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Clinical Trial Details — Status: Withdrawn

Administrative data

NCT number NCT01759745
Other study ID # BEB_Gaze_Emotion
Secondary ID
Status Withdrawn
Phase
First received
Last updated
Start date December 2014
Est. completion date December 2015

Study information

Verified date February 2021
Source Medical University of Vienna
Contact n/a
Is FDA regulated No
Health authority
Study type Observational

Clinical Trial Summary

Blepharospasm (BEB) is a focal dystonia characterized by forceful, involuntary contractions of the orbicularis oculi muscle. (Jankovic et al 1983) Patients with BEB report task and situation specific modulations of their symptoms. So called "sensory tricks" are actions that minimize symptoms and include concentrating, talking, pulling on the eyelids, blowing air, and applying pressure to the periocular or temple region. (Weiner 1984) Many patients describe that other tasks/situations are exacerbate their symptoms specifically under bright fluorescent lights and stress. (Burke 1984) Earlier studies showed that blink patterns differ between BEB patients and control during rest, reading and talking. In healthy subjects gaze evoked blinks are a physiologic phenomenon: initiation of gaze shifts evoke a blink, blinks facilitate gaze shifts. (Evinger 1994) In healthy subjects emotions and thoughts influence gaze shifts and blink rate. (Leal 2008, de Genaro 1988) However, little is known about various task and emotion specific influences on symptoms of BEB (e.g. expecting a gaze shift might worsen symptoms while driving a car). Differences in emotion and gaze related blink patterns between patients and controls will contribute to the understanding of the pathophysiology of BEB. This might offer new therapeutic options, e.g. symptom modulation. The investigators hypothesize that blink patterns, measured by duration and frequency of pupillary occlusion differ between patients and control, when performing gaze shifts and emotion related blink patterns, measured by duration and frequency of pupillary occlusion differ between patients and controls. The aim of this pilot trial is to assess differences in gaze evoked and emotion related blink patterns between patients and controls. These differences might contribute to the understanding of the pathophysiology of BEB.


Recruitment information / eligibility

Status Withdrawn
Enrollment 0
Est. completion date December 2015
Est. primary completion date December 2015
Accepts healthy volunteers Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Gender All
Age group 18 Years to 80 Years
Eligibility Inclusion Criteria: Patients: - Willing to participate - Idiopathic blepharospasm - Age 18-80 - Last botulinum toxin injection <3months Control: - Willing to participate - Age and sex matched with patients - Age18-80 Exclusion Criteria: Patients: - Secondary blepharospasm - Neurologic Comorbidities - Other eye disease besides BEB - History of neuroleptic medication - Use of medications on the study day, that influence eye blinks& attention - Drinking of caffeine or theine containing beverages on the study day Patients and Control: - Intake of psychotropic drugs at day of examination - History of neuroleptic medication - present eye disease - Neurologic diseases that influence blinking - Use of medications on the study day, that influence eye blinks& attention - Drinking of caffeine or theine containing beverages on the study day

Study Design


Related Conditions & MeSH terms


Locations

Country Name City State
Austria Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna Vienna

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor Collaborator
Kirsten Elwischger, MD

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Austria, 

References & Publications (5)

Burke RE, Fahn S, Marsden CD, Bressman SB, Moskowitz C, Friedman J. Validity and reliability of a rating scale for the primary torsion dystonias. Neurology. 1985 Jan;35(1):73-7. — View Citation

Evinger C, Manning KA, Pellegrini JJ, Basso MA, Powers AS, Sibony PA. Not looking while leaping: the linkage of blinking and saccadic gaze shifts. Exp Brain Res. 1994;100(2):337-44. — View Citation

Jankovic J, Ford J. Blepharospasm and orofacial-cervical dystonia: clinical and pharmacological findings in 100 patients. Ann Neurol. 1983 Apr;13(4):402-11. — View Citation

Richard MJ, Woodward DJ, McCoy AN, Woodward JA. Effect of reading on surface electromyogram recordings in patients with blepharospasm. Ophthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg. 2009 Sep-Oct;25(5):378-81. doi: 10.1097/IOP.0b013e3181b0d630. — View Citation

Weiner WJ, Nora LM. "Trick" movements in facial dystonia. J Clin Psychiatry. 1984 Dec;45(12):519-21. — View Citation

Outcome

Type Measure Description Time frame Safety issue
Primary Duration and frequency of pupillary occlusion Duration and frequency of pupillary occlusion during different tasks and situations will be studied via videooculography At baseline
Secondary Number of blinks and spasms. Number of blinks and spasms, registered by videotape of the eyes during different tasks and situations. At baseline