Active clinical trials for "Brain Diseases"

This trial will study a possible effect of standard Israeli breakfast (30% of caloric value and 21 gram protein) on cognitive and executive functions (working memory, visual memory, concentration and coordination), on patients with mild-moderate liver cirrhosis.

This study is conducted at the Henry Ford Health System with Lifegraph's behavioral monitoring technology, to examine the relation between migraine attacks and behavioral and environmental changes as detected from the smartphone sensors. The investigators hypothesize that Lifegraph's technology can predict the occurrence of migraine attacks with high precision.

Protection of brain development is a major aim in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) occurs in 3-5 per 1000 births. Only 47% of neonates have normal outcomes. The neurodevelopmental consequences of brain injury for asphyxiated term infants include cerebral palsy, severe intellectual disabilities and also a number of minor behavioural and cognitive deficits. However, there are very few therapeutic strategies for the prevention or treatment of brain damage. The gold standard is hypothermic treatment but, according to the literature, melatonin potentially acts in synergy with hypothermia for neuroprotection and to improve neurologic outcomes. Melatonin appears to be a good candidate because of its different protective effects including reactive oxygen species scavenging, excitotoxic cascade blockade, modulation of neuroinflammatory pathways. The research study will evaluate the neuroprotective properties and the effects of Melatonin in association with therapeutic hypothermia for hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy.

The current standard of care for patients with HE includes non-absorbable disaccharides(lactulose);The chemical name for lactulose is 4-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl-D-fructofuranose.The exact mode of action by lactulose is thought to be the conversion to lactic acid and acetic acid by colonic bacteria resulting in acidification of the gut lumen. This favors conversion of ammonia (NH3) to ammonium (NH4+), which is relatively membrane impermeable; therefore, less ammonia is absorbed by the colon. Gut acidification inhibits ammoniagenic coliform bacteria, leading to increased levels of nonammoniagenic lactobacilli. Nonabsorbable disaccharides also work as a cathartic, clearing the gut of ammonia before it can be absorbed.

The interventional study aims to increase the knowledge on arm and hand rehabilitation after stroke within community-based services. The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the feasibility and clinical usefulness of the arm and hand training program (focusing on functional goal- and task-oriented daily life exercises) in combination with the use of an orthotic device in terms of patient compliance and improvement of outcomes. The secondary objective is to compare the effectiveness of the program with or without the use of an orthotic device in a randomized controlled trial.

Background: - People with autism and autism spectrum disorders have problems with communication, behavior, and socializing, and many also have intellectual and developmental disabilities. The cause of autism is not known, but previous research has suggested an association between autism and immune changes in the brain. Researchers are interested in using the experimental radioactive drug (11C)PBR28, which attaches to a protein in the brain that is involved in immune changes, in positron emission tomography (PET) scanning of people with and without autism to see if there are greater immune changes in those with autism. Objectives: - To determine if positron emission tomography scanning can be used to evaluate changes in an immune system protein in the brains of people with autism. Eligibility: - Individuals between 18 and 45 years of age who have been diagnosed with either autism or autism spectrum disorders, or are healthy volunteers. Design: Participants will be screened with a physical examination and psychological examination, medical history, questionnaires about behavior and mood, and blood and urine tests. Participants will have two imaging studies of the brain at separate study visits. The first study visit will involve a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan to provide a baseline image of the brain. The second study visit will involve PET scan with the radioactive chemical (11C)PBR28 to study immune system proteins in the brain. The MRI scan will take about 40 minutes, and the PET scan will take about 2 hours. Participants will have a final study visit 24 hours after the PET scan to provide a final blood sample for testing.

The study is being conducted to evaluate the efficacy of Sildenafil (a 5-phosphodiesterase inhibitor) as a means to improve the cognitive impairment encountered in patients of minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) as proposed in different studies. This study would also assess the role of improvement of cognition as a means of improvement in quality of life.The patients will receive Sildenafil or no treatment for 4 weeks. This study may prove and provide important therapeutic strategy for cognition impairment in patients with MHE.

The study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of L-ornithine-L-aspartate in the management of hepatic encephalopathy.

Hepatic encephalopathy is a syndrome occurs in patients with liver cirrhosis and is defined as neuropsychiatric abnormalities in patients with liver impairment, characterized by personality changes, intellectual impairment, and an impaired level of consciousness. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a necessary cofactor of the mitochondrial metabolism. It provides a High antioxidant and protective effects on age-related morbidities such as hypertension, heart failure and neurodegenerative diseases and hepatoprotective effects in drug related hepatic impairment. Meclofenoxate is a cholinergic nootropic drug used clinically to improve memory, mental function and general cognition.

The study is to investigate the feasibility and safety of autologous umbilical cord blood transfusion to treat the newborn infants with presence of clinical indications of neonatal hypoxic-ischemia encephalopathy (HIE) and anemia. Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is collected following labor and is transfused intravenously within 48 hours after the birth. Newborn infant without UCB available recieves the standard care will be enrolled as control group. Following the autologous UCB transfusion in the study group or standard care in the control group, HIE subjects will be followed for 2 years for survival and neurodevelopmental outcomes and anemia subjects will be followed for 6 months to assess the survival and change of hematocrit and hemoglobin levels.