Active clinical trials for "Brain Neoplasms"

An optimal analgesic therapy is very important for postoperative recovery. In recent years, several studies showed that the prevalence of the moderate to severe pain after craniotomy ranged from 69 to 87% of patients. The investigators showed that the use of morphine based patient controlled analgesia prevented moderate to severe postoperative pain in patients undergoing supratentorial craniotomy. Morphine related side effects such as sedation, miosis, respiratory depression, nausea and vomiting produce a general reluctance for their use in neurosurgery. Therefore, all patients were closely observed to detect opioid related side effects in the intensive care unit for 24 hours following surgery in our previous study. The Integrated Pulmonary Index (IPI) is a new tool that calculates respiratory and hemodynamic parameters noninvasively. In the present study the investigators will use different doses of morphine based patient-controlled analgesia and the IPI system to determine more effective and safer morphine dose for postoperative analgesia following supratentorial craniotomy.

This research will leverage novel pilot research conducted by the investigators to take important first steps in addressing neurocognitive late effects by intervening early, during treatment, with a promising computerized cognitive remediation program to prevent the downward trajectory of neurocognitive function experienced by pediatric brain tumor survivors. Specifically, we propose to test the feasibility, acceptability, and initial proof of concept of a neuroplasticity-based adaptive cognitive training program (Cogmed) to train working memory (WM) and attention in newly diagnosed youth with a brain tumor. Further, we will test the feasibility of using this intervention in a true prospective design beginning pre-surgery to examine the effects of this intervention in deflecting the downward trajectory of cognitive function in children with brain tumors during treatment. We will also use functional neuroimaging (near infrared spectroscopy - "NIRS") to examine the effects of this program on brain activation in frontal regions that are affected by treatment. Findings from this pilot study will inform the development of a large multi-site randomized efficacy trial to test an individualized cognitive training program. Aim 1. To test the feasibility and acceptability of enrolling youth (7 to 16 years-old) with newly diagnosed brain tumors at time of diagnosis, following patients for 10 weeks, delivering the Cogmed computer-based training program in a randomized trial at 10-weeks post-diagnosis, and following patients to 1 year post-diagnosis. Aim 2. To test the initial acceptability and efficacy of the Cogmed training program on cognitive function in newly diagnosed pediatric brain tumor patients.

This is a study to evaluate the effectiveness of using an established intervention for depressive symptom management in conjunction with a needs-based caregiver intervention for improving the psychological and physical health of family caregivers of persons recently diagnosed with a Primary Malignant Brain Tumor.

This is a study to determine the safety and effectiveness of BKM120 plus capecitabine in breast cancer patients with brain metastases. Both capecitabine and BMK120 have previously shown activity in patients with breast cancer. Like capecitabine, BMK120 is also effective in crossing the blood brain barrier making it a preferred candidate for its evaluation in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC).

This is a Phase 2 study to see if an investigational drug, ANG1005, can shrink tumor cells in patients with high-grade glioma. Another purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy, safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics (PK) of ANG1005 in patients.

Emergence hypertension is a common occurrence in patients emerging from general anesthesia. This elevation of arterial pressure is particularly concerning in patients undergoing craniotomy due to increased risk of morbidity and mortality in patients with altered intracranial elastance. Thus, identifying better methods to attenuate the hemodynamic changes associated with emergence from anesthesia can improve patient safety, especially in the neurosurgical patient. Study Hypothesis: Nicardipine is more effective than esmolol as a sole agent in maintaining blood pressure within goal range in the setting of emergence hypertension after craniotomy.

This partially randomized phase I/II trial studies the side effects and the best dose of anti-endoglin monoclonal antibody TRC105 when given together with bevacizumab and to see how well they work in treating patients with glioblastoma multiforme that has come back. Monoclonal antibodies, such as anti-endoglin monoclonal antibody TRC105 and bevacizumab, may find tumor cells and help kill them. Giving anti-endoglin monoclonal antibody TRC105 together with bevacizumab may be an effective treatment for glioblastoma multiforme.

Awake craniotomy for resection of brain tumor located in close proximity to areas of eloquent brain function, such as speech, motor and sensory, is an accepted procedure used to minimize neurological injury during resection. During awake craniotomy, anesthesia is usually provided using a combination of local anesthesia (regional scalp block and/or local infiltration) and intravenous (IV) agents to provide sedation, anxiolysis and analgesia. Propofol sedation, commonly in combination with a shorter acting opioid such as fentanyl, or remifentanil, is an effective and popular technique during awake craniotomy, achieving a high degree of patient satisfaction and acceptance. Most of the anesthetic agents are associated with some respiratory depression. The anesthetic agent called dexmedetomidine is a potent, highly selective α2-adrenoceptor agonist. The effects of dexmedetomidine are anxiolysis, analgesia, sedation and sympatholysis, and it is not associated with respiratory depressive effect. Bekker et al. first reported the successful use of dexmedetomidine in awake craniotomy in 2001. The purpose of this blinded, prospective, randomized study is to compare the efficacy of dexmedetomidine versus propofol-remifentanil based sedation in patients undergoing awake craniotomy for resection of tumors. The study hypothesis is that the efficacy of performing intra-operative brain mapping is identical between dexmedetomidine and the propofol-remifentanil based sedation. The primary end-points are to assess the ability to perform intraoperative mapping during awake craniotomy. Secondary end-points will assess the incidence of complications (respiratory depression, failure to provide adequate analgesia), as well as patient and surgeon satisfaction to the corresponding anesthetic technique.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether erlotinib plus pemetrexed, cisplatin are effective and safe in treating lung adenocarcinoma with brain metastases.

The main purpose of this part of the study is to determine the Central Nervous System bioavailability of sulfasalazine.