Active clinical trials for "Essential Tremor"

The purpose of the proposed study is to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the ANS Totally Implantable Deep Brain Stimulation System in the VIM nucleus of the thalamus implanted for the treatment of tremor due to essential tremor. This study will be included in the Pre-Market Approval Application to support the safety of this device in use.

Pregabalin is approved for the treatment of nerve pain as well as an additional therapy in the treatment of seizures. In December 2004, Pfizer gained Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for use of pregabalin in nerve pain associated with diabetes and shingles; making it the first FDA-approved treatment for both of these nerve pain states. Tremor is uncontrolled trembling in part of the body. Essential tremor (ET) is associated with purposeful movement(e.g., holding a glass to drink, shaving, writing and buttoning a shirt). It occurs most often in the hands and head and also may affect the arms, voice box (larynx), trunk, and legs. ET is caused by abnormalities in areas of the brain that control movement. It usually does not result in serious complications. ET affects approximately 5 million people in the United States. Incidence is highest in people over the age of 60. ET usually develops gradually during middle age or later in life. Symptoms may remain mild or become more severe over time. Stress, fatigue, anxiety, and hot or cold weather can worsen the disorder. Severe tremor may cause difficulty doing activities of daily living, such as: Brushing hair and teeth Holding a glass without spilling Performing self-care (e.g., getting dressed, shaving, putting on makeup) Using eating utensils Writing and drawing The purpose of this pilot/feasibility study is to examine the tolerability and efficacy of Pregabalin in patients with ET. In other words, can patients diagnosed with ET tolerate high dose of pregabalin? Will the pregabalin be considered as an efficient medicine in the treatment of ET?

Essential tremor poses one of the greatest therapeutic challenges to neurologists. This study will examine the effectiveness of the drug, levetiracetam or keppra, for the treatment of essential tremor.

This study will evaluate the effectiveness of 1-octanol, a substance similar to alcohol but less intoxicating, for treating essential tremor. Essential tremor is an involuntary shaking, usually of the hands, for which there is no satisfactory treatment. It affects about 1.4 percent of the general U.S. population, with the figure climbing to nearly 4 percent among people over 40. Results of two previous NIH studies have shown 1-octanol to be promising as a potential new treatment. This study will test the effectiveness of 1-octanol on essential tremor at doses lower than those given previously. Patients 21 years old and older with essential tremor may be eligible for this study. Participants are admitted to the NIH Clinical Center for two treatment periods of 1 week each, with a 1-week break at home between treatments. Before beginning treatment, participants undergo a medical history, physical examination, blood and urine tests, and an electrocardiogram (EKG). In addition, tremors are measured using accelerometry, a procedure in which a small device, mounted on a piece of cardboard, is taped to the patient's hand for about 30 minutes. Patients are randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group takes 2 to 4 capsules of 1-octanol 3 times a day for 1 week, followed by a 1-week "washout" period (no treatment), and then 2 to 4 capsules of placebo 3 times a day for 1 week. Following the same dosage schedule, the second group takes placebo the first week, followed by the washout period and then 1-octanol treatment. Blood pressure and pulse are measured at 15, 30, and 60 minutes after the first dose of the day and then 3 times a day each day of hospitalization, EKG and blood draws are done every other day during hospitalization, and blood is drawn again 1 week after the end of the study. Patients evaluate their tremor daily according to a tremor scale and are also rated according to an alcohol intoxication scale.

The purpose of this pilot study is to obtain information whether the medication zonisamide reduces tremor in persons with essential tremor and is well tolerated.

This clinical research program is designed to evaluate medications as new treatments for essential tremor. Essential tremor is a common condition with few available therapies.

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is a well established therapy in medication-refractory essential tremor (ET). Since the inception of DBS, cathodic pulses are used. Recent work suggests that biphasic pulses influence the therapeutic window when compared to cathodic pulses, when tested acutely. Animal studies and work from cochlear implants, show that the use of an interphase gap, influences the generation of action potentials. In this study, the goal is to investigate the use of an interphase gap in biphasic pulses in DBS for ET patients.

Essential head tremor (HT) does not usually respond to drug treatment such as propranolol or primidone or to surgical treatment such as deep brain stimulation of the thalamic ventralis intermedius nucleus. Botulinum toxin (Btx) is widely used and efficient in the treatment of blepharospasm and cervical dystonia. Btx prevents the release of acetylcholine in synapses, leading to a reduction of pathological muscle movement. Very little information is available on its efficacy on HT. Two published reports suggested that local Btx A injections could be an effective and safe approach for treating HT. Given the scarcity of published data (small samples, open studies, different doses of Btx used, heterogeneous populations, several muscles injected, etc.), the aim of this study is to demonstrate the efficacy of Btx injections in essential HT by a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled study. Principal objective: To evaluate the efficacy of botulinum toxin injections in the treatment of head tremor. Secondary objectives: - To evaluate the tolerance of botulinum toxin injections in the treatment of head tremor. - To evaluate the impact of botulinum toxin injections on the patients' quality of life and embarrassment. To evaluate the changes of tremor characteristics induced by a Btx treatment using a 3D accelerometer wireless portable system (Xsens MTw wireless motion tracker system) (tremor frequency, tremor displacement, mean peak amplitude, distance traveled) and a new video system device to analyze head tremor characteristics

This is a pilot trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a combined oral formulation of THC and CBD in patients with Essential Tremor.

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is the gold standard treatment for Essential Tremor (ET). ET is a movement disorder which causes the arms, feet, fingers, head or voice to involuntarily shake. The DBS surgical procedure involves implanting an electrode deep within the brain which blocks damaging signals that cause the tremor. Essential Voice Tremor (EVT) is the vocal manifestation of ET and a number of individuals have both ET and EVT, and when these patients are implanted for their ET, their EVT symptoms are often also mitigated. This study aims to quantify the effects of DBS on EVT by testing on these ET+EVT patients. In addition to this, we hope to determine which hemisphere of the brain is responsible for larynx control: left or right.