View clinical trials related to Spina Bifida.
Filter by:Children with neuromuscular disabilities and limited ambulation are at significant risk for decreased bone mineral density (BMD) and increased incidence of fracture. This is caused, in part, by low levels of load experienced by the skeleton due to a child's functional limitations. Low BMD has been shown to be predictive of fracture, and in fact, fractures usually occur without significant trauma in children with neuromuscular conditions. The discomfort and distress from fractures in this population are considerable, and the associated costs to the family and healthcare system are substantial. Numerous interventions have been devoted to improving BMD in these children. Stationary assisted standing devices are widely used and represent the standard-of-care. However, evidence supporting this approach is limited due to inadequate study designs with insufficient numbers of patients. This study will use load-sensing platforms in patients with neuromuscular conditions. Successful completion of this pilot study will assist in the development of a future multicenter clinical trial to definitively determine relationships, if any, between passive standing and measures of BMD, fracture incidence, pulmonary function, and health-related quality-of-life measures in children with a variety of neuromuscular disabilities (e.g., spinal muscular atrophy, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, Rett syndrome). Hypothesis: Assisted standing treatment program will gradually increase their duration of standing by up to 75% after the baseline phase.
A collection of biological samples (cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] and blood) from patients under 6 years of age who are diagnosed with intraventricular hemorrhage or spina bifida.
Spina Bifida is a developmental congenital disorder caused by the incomplete closing of the embryonic neural tube, leading to serious malformations of the nervous system. Caudal neuropore malformations almost always lead to sensory-motor deficits (including complete paraplegia) with orthopedic deformations, pressure sores, and pelvic/perineal neurological dysfunctions (affecting the bladder-sphincter, anorectal, and genital sphere). The purpose of the study is to assess the efficacy of retrograde colonic irrigation associated with usual care (medical treatments, patient education) on anorectal dysfunction (incontinence and/or constipation), compared to usual care only.
This study will evaluate the efficacy of a newly developed serious game, SCI HARD, to enhance self-management skills, self-reported health behaviors, and quality of life among adolescents and young adults with spinal cord injury and disease (SCI/D). SCI HARD was designed by the project PI, Dr. Meade, in collaboration with the UM3D (University of Michigan three dimensional) Lab between 2010 and 2013 with funding from a NIDRR (National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research) Field Initiated Development Grant to assist persons with SCI develop and apply the necessary skills to keep their bodies healthy while managing the many aspects of SCI care. The study makes a unique contribution to rehabilitation by emphasizing the concepts of personal responsibility and control over one's health and life as a whole. By selecting an innovative approach for program implementation, we also attempt to address the high cost of care delivery and lack of health care access to underserved populations with SCI/D living across the United States (US). H1: SCI Hard participants will show greater improvements in problem solving skills, healthy attitudes about disability, and SCI Self-efficacy than will control group members; these improvements will be sustained over time within and between groups. H2: SCI Hard participants will endorse more positive health behaviors than control group members; these improvements will be sustained over time within and between groups. H3: SCI Hard participants will have higher levels of QOL than control group members; these differences will be sustained over time within and between groups. H4: Among SCI Hard participants, dosage of game play will be related to degree of change in self-management skills, health behaviors and QOL.
Background: - Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common motor disorder in children. CP often causes crouch gait, an abnormal way of walking. Knee crouch has many causes, so no single device or approach works best for everybody. This study s adjustable brace provides many types of walking assistance. Researchers will evaluate brace options to find the best solution for each participant, and whether one solution works best for the group. Objective: - To evaluate a new brace to improve crouch gait in children with CP. Eligibility: - Children 5 17 years old with CP. - Healthy volunteers 5 17 years old. Design: - All participants will be screened with medical history and physical exam. - Healthy volunteers will have 1 visit. They will do motion analysis, EMG, and EEG described below. - Participants with CP will have 6 visits. - Visit 1: <TAB>1. Motion analysis: Balls will be taped to participants skin. This helps cameras follow their movement. <TAB>2. EMG: Metal discs will be taped to participants skin. They measure electrical muscle activity. <TAB>3. Participants knee movement will be tested. <TAB>4. Participants will walk 50 meters. <TAB>5. Participants legs will be cast to make custom braces. - Visit 2: - Participants will wear their new braces and have them adjusted. - Steps 1 3 will be repeated. - EEG: Small metal discs will be placed on the participants scalp. They record brain waves. - Participants will have electrical stimulation of their knees and practice extending them. - Participants will take several walks with the braces in different settings. - Visits 3 5: participants will repeat the walking and some other steps from visit 2. - Visit 6 will repeat visit 2.
