5 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
This is a research study using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to investigate interactions between the sensory system and the motor cortex in primary generalized dystonia (DYT1 dystonia) subjects who undergo deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery. The sensory system is the body's sense organs - smell, sight, sound, etc. - and the motor cortex is the part of your brain where nerve impulses control voluntary muscle activity.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate if the antibiotic Ampicillin is safe and tolerated in patients that have generalized dystonia caused by the DYT-1 gene mutation, as compared to patients treated with a placebo. A placebo is a pill that looks and tastes the same as the real drug, but without the active ingredient. The second objective of this study is to determine if dystonia symptoms improve while on the study drug.
The main purpose of this study is to investigate primary cervical dystonia as compared to healthy control subjects and DYT 1 dystonia as compared to healthy control subjects by examining cognitive measures, physical measures, and structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The secondary aim of this study is to investigate a specific drug therapy for primary cervical dystonia to develop a functional MRI (fMRI) research paradigm. The drug, trihexyphenidyl, is FDA approved to treat Parkinson's Disease and is commonly prescribed by physicians as a treatment for symptoms of primary cervical dystonia.
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective surgical therapy for select Dystonia patients who are refractory to medications or who have generalized symptoms (e.g. patients with Early-Onset Primary Dystonia(DYT1) mutations and other dystonia subtypes). DBS patients typically experience significant improvement in disabling symptoms; however, detailed programming is always required, and stimulation-induced side effects commonly emerge. Clinicians may empirically vary voltage, pulse width, frequency and also the active contacts on the DBS lead to achieve observed optimal benefits. The majority of DBS patients undergo repeat surgeries to replace the implantable pulse generator (IPG) every 2.5 to 5 years. It has been demonstrated that, in dystonia patients, that higher settings are required for adequate symptomatic control, and that neurostimulators have a considerably shorter life when compared to neurostimulators from patients with essential tremor or Parkinson's disease. Additionally, several smaller studies have suggested that alternative pulse stimulation properties and pulse shape modifications can lower IPG battery consumption. Newer patterns of stimulation (regularity of pulses and shapes of pulses) have not been widely tested in clinical practice, and are not part of the current FDA device labeling. Novel patterns of stimulation do however, have the potential to improve symptoms, reduce side effects, and to preserve the neurostimulator life. The current research proposal will prospectively study biphasic pulse stimulation paradigms and its effects on dystonic symptoms. The investigators aim to demonstrate that we can tailor DBS settings to address dystonia symptoms, improve the safety profile, characterize distinct clinical advantages, and carefully document the safety and neurostimulator battery consumption profile for biphasic stimulation.
This study will examine the role of certain areas of the brain in blepharospasm, a type of dystonia (abnormality of movement and muscle tone) that causes unwanted or uncontrollable blinking or closing of the eyelids. The study will compare brain activity in healthy volunteers and in people with blepharospasm to find differences in the brain that may lead to better treatments for dystonia. Healthy volunteers and people with blepharospasm who are 18 years of age and older may be eligible for this study. All candidates are screened with a medical history. People with blepharospasm also have a physical examination and blepharospasm rating. Participants undergo transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electromyography (EMG) in two 4-hour sessions, separated by 1 to 7 days. TMS A wire coil is held on the subject s scalp. A brief electrical current is passed through the coil, creating a magnetic pulse that stimulates the brain. The subject hears a click and may feel a pulling sensation on the skin under the coil. There may be a twitch in muscles of the face, arm or leg. During the stimulation, subjects may be asked to tense certain muscles slightly or perform other simple actions. Repetitive TMS involves repeated magnetic pulses delivered in short bursts of impulses. Subjects receive 60 pulses per minute over 15 minutes. EMG Surface EMG is done during TMS to measure the electrical activity of muscles. For this test, electrodes (small metal disks) are filled with a conductive gel and taped to the skin of the face.