View clinical trials related to Movement Disorders.
Filter by:This study will use single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to determine what areas of the brain are responsible for paroxysmal hyperkinetic movement disorders. Patients with these disorders have sudden, brief attacks of movement, similar to epileptic seizures, but without loss of consciousness. SPECT is a nuclear medicine test that produces three-dimensional images of the brain, showing blood flow and function in different brain regions. This test, which can detect the focus of epileptic seizures, will be used in this study to scan patients while they are experiencing a hyperkinetic movement attack, while they are not having and attack, and while they are simulating an attack. Patients 18 years of age and older who have paroxysmal movement attacks that can be easily induced by a specific trigger, such as a sudden movement or prolonged exercise, may be eligible for this study. Candidates will be screened with a medical history and review of their medical records, physical examination, videotape of attacks, and, for women, a pregnancy test. Participants will have three SPECT scans, separated from each other by at least 48 hours. Before each scan, the subject will perform an activity that ordinarily precipitates a movement attack, such as standing up from a chair, assuming a certain posture, or doing something strenuous. Each scan will try to record one of the following conditions: - The subject performs the trigger activity, but does not have an attack; - The subject performs the trigger activity and has an involuntary attack as a result; - The subject performs the trigger activity and does not have an attack, but then mimics an attack voluntarily. After the condition is recorded, the subject will be given an injection of a radioactive agent called 99m Technetium and will then relax quietly for 40 to 60 minutes before the SPECT scan. For the scan, the subject lies on an examination table and the SPECT camera is moved near and around the head to image the brain. The scan takes about 40 minutes. Participants will also undergo one magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. For this test, the subject lies in a narrow cylinder (the scanner), while pictures of the brain are taken. Earplugs are worn to muffle loud noises caused by electrical switching of radio frequency circuits used in the scanning process. The procedure takes about 30 minutes.
The long term goal of this research is to elucidate the cause(s) of Parkinson's disease, with a focus on environmental determinants. We propose to investigate the relationship between Parkinson's disease and exposure to pesticides and other factors by conducting a nested case-control study in the Agricultural Health Study.
This study uses a patented type of exercise poles, developed to assist runners rehabilitating from lower body injuries. These poles may offer older adults improved stability, reduced fear of falling, and lessened lower body pain when exercise walking.
The purpose of this research study is to test the safety and effectiveness of the study drug, Talampanel, when used to treat patients with involuntary movements known as dyskinesias, as a result of treatment to Parkinson's disease. It is not clear why people with Parkinson's disease develop involuntary movements (dyskinesias) but studies show that blocking receptors in the brain for a chemical called glutamate decreases these movements. Talampanel is a drug which blocks these receptors.
The goal of this protocol is to identify families with inherited movement disorders and evaluate disease manifestations to establish an accurate clinical diagnosis by using newest technological advances and investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Studies of inherited movement disorders in large families with good genealogical records are especially valuable. Patients with diseases of known molecular basis will be genotyped in order to investigate phenotype/genotype correlation. Patients with disease of unknown or incomplete genetic characterization will be studied with a hope of contributing to the identification of specific disease-causing genes and genetic mechanisms responsible for a specific disorder.
This study will use transcranial magnetic stimulation to examine how the brain controls movement by sending messages to the spinal cord and muscles and what goes wrong with this process in disease. Normal healthy volunteers between the ages of 18 and 65 years may be eligible to participate. In transcranial magnetic stimulation, an insulated wire coil is placed on the subject's scalp or skin. Brief electrical currents are passed through the coil, creating magnetic pulses that stimulate the brain. During the stimulation, participants will be asked to tense certain muscles slightly or perform other simple actions. The electrical activity of the muscle will be recorded on a computer through electrodes applied to the skin over the muscle. In most cases, the study will last less than 3 hours.
This study will use transcranial magnetic stimulation to examine how the brain controls movement by sending messages to the spinal cord and muscles and what goes wrong with this process in disease. Normal healthy volunteers 18 years of age and older may be eligible to participate. In transcranial magnetic stimulation, an insulated wire coil is placed on the subject's scalp or skin. Brief electrical currents are passed through the coil, creating magnetic pulses that stimulate the brain. During the stimulation, participants will be asked to tense certain muscles slightly or perform other simple actions. The electrical activity of the muscle will be recorded on a computer through electrodes applied to the skin over the muscle. In most cases, the study will last less than 3 hours.
Patients with Parkinson's disease are missing the chemical neurotransmitter dopamine. This occurs as a result of destructive changes in an area of the brain responsible for making dopamine, the basal ganglia. Patients with the disease experience, rigid muscles, stooped posture, and a shuffling-type walk (gait). In this study researchers plan to evaluate the effectiveness of the drug eliprodil for the treatment of Parkinson's Disease. Eliprodil works by blocking special receptors (NMDA) that are associated with the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive technique to gather information about brain function. It is very useful when studying the areas of the brain related to motor activity (motor cortex, corticospinal tract, spinal cord and nerve roots). The procedure is conducted by transmitting a magnetic signal into the brain to stimulate an area of the body. Electrodes (small pieces of metal taped to areas of the body) are used in order to measure electrical activity. A magnetic signal is sent from a metal instrument held close to the patient's head, to an area of the brain responsible for motor activity of a certain area of the body. The electrodes pick up and record the electrical activity in the muscles. This study will employ the use of TMS to diagnose neurological disorders that affect the motor cortex or the corticospinal tract. Normal subjects are sometimes studied to investigate normal activity of the nervous system and to train doctors in clinical neurophysiology and electrodiagnostic medicine at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The purpose of this protocol is to identify families with inherited neurologic conditions, especially movement disorders, to evaluate affected and unaffected individuals clinically, and to obtain blood samples for genetic analysis.