View clinical trials related to Multi-System-Atrophy.
Filter by:The PET tracer [F18]-FDDNP has a specific affinity for lesions containing tau protein. The study consists of two phases: - In the first (cross-sectional) phase it will be assessed the uptake of [18F]-FDDNP in 10 cases with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP, a tauopathy) en 10 with multi-system atrophy (MSA, a non-tauopathy), along with 20 individuals with Unclassifiable Parkinsonism, as previously defined in a European cohort study. - In the second (longitudinal) phase it will be prospectively followed the 20 unclassifiable patients (at 6, 12 and 18 months) by means of validated scales and accepted diagnostic criteria in order to try to correlate their eventual clinical diagnosis with baseline PET findings. On this basis, we endeavour to estimate the ability of this technique to detect in vivo underlying tau pathology in subjects initially unclassifiable on clinical grounds. We hypothesized that: 1. Patients with clinically definite PSP will present an increased uptake in basal ganglia, brainstem and cerebellum. 2. Patients with clinically defined MSA will not present specific uptake. 3. Part of unclassifiable patients with parkinsonism will present a pattern of uptake similar to patients with clinically defined PSP and this part along the clinical follow-up will be meet clinical criteria for diagnose of PSP
Study Hypothesis: - Does a treatment with Minocycline of 2 x daily 2 x 50 mg effect the progression of clinical symptoms and diagnosis in patients with MSA? Background and Rationale: - The Parkinson-Syndrome which is characterised by the clinical triad akinesis, rigor and passive tremor, is caused by Parkinson's disease (PD) in about 70 % of the cases (Oertel et al., 2003). However, beside the Parkinson's disease there are several, to some extent rare, so-called atypical Parkinson's syndromes. The two most frequent of these atypical Parkinson-Syndromes are the - Multi-System-Atrophy (MSA) and the Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). Due to the often much varying courses and since they are not well known, these diseases are frequently diagnosed late or not diagnosed at all. Nevertheless, an early diagnosis is substantial for further treatment, since the prognosis and therapy of atypical Parkinson Syndromes differ essentially from those of PD. Whereas the neuronal death of cells in PD is restricted essentially to the Substantia nigra, a dominant destruction of neurons in brain stem, Cerebellum and Striatum additionally happens in cases of MSA and PSP. - Up to now no adequate treatment strategies are at disposal. Initially the giving of L-Dopa can lead to an improvement for < 10% of the patients only. - Minocycline is an antibiotic belonging to the group of the Tetracyclines. - Recently, it could be demonstrated that Minocycline has a neuroprotective impact besides the anti-inflammatory impact.