View clinical trials related to Hyperkinesis.
Filter by:Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder is a condition characterized by a decreased attention span, hyperactivity, and/or impulsiveness inappropriate for a certain age. Typically, young children have what are known as subtle neurological signs. These are involuntary movements of one part of the body that occur while the child is making a voluntary movement of another part of the body. This is referred to as synkinesis, or overflow movements. These overflow movements disappear during normal development and are usually gone by the age of 10. However, in children with ADHD these overflow movements tend to be more intense and last long after the age of 10. This leads researchers to believe there is an abnormality in the maturation and development of the brain areas associated with motor activity in children with ADHD. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive technique that gives information about brain function. It is very useful when studying areas of the nervous system related to motor activity (motor cortex, corticospinal tract, and corpus callosum). A magnetic signal given from a special instrument held close to the patient's head stimulates a small area of the brain that controls a few muscles (for example, the muscles that control one finger). Doctors put electrodes (small pieces of metal taped to areas of the body) over the muscle to measure the electrical activity the muscle produces when it makes a movement. When the magnetic signal activates those muscles the electrodes pick up and record the electrical activity of the movement that the muscles make in response to the magnetic signal. Researchers will study normal children and those diagnosed with ADHD using TMS to find out if the clinical abnormalities of ADHD are associated with a delay or abnormality in maturation of areas of the nervous system responsible for motor activity (motor cortex and corticospinal tract).
Children with symptomatic HIV-1 (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) infection are at increased risk for developing severely disabling neurological and neuropsychological deficits. HIV-1 related CNS (Central Nervous System) disease is a clinical syndrome, manifested by varying and sometimes discordant degrees of cognitive, motor and behavioral impairment. A continuum of clinical presentations attributed to the effects of HIV-1 infection on the CNS, ranging from apparently normal development, decreases in the rate of new learning to the loss of acquired skills have been observed. Two domains of psychological functioning appear most susceptible to the effects of HIV infection on the central nervous system in children: expressive behavior and attentional processes (Brouwers, et al, 1994). Attention deficits have been documented as a relative weakness on the "freedom from distractibility" subclass of IQ tests (Brouwers et al, 1989) and on behavior assessment (Moss et al, 1994). Attention, however, has many subcomponents such as focused attention, divided attention, vigilance, etc. Direct assessment of attentional functioning using reaction time has not yet been conducted and questions whether attentional components are differentially affected by the virus have not been addressed. The proposed study would assess different components of attentional functioning in children with HIV-1 disease. A quantitative and systematic method is developed that could complement the existing standardized instruments used for measuring attention and neurocognitive function in this population. Simple alerted visual reaction time will be measured with varying preparatory intervals, a two-choice reaction time in a go/no-go paradigm will be administered, and a continuous performance, divided reaction time test and an object decision task will be given. Performance on these measures will also be related to measures of brain structure and stage of HIV-1 disease.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) unlike X-rays and CT-scans does not use radiation to create a picture. MRI use as the name implies, magnetism to create pictures with excellent anatomical resolution. Functional MRIs are diagnostic tests that allow doctors to not only view anatomy, but physiology and function. It is for these reasons that MRIs are excellent methods for studying the brain. In this study, researchers will use MRI to assess brain anatomy and function in X and Y chromosome variation, healthy volunteers, and patients with a variety of childhood onset psychiatric disorders. The disorders include attention deficit disorder, autism, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, childhood-onset schizophrenia, dyslexia, obsessive compulsive disorder, Sydenham's chorea, and Tourette's syndrome. Results of the MRIs showing the anatomy of the brain and brain function will be compared across age, sex (gender), and diagnostic groups. Correlations between brain and behavioral measures will be examined for normal and clinical populations.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate individuals with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) to learn more about the genetics of the disease. This study is part of other ongoing studies of individuals with ADHD. The study participants have already undergone neurobiological measurements, particularly magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain, through other research studies. As a follow-up to these studies, participants will next undergo psychiatric interviews, neuropsychological tests, and another MRI. In addition to the clinical evaluation of the participants, further research will be conducted on the genetics of ADHD. These genetic studies will evaluate people with ADHD as well as their family members and a control group of healthy people.
This trial is a continuation of the Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (MTA Study). Continuation Aim 1 is to track the persistence of intervention-related effects as the MTA sample matures into mid-adolescence, including subsequent mental-health and school-related service utilization patterns as a function of MTA treatment experience (treatment assignment) and outcome (degree of treatment success at 14 mo.). Aim 2 is to test specific hypotheses about predictors, mediators, and moderators of long-term outcome among children with ADHD (e.g., comorbidity; family functioning; cognitive skills; peer relations) that may influence adolescent functioning (either independent of or through initial treatment assignment and/or 14-month treatment outcomes); and to compare how these predictors, mediators, and moderators are similar or dissimilar within the normal comparison group. Aim 3 is to track the patterns of risk and protective factors (including their mediation or moderation by initial treatment assignment and/or outcome) involved in early and subsequent stages of developing substance-related disorders and antisocial behavior. Aim 4 is to examine the effect of initial treatment assignment and degree of treatment success on later academic performance, achievement, school conduct, tendency to drop out, and other adverse school outcomes. In the original MTA design, patients were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatment conditions: (1) medication only; (2) psychosocial only; (3) combined (medication and psychosocial); or (4) Assessment-and-Referral condition. All but the latter were treated intensively for 14 months, with assessments for all subjects at baseline, 3, 9, 14, and 24 months. The original MTA design thus provides short-term (10 months post-treatment) follow-up at 24 months. This continuation extends the follow-up to assessments at 36, 60, and 84 months after treatment. A child may be eligible for this study if he/she: Is 7 - 9 years old, and has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).