View clinical trials related to Nerve Degeneration.
Filter by:The goal of this prospective, observational study is to compare in the association of glycemic control and retinal microvascular changes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) without diabetic retinopathy (DR). The main question it aims to answer are: • Do degenerative changes in retinal microvasculature or nerves depend on glycemic control even before diabetic retinopathy is detected? Participants will receive an annual routine comprehensive examination including ultra-widefield fundus photography, spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT), and swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).
American football is a high-contact sport, also known as a collision sport. American football players are exposed to various magnitudes and frequencies of head impacts throughout the season. Accordingly, during the American football season, there is an increase in biomarkers that may be associated with brain damage and the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases later in life. In addition, oxidative stress and inflammation can also increase in athletes during the American football season. This study was planned with the thought that the MIND diet, which is beneficial for brain health with its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, may have positive effects on oxidative stress, inflammation and neurodegenerative risk biomarkers in American football players. The goal of this clinical trial is to examine the effects of the MIND diet on oxidative stress, inflammation and neurodegenerative risk biomarkers in American football players. The main question it aims to answer are: • [Question] Does the MIND diet lowers or reduce the levels of oxidative stress, inflammation and neurodegenerative risk biomarkers in American football players? Participants will be randomized into 2 groups MIND diet and control group. The current diet of the players in the control group will not be interfered with during the competition period, but the current nutrition of the players in the MIND diet group will be adapted to the MIND diet according to the food groups in the MIND diet components and their consumption frequencies. The players in the MIND diet group will be asked to include the food groups in the MIND diet in their diet in accordance with their consumption frequency. Researchers will compare the MIND diet and control groups to see if the MIND diet improves oxidative stress, inflammation and neurodegenerative risk biomarkers.
The purpose of this research study is to measure cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) clearance in subjects with and without high blood pressure. CSF cushions the brain from impact and carries waste products from the brain to the bloodstream. This process is known as clearance. Impaired removal of proteins from the aging brain causes their buildup and may contribute to an increased risk for Alzheimer's disease. It is also suspected that clearance may be related to the health of vessels carrying the blood throughout the brain. It is known that high blood pressure damages blood vessels and thus may impair clearance. In this project we will examine if having high blood pressure is related to impaired brain clearance and whether treating high blood pressure improves clearance and reduces buildup of Alzheimer's disease-related proteins. Participants will be asked to undergo a medical examination, testing of memory, brain imaging (both magnetic resonance and positron emission tomography, and spinal tap at the beginning of the study and 1 -2 years later.
The overall objective is to obtain an initial assessment of the value of using [18F]3F4AP for imaging demyelinating diseases such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), neurodegenerative diseases such as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's Disease (AD): - Aim 1) Assess the safety of [18F]3F4AP in healthy volunteers and subjects with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and neurocognitive impaired subjects (AD/MCI). Hypothesis 1: Administration of [18F]3F4AP will result in no changes in vitals or other adverse events. - Aim 2) Assess the radiation doses to the main organs in healthy volunteers. Hypothesis 2: the radiation doses to each organ will be comparable in all subjects and within the acceptable limits. - Aim 3) Assess the pharmacokinetics of a bolus infusion of [18F]3F4AP in humans including healthy volunteers and patients. Hypothesis 3: the pharmacokinetics of [18F]3F4AP at the whole brain level will be similar in controls, TBI and AD/MCI subjects. The kinetics in demyelinated lesions will be slower than in healthy areas. - Aim 4) Correlate MR images with [18F]3F4AP PET images. Hypothesis 4A: all the lesions seen on the MRI will show increased signal (VT or SUV) on the PET images. Hypothesis 4B: some of the lesions on the MRI will show increased signal (VT or SUV) on the PET but not all. - Aim 5) Correlate [18F]3F4AP PET signal with neuropsychological testing in people with TBI and AD/MCI. Hypothesis 5A: increased PET signal (VT or SUV) will correlate with impaired Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE).
The purpose of this study is to learn more about how people with the condition pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN) respond to a specialized study product. We are hoping to find out if the study product is safe, what effects-good and bad-the study product causes, and whether the study product changes certain measures of disease in PKAN.
