FDA approved for the treatment of acne, muscle and joint pain, arthritis, blood circulation issues and hair loss. This is the first study to trial the use of red light therapy in ME and results will help us understand if the use of red light therapy is accepted by ME patients. In past clinical trials the monitoring of symptom reduction/increase in ME patients was mainly done using symptom questionnaires. These questionnaires have not been specifically developed for ME symptoms and therefore the reliability of results is poor. This study will be assessing the use of a new symptom questionnaire developed specifically for ME and will also be trialling the use of other tools to measure symptom reduction/increase. In addition, this study will also trial the use of Mantal, an online remote research management portal. This is to improve accessibility of ME patients to research participation. Each ME participants involvement in the study should take approximately 7 weeks. Involvement is split into four phases: 1) baseline, 2) intervention, 3) follow-up and 4) feedback. Baseline assessments: - Week one: complete a 27-item questionnaire on functional capacity (FUNCAP27) and online cognitive function tests - Week two: participants are posted an activity monitor which they are to wear for seven days. Participants will complete a sleep diary (consensus sleep diary version E) for seven days Intervention: - Participants are posted the red lamp to use in their own homes during weeks three and four. Participants use the red lamp for two minutes, daily, each morning for a total of 14 days. Follow-up: - Weeks five and six - Repeating the baseline assessments Feedback: - Participants are asked to complete an online questionnaire during week seven.
There is no approved treatment for fatigue in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), a condition with as many as 2.5 million people in the US. Initial case studies have shown an improvement in fatigue in ME/CFS with anhydrous enol-oxaloacetate (AEO). This randomized, double blinded, placebo controlled trial will seek to further evaluate the efficacy of AEO to reduce fatigue in ME/CFS, based on change in the Chalder Fatigue Score (Likert Scoring) of the AEO group against the placebo group at 90 days. As secondary evaluations on other core ME/CFS symptoms, the investigators are measuring the health related quality of life as assessed by the SF-36, hours of upright activity, functional capacity (activity, steps, cognition, and heart rate variability), and general health status (global change, vitals) Finally, this test will gain preliminary insights on the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of AEO in ME/CFS patients.
The purpose of this data registry is to prospectively collect data from patients referred to an Complex Chronic Diseases Program (CCDP) at BC Women's Hospital + Health Centre to assess the quality of life of the CCDP Patients before, during and after their care at the CCDP.
This study investigates whether there is an immune response directed against gut microbes or food and parts of the body in severe Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) patients.