Active clinical trials for "Dementia"

Background: - Some people have a mutation in the C9ORF72 gene that causes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The mutation causes a small piece of DNA to repeat itself thousands of times. The C9ORF gene mutation mostly occurs in families. In those families, some persons have ALS and others have FTD. Occasionally the C9ORF gene mutation occurs in persons without a family history. Researchers want to understand how this gene causes different diseases. They will study how symptoms caused by the C9ORF gene develop and change over time. They will measure symptoms that occur in ALS and in FTD. In particular, they will measure strength, ability to move, thinking, and memory. They will also see if other tests are associated with progression of disease. These tests, called biomarkers, may help detect or measure C9ORF72 disease in the future. Objectives: - To understand how symptoms change over time in people with mutations in a gene called C9ORF72, which causes ALS and FTD. Eligibility: - Adults over age 18 who have this genetic mutation Design: Participants will have up to 4 in-person visits and 3 telephone interviews over 3 years. Each in-person visit may take place over several days. They may be either inpatient or outpatient visits. At each visit, participants will undergo a series of brain, language, and behavior tests. These will include: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain. This uses magnets, radio waves, and computers to produce detailed pictures of the brain. Collecting spinal fluid. The clinician will make the participant s back numb and then insert a needle to collect fluid. <TAB>- Blood samples will be taken. <TAB>- Participants will be asked to perform several language and movement tests. <TAB>- Small skin samples will be taken on one visit - Between visits, participants will answer questions about their health over the phone 3 times.

The aim of this randomized controlled study is to investigate if medication reviews performed by a clinical pharmacist as part of a ward team can reduce drug related problems and reduce readmissions to hospital among elderly patients (≥65 years) with dementia and cognitive failure. Four hundred and sixty patients will be recruited and randomized to control (usual care) and intervention group (enhanced service in which a pharmacist is part of the health care team). Six months after the last patient of the 460 has been discharged the study will be closed. Data about the number of readmissions and visits to the emergency room will be collected during the six-month follow-up and also, the costs associated with each visit or admission. Time until institutionalization will be compared between intervention group and control group.

This prospective observational cohort study aims at studying functional and clinical outcomes of patients (N = 329) admitted to 4 geriatric hospital facilities of the St John of God Order in Northern Italy during an index period of 4 months. Other areas assessed include variables that help or hinder the discharge of patients with sufficient residential autonomy and the predictive ability of clinicians compared with the evaluation of selective indicators of outcome (clinical and instrumental). Patients are followed from the first day of hospitalization until discharge or up to 3 months and 1 day after the date of admission ("long-term care" patients). At admission a "Patient Form" including social, demographic and clinical informations and a series of standardized assessment tools is completed with the help of clinicians, nurses and caregivers (when available). For each patient, during hospitalization, an analysis of apolipoprotein ApoE polymorphisms is performed and adverse events occurred during hospitalization are monitored, as well as the predictive abilities of clinicians and any recent CT and MRI. Patients are reassessed at discharge (or after 3 months for "long-term care" patients) and at 6 months follow-up of with a standardized telephone interview to assess clinical and functional status and possible changes in the residential status of the patient.

This project, a small-scale pilot study, will attempt to determine if involvement in a group-based creative expression program may correlate with a reduction in use of psychotropic drugs for persons with dementia.

Photozig and Stanford University are creating a program to help cope with caregiving, alleviate related stress, and enhance quality of life for caregivers, with funding from the National Institute on Aging. This home-based program includes a free DVD, printed materials, and resource website. In addition, after completing the program, participants will have free access to final online resources for 1 year. There are no face-to-face meetings, and participants can live anywhere in the United States.

The world's population is aging and the resulting prevalence of chronic illnesses is a challenge that our society must address. The vision is to address this challenge by designing smart environment technologies that keep older adults functioning independently in their own homes as long as possible. Smart environments have been used as the basis of monitoring activities for residents with health conditions. However, there is currently a lack of large scale, longitudinal research to identify early markers of dementia and other health status changes and to predict functional decline. The objective of this project is to perform a 5-year longitudinal study of older adults performing daily activities in their own smart homes.

Progressive aphasia is characterized by a steady and progressive loss of language skills in the presence of relatively preserved memory, attention, and thinking. The aim of this study is to slow the progression of language decline in progressive aphasia via language therapy. The first goal of this study is to improve naming abilities of individuals with progressive aphasia. This will be accomplished by carrying out an intensive treatment program for anomia. The second goal is to evaluate whether this intense language treatment re-activates affected areas and/or connections within the language network, using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (to measure neural activity in specific brain regions) and Diffusion Tensor Imaging tractography (to measure the connectivity between specific brain regions). This is the first study on progressive aphasia addressing both treatment and imaging in the same patients.

To evaluate General Practitioners use and reuptake of an e-learning programme in diagnostic evaluation of dementia after an intervention consisting of three mailed reminder letters. There is no direct patient involvement in this study.

The purpose of this study is to collect and compare information regarding the treatment and outcome of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease who are receiving either drug or nondrug treatment. Information will be collected from patients and their primary caregivers.

Imaging studies of the brain have revealed the different areas involved in the processes of learning and reasoning. However, the specific role these regions play in these processes, or if stimulating these areas can improve these processes is unknown. Researchers would like to use repetitive transcranial stimulation (rTMS) to better understand the roles of individual brain regions on the processes of learning and reasoning. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) involves the placement of a cooled electromagnet with a figure-eight coil on the patient's scalp, and rapidly turning on and off the magnetic flux. This permits non-invasive, relatively localized stimulation of the surface of the brain (cerebral cortex). The effect of magnetic stimulation varies, depending upon the location, intensity and frequency of the magnetic pulses. The purpose of this study is to use rTMS to help determine the roles of different brain regions in the development of implicit learning of motor sequences and analogic reasoning. In addition, researchers hope to evaluate if stimulation of these regions speeds up the process of learning or analogic reasoning.