Research regarding the effects of anesthesia on the central nervous system remain controversial with some studies suggesting a neurotoxic effect and others indicating a neuroprotective effect. In recent years numerous neuronal proteins have been found to be useful tools for diagnosis and prognosis of cerebral tissue damage. Among these neuronal proteins are the following markers: Neuron Specific Enolase (NSE), Tau protein, Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP), Ubiquitin Carboxy-Hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1). BIS is a non-invasive brain monitoring technology which monitors the depth of anesthesia. In this randomized clinical trial, we aim to examine the effect of anesthetic method (General anesthesia and neuroaxial anesthesia) on neuronal damage as measured by NSE serum levels. One hundred and forty patients aged 18 and above undergoing Transurethral resection of the prostate, Trans Urethral Resection of the Bladder Tumor, Tension Free Vaginal Tap , Trans Obturator Tension Free Vaginal Tap and pelvic floor repair surgeries will be enrolled in the study. Patients will randomly be assigned to undergo the study either under general anesthesia or with neuroaxial anesthesia. Participants will be monitored using the BIS monitor, to measure the depth of anesthesia. Additionally, 9 cc of venous blood be collected from each participant in the surgery room prior to anesthesia induction, throughout anesthesia and one hour following surgery in the PACU in order to assess NSE levels.
Whereas the advantageous effects of exercise-training on memory is increasingly recognized, the practicality and clinical usefulness of such interventions in community-dwelling older African Americans (AA)s Mild Cognitively Impaired (MCI) subjects, and the mechanism by which an effect occurs need elucidation. Because aerobic-exercise can improve emerging cardiovascular (CVD)-related risk factors for cognitive decline such as lipids, inflammatory cytokines and glucose homeostasis; the Investigators will examine training effects on these and related biomarkers. The imperative for this study is further underscored by the fact that, AAs: i) have high rates of dementia, and ii) have paucity of cross-sectional, and lack prospective data on the effects of exercise on cognition. To overcome barriers to recruitment and retention, enhance compliance with a long exercise program (3-times/week), and maximize the use of available resources, the Investigators will use a community-based approach. Therefore, the primary objectives of this study build on the Investigators' experience, and will compare the effects of aerobic-exercise to stretch-exercise (control) in community-dwelling AA MCI subjects. Following the initial 6 months active intervention, the aerobic-exercise group will follow a prescribed but free living 40 minutes, 3 time/week exercise regimen while the control group returns to usual care plus stretch-exercise for additional 12 months. This study will facilitate the estimation of sample size for a larger confirmatory study in AAs. A newly acquired direct oversight of the DC Ward-6 Senior Wellness Center and its infrastructures by the Howard University Division of Geriatrics will provide additional resources and access to the community. In addition to the Investigator's feasibility aims, the Investigators will determine performance on cognitive tasks using the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Sub-scale (ADAS-Cog) and Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR) sum of boxes supplemented by tests of executive function (EF) and Functional Activity Questionnaire (FA) and together as ADAS-Cog-Plus; changes in brain volume regions of interest (ROI) with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), selected CVD and AD-related bio-markers.
The study hypothesis is that changes in serially obtained nerve conduction study data obtained every 3-4 weeks in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy can be used to predict the development of a clinically significant / disabling drug induced neuropathy six and twelve months following the start of treatment. Patients with breast cancer, colon cancer, gastroesophageal cancer, and non-Hodgkins lymphoma will be enrolled. Six lower extremity nerves--three in each leg--will be electrically stimulated and their responses recorded at three to four week intervals coinciding with patient's scheduled chemotherapy.
This trial is a multicenter, unblinded, single-arm pilot study, lasting one year (plus one year extension Amendment n.3 25 August 2009, plus two years follow-up Amendment n.7) , to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the chelator therapy with deferiprone on cerebral iron accumulations. The drug will be administered in the dosage of 15 mg/kg twice daily. The safety and tolerability of the drug will be evaluated by measuring hemochrome every seven days with leukocyte formula count. At 3, 6 and 12 months from the start of treatment, a neurological evaluation will be performed using several specific evaluation scales (International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (ICARS); Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS); Burke-Fahn-Marsden (BFM)). Every 6 months of treatment, a brain magnetic resonance image (MRI) aimed at measuring iron overload quantitatively, if possible.