View clinical trials related to Psychomotor Agitation.
Filter by:Patients may be very agitated during the weaning period from mechanical ventilation. Administration of loxapine, a neuroleptic that does not notably affect ventilatory drive, may help in obtaining an adequate level of cooperation and, therefore, in reducing the duration of mechanical ventilation.
This study will explore what occurs between sensory and motor systems in restless legs syndrome (RLS). Patients with RLS have uncomfortable sensations in the legs, usually in the evening or early part of the night. Most patients also have periodic involuntary leg movements. The condition tends to worsen over time, resulting in severe discomfort and sleep disturbances. Healthy normal volunteers and patients with RLS between 18 and 80 years of age may be eligible for this study. All candidates will be screened with a medical history, physical and neurological evaluations, electroymogram (measure of muscle activity), overnight sleep study, electrocardiogram (ECG, measurement of the electrical activity of the heart), and blood and urine tests. They may also have brain or spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computerized tomography (CT) scans and a chest X-ray. Participants must stop taking all medications prohibited by the study for 2 days or more before the study starts and throughout its duration. Participants will undergo prepulse inhibition tests to assess nervous system function. The participant sits comfortably in a quiet room. Several cables are attached to the face and legs using a special cream that conducts electrical signals through the cables to recording equipment. Nervous system activity is evaluated while the subject is at rest and after sensory stimulation (stimulating the nerves in the legs and face with a very brief electrical current of mild to moderate intensity). At times, the subject receives a short, mild sound stimulation delivered through earphones. The testing session takes 4 to 6 hours.
This study will examine the effects of the drug Ropinirole on spinal cord reflexes and on symptoms of restless legs syndrome (RLS). Patients with RLS have uncomfortable sensations in the legs, usually in the evening or early part of the night. Most patients also have periodic involuntary leg movements. The condition tends to worsen over time, resulting in severe discomfort and sleep disturbances. Ropinirole affects chemical messengers thought to be involved in spinal cord function and in modulating RLS symptoms. Healthy normal volunteers and patients with RLS between 18 and 80 years of age may be eligible for this study. Patients must have mild to moderate RLS and periodic limb movements. All candidates will be screened with a medical history, physical and neurological evaluations, electromyogram (see below), polysomnogram (see below), electrocardiogram (ECG), and blood and urine tests. They may also have magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computerized tomography (CT) scans and a chest x-ray. Participants must stop taking all medications prohibited by the study for at least 1 week before the study starts and throughout its duration. The study will last approximately 2 to 3 weeks for healthy volunteers and 7 to 8 weeks for patients. Participants will undergo the following baseline evaluations: electroencephalography (EEG), a measure of brain wave activity; polysomnography (PSG), an overnight sleep study; electromyography (EMG), a measure of muscle activity; and spinal flexor reflex studies (spinal cord responses to electrical stimulation). For these studies, several electrodes are attached to the scalp or to the legs and arms using a cream that helps conduct brain signals through the cables to be recorded. The nervous system activity can be assessed at rest or after stimulation with an electric current. For EMG, a small needle is inserted into a few muscles and the subject is asked to relax or to contract the muscles. The electrical activity of the muscle cells is recorded and analyzed by a computer. Spinal flexor reflex studies usually involve stimulating the nerves in the legs with very brief electric currents of mild to moderate intensity. Flexor reflex studies will be done early in the night while the subject is awake and also during sleep. Brain, muscle and breathing activities will be monitored continuously during sleep. A suggested immobilization test (SIT) will be done around 10 p.m. During the test, the subject sits still for about 1 hour, while the leg muscle activity is recorded using special electronic devices attached to the skin. At the end of the test, volunteers will be asked questions about symptoms they may have experienced during the test, and patients will be asked questions about their RLS symptoms during the test. After the baseline tests, participants will be randomly assigned to take either Ropinirole tablets or a placebo (a look-alike inactive substance) daily for 5 weeks. They will be admitted to the NIH Clinical Center for 3 to 4 nights at the end of the second week and for 2 nights at the end of the study to repeat the baseline tests described above. Volunteers will take Ropinirole or placebo daily for 1 week. They will be admitted to the Clinical Center for 3 to 4 days at the beginning and then at the end of the study for repeat testing. Medical examinations, ECGs and blood tests will be done at various times during the study for safety monitoring. Patients' blood pressure will be monitored weekly. Small amounts of blood will be drawn up to three times each day for routine studies, research and drug levels. Throughout the study volunteers will complete questionnaires for evaluation of possible RLS symptoms, and patients will have their symptoms assessed using a RLS Severity Rating Scale. Two weeks after the study ends, participants will be interviewed by telephone about any adverse experiences.
This study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, fixed dose study currently being conducted on two geropsychiatric units at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. It seeks to evaluate the short-term safety and efficacy of citalopram and perphenazine in the treatment of 112 patients suffering from behavioral disturbances associated with dementia. Findings from this research may directly lead to improved acute pharmacotherapy for psychosis and behavioral problems in patients diagnosed with dementia. Improved treatment of behavioral complications with reduced side effects would reduce excess disability in patients diagnosed with dementia, allowing them to be maintained in the community for greater periods of time.
Often women are prescribed hormone replacement therapy (HRT) during the perimenopause or menopause. Hormone replacement therapy includes both estrogen and progesterone. The estrogen component of HRT helps to relieve the symptoms and has a beneficial effect on the heart and bones, but estrogen also increases the risk of uterine cancer. The progesterone component of the HRT (progestin) works to prevent the increased risk of uterine cancer. There is evidence that some women experience unpleasant mood symptoms (such as irritability, depressed mood and anxiety) while receiving hormone replacement therapy (HRT) while taking the progestin / progesterone component of the HRT. This study is designed to evaluate the ability of progestins to produce negative mood symptoms in women. Researchers intend on doing this by comparing the effects of medroxyprogesterone acetate (Provera) and a placebo inactive sugar pill. Patient's moods will be monitered based on their response to questionnaires answered in the outpatient clinic and at home. This research will attempt to answer the following questions: 1. Are progestins associated with changes in mood during hormone replacement therapy? 2. If progestins are associated with mood disturbance, is it because they are blocking the beneficial effects of estrogen?