View clinical trials related to Parkinson Disease.
Filter by:The purpose of this study is to investigate the implementation of a novel gait rehabilitation stimulus (G-EO System) that could advance current clinical practices. The goal is to establish the safety and feasibility of gait training using the G-EO System as well as investigating the impact on mobility, function, quality of life, and participatory outcomes. Research Design: We propose a single-blinded, randomized trial of electromechanically-assisted gait training using the G-EO System in patients with Parkinson's disease with gait disability. Specific Aim 1 will establish the safety and feasibility of gait training using the G-EO System. Specific Aim 2 will determine the efficacy of gait training using the G-EO System for improving mobility, function, and quality of life
Many patients with Parkinson's disease suffer of gait disorder termed as "freezing of gait" (FOG). non-pharmacological approach such as applying external cues is effective in mitigating FOG events. The aim of this study is to test the feasibility and patients satisfaction from a first stage of technology development, designed to deliver automatically external cues to the patients in their homes.
The study will examine the reciprocal relationships between the community, healthcare system, and personal determinants of self-management behaviors in persons with Parkinson's disease and their association with the performance of these behaviors in persons with Parkinson's Disease. In the first part of the study, data will be extracted from electronic medical records of 2500. In the second part of the study, a sub-sample of 200 participants with Parkinson's disease will be asked to answer standardized questionnaires.
The current research protocol aims at studying preparatory inhibition in two populations of patients suffering from movement disorders. First, in PART 1, we will work with Parkinson's disease (PD) patients to investigate the contribution of the basal ganglia in preparatory inhibition (Project 1 [P1] and Project 2 [P2]). Then, in PART 2, we will consider patients with focal hand dystonia (FHD), to test the hypothesis that altered muscle selectivity in this pathological condition is, at least in part, due to a lack of preparatory inhibition.
This is a randomized, single-blinded, triple crossover study focused on determining the feasibility of using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for treatment of Parkinson's disease related autonomic dysfunction and depression. Participants will undergo TMS to three brain regions: medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) (experimental site), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) (alternative experimental site), or primary sensory cortex (S1) (control site) in a triple crossover design. Participants will complete symptom questionnaires, neurologic examination and cognitive assessments, and orthostatic vital signs recording before and after each brain stimulation session.
It is not known what causes Parkinson's disease and what makes it worsen over time. Research conducted in the past few years has highlighted the possible role of inflammation on this process but its actual mechanisms are still obscure. In this study, the investigators aim to gain understanding on how inflammation is increased in Parkinson's disease and what are its mechanisms, by performing two Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans using the tracer [11C]PBR28, that takes pictures of the brain highlighting the areas of inflammation, before and after the administration of a compound called Lipopolysaccharide or LPS, that is known to cause a mild degree of inflammation. The investigators will couple this study with two venous blood draws to measure the levels of circulating molecules of inflammation.
Postural instability is one of the cardinal signs in Parkinson's disease (PD). It represents one of the most disabling symptoms in the advanced stages of the disease. It is associated with frequent falls and loss of independence. The aim of the current study is to assess the long term efficacy of high frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on improving postural instability in PD patients.
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) represents the treatment of choice for advanced stages of Parkinson's disease (PD). Currently, adaptive closed-loop stimulation systems that apply disease-specific biomarkers, such as local field potentials (LFPs), are being actively examined to facilitate DBS programming. However, the most suitable feedback signal, still remains to be determined. The investigators previously tested the usefulness of the patient's subjective rating on a visual analogue scale (VAS) as a potential feedback signal for DBS adjustment and found that VAS-based programming lead to similar results as our standard approach. One of the practical advantages of using VAS-based programming strategies - in addition to saving time - is the principal applicability of such an approach to a remote programming setting, although a validation of such an approach is required. Within the scope of a prospective, randomized multicenter clinical trial (the REMOTE Trial), the investigators will examine the effectiveness and safety of VAS-based remote DBS programming in PD by using a novel and recently introduced software platform (Abbott NeurosphereTM Virtual Clinic) that allows for the programming through a smartphone-based video connection with the patient. Therefore, n = 50 PD patients undergoing STN-DBS surgery will be randomized and subsequent to surgery will have their IPG settings adjusted either during regular visits at the hospital or alternatively be programmed remotely through a VAS-based approach. Prior to surgery and after a 90 days follow-up period, we will assess specific clinical (MDS-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale = UPDRS, Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39 sum index = PDQ-39 SI, Beck Depression Inventory = BDI, Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale = MOCA) parameters to determine the effectivity and safety of the two different strategies on the patient outcome and to correlate it with VAS ratings and MRI data. The results will support the examination of remote-based DBS programming and evaluate the patient's subjective judgment as a valid feedback signal.
The investigators' objective is to improve L-dopa sensitive PD-related dysarthria and at the same time reduce DBS-induced speech disorders with the help of automated acoustic analysis in patients with STN-DBS-induced dysarthria.
Several strategies or contexts help patients with Parkinson's disease to move more quickly or normally, however the brain mechanisms underlying these phenomena are poorly understood. The proposed studies use complimentary brain mapping techniques to understand the brain mechanisms supporting improved movements elicited by external cues. The central hypothesis is that distinct networks are involved in movement improvement depending on characteristics of the facilitating stimulus. Participants will perform movement tasks during recording of brain activity with EEG and MRI. The identified biomarkers may provide targets for future neuromodulation therapies to improve symptoms that are refractory to current treatments, such as freezing of gait.