View clinical trials related to Multiple System Atrophy.
Filter by:Background: Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) is an atypical parkinsonian syndrome including cerebellar impairment and poor response to dopatherapy. The objective of the study is to assess right-hand motor activation in MSA patients before and after an acute levodopa challenge and to compare these data with those obtained in patients with Parkinson Disease (PD) and healthy volunteers (HV). Methods: Eighteen MSA patients, eight PD patients and 10 age-matched HV will be included. rCBF measurements with H215O PET will be performed at rest and during a right hand movement. Statistical parametric mapping will be used to analyze motor versus rest in OFF and ON condition and effect of levodopa on motor activation. Hypothesis: MSA and PD patient should recruited different motor networks.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of the antihypertensive drug, nebivolol (Bystolic), compared to metoprolol (Lopressor) and sildenafil (Viagra) on blood pressure in patients with autonomic failure and supine hypertension.
To test the clinical effect of rasagiline on subjects with MSA of the parkinsonian subtype.
This study is based on positive results in open label trial of mesenchymal stem cells therapy in patients with Multiple System Atrophy (MSA).
Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) is a progressive sporadic neurodegenerative disorder leading to widespread loss of brain cells that results in parkinsonian, cerebellar and autonomic dysfunction. The cause of the MSA remains unclear. Available treatment is symptomatic only and does not alter the course of disease. Although the cause of MSA remains unclear, there is evidence of presence of common neuroinflammatory mechanisms in the MSA brains including activation of microglia and production of toxic cytokines. This research protocol is based on hypothesis that the MSA progression can be altered by blocking the neuroinflammatory activity. This protocol includes administration of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg). IVIg contains antibodies derived from human plasma which can block the inflammatory responses in the brain that can lead to loss of brain cells.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether ambulatory polygraphy during a short hospitalization in a neurology unit has the same performance than inpatient polysomnography, the actual gold standard, in the diagnosis of sleep apnea in patients suffering from multiple system atrophy (MSA).
The purpose of this study is to identify 15 patients with autonomic failure and obtain blood samples for RNA from those participants and 15 control subjects within the same age range. The stabilized blood samples, along with a limited data set, will be shipped to Western Michigan University where the actual laboratory analysis (a separate study) of the samples will take place. Unique genetic inscriptions, called gene expression signatures, are currently being identified for many diseases, including neurological diseases. The secondary goal of this study is to support the research being done at WMU and they try to look for MSA-specific signs are present in whole blood samples of MSA patients at late-stages of the disease. This is a pilot study that has a long term goal (through additional studies) a MSA-specific gene expression signature for the development of a diagnostic test for this disease that can be used in the future. Other patient groups with autonomic failure, characterized by significant drop in blood pressure on standing, will also be included in this study, to look for similar genetic inscriptions. This pilot study is expected to last for 2 years. The investigators at WMU will need some de-identified health Information about the subjects, including their age at diagnosis, age (when sample drawn) and list of their medications
The purpose of this study is to assess the durability of effect of Droxidopa in treating symptoms of neurogenic orthostatic hypotension in patients with Primary Autonomic Failure (Pure Autonomic Failure, Multiple System Atrophy, Parkinson's Disease), Non-diabetic neuropathy, or Beta Hydroxylase deficiency.
The main goal of the GENEPARK consortium is to employ innovative haemogenomic approaches to determine gene expression profiles specific for genetic and idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. These gene expression signatures will be utilised clinically as non-invasive diagnostic tests for PD. The sensitivity of the newly developed diagnostic test will be determined by extensive validations on an independent cohort of PD patients, whereas the specificity will be assessed by testing patients with atypical parkinsonisms, including multiple system atrophy, progressive supranuclear palsy and diffuse Lewy body disease. In order to test the specificity of the diagnostic set in other disorders that affect basal ganglia, Huntington's disease and dopa responsive dystonia patients will be analysed. The second objective of the proposal is to determine correlations between gene expression signatures and different stages of PD and thus provide the basis for early diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression. These changes in blood gene expression will be correlated with alterations detected by neuroimaging in the brain of PD patients. Such combinations of molecular and morphological markers of disease may ultimately facilitate the selection and monitoring of neuroprotective therapies for PD. Finally, GENEPARK aims to develop new bioinformatic software tools for selection of genomic biomarkers using microarray data. A set of established computational tools will be applied and novel methods, some of them based on mechanistic modelling of the neurodegenerative diseases, will be developed in order to study the advantages and limitations of the different methodologies. With special emphasis on the careful clinical selection of patients and sufficient power regarding patient numbers, as well as extensive quality control and validation of the data, GENEPARK aims to develop a standardised approach to development and validation of haemogenomic biomarkers of disease.
The purpose of the study is to determine the sensitivity and specificity of transcranial duplex scanning (TCD) and single photon emission computer tomography (SPECT) in patients suspected of having Idiopathic Parkinson Disease (PD) or Atypical Parkinson Syndromes (APS) with as golden standard the clinical diagnosis after 2-year follow-up.