Imaging Neuromelanin and Iron in Dystonia/Parkinsonism
Sporadic DystoniaDystonia5 moreTo generate pilot data to investigate the potential to use in vivo iron- and neuromelanin-quantification as imaging tools for the diagnostic evaluation of movement disorders with predominant dystonia / parkinsonism. To this end we are planning to compare the MR imaging neuromelanin and iron-pattern and content in midbrain, striatum and further brain structures in clinically similar entities and respective, sex- and age-matched healthy controls.
Analysis of Cortical Biomarkers for PD
Parkinson DiseaseHealthyPrevious studies revealed changes in the pattern of cortical electrical activity of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and suggested that these changes may be dependent on the phenotypes of the disease and other related factors. A greater understanding of cortical electrical activity in PD patients may be relevant to guide professionals about the therapeutic use of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). The present study aims to evaluate the pattern of brain activity of PD patients and to correlate the findings with the disease phenotypes and with other clinical characteristics. For this, volunteers with PD and healthy will participate in a single experimental session in which behavioral and electrophysiological assessments will be performed.
SHMT1 Polymorphism in Parkinson's Disease,
Study the Role of SHMT1 Polymorphism in Parkinson DiseaseParkinson Disease (PD) is the most common movement disorder and represents the second most common degenerative disease of the central nervous system . SHMT has been shown to be associated with various diseases.
Self-Reports of Executive Functions in Persons With Parkinson's Disease and Their Significant Others...
Parkinsonism or Parkinson's Disease NosThe investigators are conducting a study to compare the self-reports of executive functions (that is to say, what role cognitive processes such as working memory and attention) in persons with Parkinson's Disease to the reports of executive functions completed by their significant others. To conduct this study, the investigators need the participation of persons who are diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease and their significant others.
Sleepiness in Parkinson's Patients With Continuous Dopaminergic Delivery Device or Deep Brain Stimulation...
Parkinson DiseaseSleepiness is frequent in parkinsonian patients, increasing with the duration of disease. By patients with motor fluctuations, continuous dopaminergic delivery devices or deep brain stimulation are justified to improve the motor prognosis. Antiparkinsonian treatments, especially dopaminergic agonists, may worsen the sleepiness and thus affect the quality of life. The investigators aimed to monitor sleepiness in parkinsonian patients before and during treatment with continous dopaminergic delivery device or deep brain stimulation.
Sound and Vision: A Collaboration Between Service-users, Artists and the Public to Explore the Lived...
SchizophreniaParkinson Disease1 moreSound and Vision: A collaboration between service-users, artists and the public to explore the lived experience of hallucinations
The Microbiome in Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson DiseaseTo investigate the dynamic relationship between the intestinal microbiota and Inflammation in subjects with Parkinson's disease.
Assessing Cholinergic Innervation in Parkinson's Disease Using the PET Imaging Marker [18F]Fluoroethoxybenzovesamicol...
Parkinson's DiseaseAlthough PD is considered predominantly as a motor disease caused by loss of dopaminergic neurons, multiple studies indicate that cholinergic dysfunction already starts in early PD and is crucial for the development of dementia in addition to motor symptoms.Because of its crucial role in CNS functioning and neurodegenerative disorders, including PD, it is of great importance to get a better understanding of the cholinergic functioning in the brain. Pathways of acetylcholine synthesis, transport and release provide possible targets for in vivo imaging of the cholinergic system. However,previous approaches are considered as indirect biomarkers of cholinergic terminal integrity because they measure both pre- and post-synaptic expressions. The novel vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) tracer [18F]Fluoroethoxy-Benzovesamicol ([18F]FEOBV) provides a more direct measurement of presynaptic cholinergic function. The use of [18F]FEOBV as a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging marker of cholinergic innervations has, however, only been studied in healthy human volunteers and no data is available on patients. With this study the differences in cholinergic function between PD patients and healthy aged-matched volunteers will be quantified. In addition the test-retest variability will be determined
Determining Clinical Profile of Parkinson's Disease Among Egyptian Population
Parkinson's DiseaseParkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease affecting about 1-3% of population above 60 years. Recently, non-motor symptoms are getting more attention in PD management. The pattern of PD onset and clinical course differ from one population to another. Many studies have been conducted to determine the clinical profile of PD in populations worldwide. However, no similar studies have been conducted in Egypt. Therefore, the investigators will conduct a nation-wide, collaborative, cross sectional study to determine the pattern of Parkinson's disease onset, clinical course, and non-motor symptoms among Egyptian population.
Biomarker Discovery in Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's DiseaseThere are approximately one million Americans who live with Parkinson's disease with 50,000 new cases per year and this rate is expected to rise with an aging population. The underlying pathophysiology and disease understanding of PD still remains elusive due to a combination of disease complexity and lack of predictive capability of existing models. The Berg Interrogative Biology™ discovery platform has demonstrated a unique capability in producing drug targets and biomarkers that truly represent a disease phenotype. It has been able to catalyze molecules now in late stage clinical trials in cancer and many pre-clinical candidate therapeutics and biomarkers in endocrinology and central nervous system (CNS) diseases. The platform is able to decipher normal versus disease signatures by integration of data sets from the genome, metabolome, proteome, and lipidome in an agnostic manner that is subjected to Bayesian Artificial Intelligence informatics. The resulting nodes are then put back into wet-lab validation before proceeding to proof-of-principle pre-clinical testing. By utilizing clinical data and specimens obtained by the medical specialists at The Parkinson's Institute, along with Berg's Interrogative Biology™, this study aims to discover a disease biomarker enabling the creation of a diagnostic test for Parkinson's disease.