View clinical trials related to Neurobehavioral Manifestations.
Filter by:The purpose of this study is to learn if an experimental treatment can help thinking ability, and memory in Veterans with Gulf War Veterans Illnesses (GWVI). The experimental treatment uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs), that are applied outside the skull, to the head using a helmet that is lined with near-infrared diodes. LEDs are also placed in the nostrils (one red diode; and one near-infrared diode), near-infrared photons to the olfactory bulbs located on the orbito-frontal cortex. There are connections between the olfactory bulbs and the hippocampus. A treatment takes about 30 minutes. The participants receive a series of LED treatments which take place as outpatient visits at the VA Boston Healthcare System, Jamaica Plain Campus. The FDA considers the helmet LED device used here, to be a non-significant risk device. The diodes in the device placed in the nose are low-risk devices, within the FDA Category of General Wellness. In addition, a single, 90 mW near-infrared (NIR) LED was placed on each ear. The LEDs do not produce heat.
The investigators overall research hypothesis is that systemic chemotherapy induces structural changes in the white matter of the brain as demonstrated with Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) and functional changes in well-defined cortical neural networks as demonstrated by resting-state functional connectivity MRI (rs-fcMRI). The investigators believe these structural and functional changes are responsible for the cognitive symptoms associated with chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment (CICI). The Specific Aim for this study is: To assess the impact of chemotherapy on structural white matter as defined by DTI and functional cognitive networks as defined by rs-fcMRI by comparing a sample of breast cancer survivors with self-reported CICI to breast cancer survivors without CICI. Hypothesis: Post-chemotherapy breast cancer patients with self-reported CICI will have abnormal structural connections characterized by DTI-defined disruptions in fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) and abnormal functional connectivity characterized by rs-fcMRI-defined disruptions in cognitive networks when compared to patients without self-reported CICI.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether minocycline are effective in the treatment of negative and cognitive symptoms in schizophrenia.
Carotid artery plaques are known to cause stroke. Cognitive impairment is an insidious but poorly understood problem in patients with carotid plaques. Cognitive function describes how people perform mental processes such as thinking, learning and problem solving. Asymptomatic carotid plaques may affect 1 million Veterans who may be at risk for cognitive impairment. In this study, the investigators will uncover the extent of cognitive impairment in Veterans with carotid stenosis who are currently labeled "asymptomatic". Programs to prevent or mitigate cognitive impairment will depend on identifying the mechanisms by which this occurs. The investigators will use sophisticated 3D imaging techniques developed by the group to measure the structure and composition of plaques, number of particles breaking off from them, blood levels of chemicals that could disrupt them, and blood flow restriction to the brain from them. This will help identify patients at risk for cognitive impairment who may benefit from preventative measures and improve selection of patients to decrease unnecessary surgical procedures.
The purpose of this pilot study is to evaluate, by means of a specific cognitive test battery (Brief Repeatable Battery and Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System scale), the slowing/reduction of cognitive dysfunction progression in RRMS patients after 18 months of treatment with fingolimod in comparison with interferon beta 1b treatment, and to evaluate which test of the battery is the most sensitive in detecting differences between treatment groups.
Background: In a national Norwegian cohort of children born before 28 weeks gestation or with a birth weight less than 1000 g born in 1999 and 2000, 372 survived. Compared with earlier studies survival increased for the most immature infants, but at the cost of more early complications and a high rate of impairments, while the less immature children had fewer early complications and less impairments detectable within 5 years. These changes show the importance of monitoring outcome as treatment modalities change. Large brain haemorrhages were highly predictive of severe disabilities, but we have not found good predictive factors for milder impairments such as cognitive, behavioural and motor difficulties. However, at 5 years later function may be difficult to predict, and the children's potentials are better understood after completing several years in school. Objectives: The children will be re-examined at age 11 in order to assess their physical and mental health, and cognitive, motor and social function, and to determine if early life events and development at 2 and 5 years are predictive of long term health and functioning. MRI-studies, including functional MRI will be performed to examine if different outcomes related to brain function can be explained by differences in brain development. Methods: For all, data will be collected from the compulsory national test in 5th grade and questionnaires to the child, parents and teacher. For children in Western Norway (n=87) extensive examinations of lung and brain function, including clinical diagnostic tests and MRI, will be added. For all aspects of the study the investigators have appropriate current and historic reference populations for comparison. Implications: Knowledge on causes and of early predictions of outcome is needed to give appropriate advice to families, professionals and society, and to develop preventive programs.
The purpose of this study is to understand patients' neurocognitive performance shortly after discharge from the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) and the potential effect of sleep quality in the MICU on those neurocognitive outcomes. The investigators hypothesize that post-ICU neurocognitive function and patient overall ICU sleep experience will improve through a pre-existing MICU sleep improvement initiative.
Current antipsychotics have only a limited effect on two core symptoms of schizophrenia, negative symptoms and cognitive deficits. Minocycline is a second-generation tetracycline which has a beneficial effect in various neurological disorders. Recent findings in animal models and human case-reports suggest its potential for the treatment of these symptoms of schizophrenia. The current study aims to examine the efficacy of minocycline as add-on treatment for alleviating negative and cognitive symptoms in early-phase schizophrenia. The study will utilize a longitudinal double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled design with patients followed for six-months. Early-phase schizophrenia patients were recruited and randomly allocated to a minocycline or placebo treatment (2:1 ratio; 200 mg/day). The primary outcome measures are the Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) and assessments of executive functions.
Control processes are classes of brain activity that initiate, coordinate, synchronize, and regulate elemental cognitive functions for the conduct of goal-directed behavior. The proposed research investigates whether exposure to a computer-based training protocol designed to enhance cognitive control processes will improve cognitive performance in healthy older adults.
This is a pilot study of pregnenolone as an augmentation treatment for schizophrenia. The goal of this placebo-controlled study is to provide preliminary efficacy data for potential pregnenolone effects on cognitive symptoms and negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. Depressive symptoms and positive symptoms will also be assessed.