View clinical trials related to Pick Disease of the Brain.
Filter by:This pilot study will evaluate the effect of direct current (DC) electrical polarization of the brain on language, memory, reaction time, and mood in six patients with frontotemporal dementia (Pick's disease). There is no effective treatment available for cognitive impairment in patients with this condition. DC polarization sends a very weak current between two sponge pads placed on the head. In a previous study in healthy volunteers, DC polarization of the left prefrontal area of the brain increased verbal fluency, memory and attention, and motor reaction time in the study subjects. Patients between 35 and 75 years of age with frontotemporal dementia who have been referred to NINDS's Cognitive Neuroscience Section for an existing protocol will be offered participation in this study. Candidates will be screened with a neurological examination to confirm the diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia. Participants receive 40 minutes of DC polarization or sham polarization in each of two separate sessions. (No current is applied in the sham treatment). During the polarization, the patient rests quietly. Sponge pads that have been soaked in water are put on the left side of the head and above the right eye, and are held in place with elastic netting. Before the polarization and after about 20 minutes of polarization, patients undergo the following tests: - Language: Patients must say as many words beginning with certain letters as they can in 90 seconds. - Memory: Patients must remember a letter on a computer screen, and when the letter appears again, press the same letter on the keyboard. - Reaction time: Patients place pegs on a pegboard. - Mood: Patients place a mark on a line ranking how they feel.
OBJECTIVES: I. Evaluate bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and serum obtained from pediatric patients with storage disorders prior to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for the presence of proinflammatory cytokines and for the production of nitric oxide by alveolar macrophages to identify possible risk factors for pulmonary complications. II. Investigate the underlying mechanism for the development of significant pulmonary complications in these patients during HSCT. III. Evaluate bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and serum obtained from these same patients at the time a pulmonary complication develops post-HSCT, or at 60 days post-HSCT if there has been no pulmonary complications.
The main source of energy for the brain comes from a combination of oxygen and glucose (sugar). For brain cells to function normally they must receive a constant supply of these nutrients. As areas of the brain become more active blood flow into and out of these areas increase. In addition to oxygen and glucose, the brain uses chemical compounds known as phospholipids. These phospholipids make up the covering of nerve cells that assist in the transfer of information from cell to cell. Without phospholipids brain cell activity may become abnormal and cause problems in the nervous system. Certain diseases like Alzheimer's disease and brain tumors can affect blood flow to the brain and change the way the brain metabolizes phospholipids. In addition to diseases, changes in the brain occur with normal healthy aging. This study is designed to use PET scan to measure changes in blood flow and changes in phospholipid metabolism. Using this technique, researchers can improve their understanding of how certain diseases change the shape and function of the brain.