This study will examine the effects of a theoretically grounded and manualized cognitive rehabilitation program on patients with Spina Bifida (SB). SB is often associated with deficit in higher order control over cognition, emotion and behaviour; which is typically referred to as executive functions. The present study will examine the efficacy of Goal Management Training (GMT) in patients with SB that experience executive difficulties. It is expected that GMT will have a favourable effect on cognitive executive functioning, psychological and health related factors.
The primary aim of this study was to determine if using the SpeediCath hydrophilic catheter would reduce the incidence of symptomatic urinary tract infections (UTI)in children with spina bifida who perform clean intermittent catheterization for bladder management. The hypothesis was that the incidence of symptomatic urinary tract infections would be significantly reduced (by 25%) in users of the SpeediCath hydrophilic catheter when compared to users of a reused polyvinyl chloride (PVC) catheter. Subjects were randomly assigned to either starting the study with PVC catheter for 6 months followed by the hydrophilic catheter for 6 months or visa versa. Each subject kept a weekly diary recording urinary tract infections symptoms, hematuria determined by urine dipstick, physician visits, days of missed school and other activities. At the end of each 6 months subjects completed a questionnaire recording their comfort and satisfaction in using the PVC or hydrophilic coated catheter. 70 subjects were randomized and 46 had complete data. There were no differences in febrile UTI, antibiotic use, healthcare visits or school days missed. The incidence of self reported UTI was lower in the PVC group than the hydrophilic group. 40% of subjects indicated that the hydrophilic coated catheter was slippery and difficult to handle compared to 10% for the PVC catheter. However overall satisfaction was no different between products. The study results are consistent with the current Cochrane Review that there is a lack of evidence to state that the incidence of UTI is affected by multiuse or hydrophilic catheter use.
This study is to evaluate the safety of Yulex gloves when used by individuals who have documented allergy to natural rubber latex from Hevea brasiliensis. Yulex is a latex from a different plant (Guayule) and in previous studies shows no cross-reactivity to Hevea latex and has not been allergenic in workers exposed to Yulex. The FDA has approved Yulex gloves for use in the general population and has recognized and labeled these gloves as Hevea Latex-free. The labeling still includes a precaution that Yulex gloves may pose a risk for development of allergy because Yulex does contain a small amount of Guayule protein. Yulex Corporation has proposed doing further studies to demonstrate safety and lack of allergenicity in a population that is prone to latex allergy. In the proposed pilot study, the investigators goal is to complete the protocol on 10 adults with spina bifida who are allergic to natural rubber latex who will wear Yulex gloves as part of their regular bladder and bowel care for approximately 30 minutes daily over a 3 month period. The investigators anticipate that the investigators will need to recruit and enroll up to 50 study participants to achieve a final sample of 10 adults with complete study data. Individuals with a history of anaphylaxis will be excluded from the study. The study participants will be tested for Yulex allergy by Glove Puncture Test as well as serology at the beginning and end of the study. The FDA Devices group has reviewed the study design and agreed that this is a suitable first pilot study.
The goal of this study is to evaluate a surgical procedure (operation) that reroutes lumbar to sacral nerves in the spinal column to improve the bladder's ability to empty properly in patients born with Spina Bifida.
The purpose of this research study is to examine whether computer based or virtual reality based driving assessments are as useful as real-world power wheelchair driving tests in measuring driving performance and whether they may be useful in helping to identify the problems that some individuals may have with driving power wheelchairs. The specific aims are as follows: Specific Aim 1: To develop computer-based and VR-based wheelchair driving assessments for both drivers and non-drivers that correspond to an accepted real-world driving assessment (Power Mobility Road Test) and compare them to the real-world assessment and to each other. Specific Aim 2: To develop additional features of the computer-based and VR-based assessments that present dynamic tasks and determine whether skills on these tasks can be delineated within the virtual environment.