View clinical trials related to Peripheral Neuropathies.
Filter by:This is a sample-size-limited, randomized, blinded (subject and evaluator), sham acupuncture/placebo moxibustion (sham acu/placebo moxa) controlled clinical trial. The subjects in this study will be 50 men and women with HIV infection who have a diagnosis of distal symmetric peripheral neuropathy (DSP). Subjects will be randomized to one of two experimental intervention conditions: - Condition 1: subjects receive acu/moxa treatment; and - Condition 2 (Control Group): subjects receive sham acu/placebo moxa. All subjects in Conditions 1 and 2 will attend 16 scheduled sessions over 15 weeks, be administered the same instruments, and submit their daily symptom diaries for analysis. There will be six weeks of twice weekly treatment sessions, and three follow-up sessions at weeks 9, 11, and 15. All conditions will be identical in duration and be administered by licensed acupuncturists trained in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).
The role of weight-bearing physical activity in the development of diabetic foot ulcers remains poorly understood. Regular participation in moderately intense physical activity (e.g. brisk walking ) reduces 8-year cardiovascular mortality in those with diabetes mellitus by over 30%. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends at least 30 minutes of daily moderate intensity activity for people with diabetes. However, the ADA recommends that people with diabetes and insensate feet, which affects up to 40% of those with diabetes, should limit their walking because of concerns that walking could increase the risk of foot ulcers and amputation. Firm evidence is lacking to support these concerns; in fact, while a research fellow I conducted an observational study that showed daily weight-bearing activity may reduce the risk of foot ulceration among people with diabetic foot problems. A controlled clinical trial is needed to study these issues further. The present study is a randomized controlled trial in 100 older adults with diabetes and insensate feet, 50 of whom will participate in an individually-tailored behavior-change intervention called "Feet First", and 50 of whom will be controls. The intervention is based on the extensively-tested CHAMPS model used by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Active for Life Program. Feet First extends the target population beyond older adults generally to people with insensate feet due to diabetic peripheral neuropathy. The specific aims of the study are: - To determine whether Feet First intervention subjects achieve a greater increase in weight-bearing activity than control subjects, and - To obtain preliminary evidence on intervention subjects' foot outcomes (foot function, foot-related self-care, and risk of foot ulcers), compared to control subjects.
The investigators propose to explore the hypothesis that vibrotactile channels for indicating spatial orientation can be exploited as a sensory prosthesis. The specific research applications will be used for guiding visual orientation, to provide alternative feedback to vision and vestibular signals for controlling balance, and for directional and lateralisation cueing in patients with neglect syndromes. The programme will study whether vibrotactile feedback improves performance and also if it speeds rehabilitation when used as an adjunct to conventional therapy.