Active clinical trials for "Lewy Body Disease"

To determine whether retinal abnormalities, as measured by high definition optical coherence tomography (HD-OCT) and visual electrophysiology techniques can be used as a clinical biomarker to monitor disease progression overtime in patients with Parkinson disease. To establish whether these measures can be used to identify patients with PD in the premotor phase. To define the rate of progression of retinal abnormalities in PD (both in the motor and premotor stages) for potential use as a clinical outcome measure

The Synuclein-One Study will be evaluating α-synuclein in patients with Parkinson's disease, Multiple System Atrophy, Dementia with Lewy bodies and Pure Autonomic Failure. Using a simple diagnostic test will improve clinical accuracy in diagnosing, earlier diagnosis, and distinguish between neurodegenerative diseases.

Dementia with Lewy Body (DLB) is a common neurodegenerative disorder responsible to 15%-20% of the dementia cases in the elderly population. Dementia with Lewy Body (DLB) is a common neurodegenerative disorder responsible to 15%-20% of the dementia cases in the elderly population . This disorder belongs to the family of synucleinopathies, which are diseases characterized by the abnormal accumulation of the protein α-synuclein (α-syn) in neuronal and non-neuronal cells in the brain. The clinical symptoms of DLB include dementia with the presence of fluctuations in attention or alertness, recurrent visual hallucinations, spontaneous extrapyramidal motor features and REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD). Supportive clinical symptoms are severe sensitivity to antipsychotic agents, postural instability, repeated falls, syncope or other transient episodes of unresponsiveness, severe autonomic dysfunction e.g. constipation, orthostatic hypotension, urinary incontinence, hypersomnia, hyposmia, hallucinations in other modalities, systematized delusions, apathy, anxiety and depression. DLB differs from PD by the order of appearance of clinical symptoms. The diagnosis of DLB requires in addition to the clinical symptoms the existence biomarkers indicating the pathology. It is important to note that due to the complexity of DLB diagnosis, mainly due to the similarity of this syndrome to other dementia conditions, more than one biomarker is required to identify DLB [6]. The biomarkers contain indicative biomarkers and supportive biomarkers. Indicative biomarkers include a. Assessment of the integrity of dopaminergic system by either F-DOPA Positron Emission Tomography (PET) or by Ioflupane 123I (DaT) Single Photon Emission Tomography (SPECT) scans. b. Abnormal (low uptake) MIBG myocardial scintigraphy. c. Polysomnographic confirmation of REM sleep without atonia. Supportive biomarkers are: a. MRI/CT scans showing neuronal structural modifications with relative preservation of medial temporal lobe structures. b. Generalized low uptake on SPECT/PET perfusion/metabolism scan with reduced occipital activity +/- the cingulate island sign on 18F-fludeoxyglucose (FDG) PET imaging. c. Prominent posterior slow wave activity on EEG with periodic fluctuations in the pre-alpha/theta range. Biochemical biomarkers from the blood and spinal fluid were also investigated. These biomarkers include measurement of levels of Amyloid β, tau, and phospho-tau measurements. However, they do not allow differentiation between DLB and AD. α-syn was not proven as a biomarker.

Aim 1. To compare across three hospital sites the effects on health and cost outcomes observed by the following three interventions, each designed to enhance adaptation and improve outcomes of hospitalized cognitively impaired elders and their caregivers: augmented standard care (ASC) - standard hospital and, if referred, home care plus early identification of CI during the patients' hospitalization by trained registered nurses (RNs) with immediate feedback to patients' primary nurses, attending physicians and discharge planners; resource nurse care (RNC) - standard hospital and, if referred, home care plus early identification of CI during the patient's hospitalization by trained RNs and hospital care by RNs trained in the use of expert clinical guidelines developed to enhance the care management of hospitalized cognitively impaired elders and to facilitate their transition from hospital to home; or, advanced practice nurse care (APNC) - standard hospital care plus transitional (hospital to home) care substituting for standard home care and provided by APNs with advanced training in the management of CI patients using an evidence-based protocol designed specifically for this patient group and their caregivers. [H1] We hypothesize that health and cost outcomes with APNC, a comprehensive intervention designed to meet the unique needs of cognitively impaired older adults hospitalized for an acute medical or surgical event and their caregivers will be associated, relative to health and cost outcomes with ASC and RNC, with improvement in patient, caregiver and cost outcomes. [H2] We hypothesize that improvements in patient, caregiver and cost outcomes observed for the RNC group will be greater than those observed for the ASC group. Aim 2. To compare within each site and over time, health and cost outcomes (identified in Aim 1) from patients treated with either ASC or RNC, both relatively lower intensity interventions, with the outcomes of patients at the same site observed after switching to APNC, a high intensity intervention. [H3] We hypothesize that compared to patients receiving the ASC or the RNC interventions, patients at the same site will have improved patient, caregiver and cost outcomes after the site switches to APNC. [H4] We hypothesize that patient, caregiver and cost outcomes achieved by the groups receiving APNC interventions at T1 and T2 will be similar.

Assistive Technologies (ATs) can help people living with dementia (PwD) maintain their everyday activity. Still, there is a gap between potential and supply. Involving future users can close the gap. But the value of participation from PwD is unclear. The study examined smartwatch interactions from people with dementia or with mild cognitive impairment. Participants received "regularly" (n=20) or "intensively" (n=20) intrusive audio-visual prompts on a customized smartwatch to perform everyday tasks. Participants' reactions were observed via cameras. Users' feedback was captured with questionnaires.

The aim of the project is to develop the first alpha-synuclein (a-syn)-specific PET tracer. The research phase will exploit ACI's proprietary MorphomerTM library and extensively optimized screening workflow. Promising PET-tracer candidates will be tested for their ability in detecting a-syn pathology in patients with a range of Parkinsonian conditions with different a-syn levels and distributions, comprising hereditary forms of PD and other synucleinopathies.

This retrospective study is a more extensive, confirmatory analysis of the cognitive and functional outcomes initially seen in 2 groups of MCI/dementia patients in Springfield, MA and compares specialized dementia care and a comprehensive treatment approach versus usual care delivered in a non-specialist setting. The first group of patients (n= 328) was seen by a dementia specialist, who utilized a standardized assessment and treatment protocol (CNS). This included comprehensive identification and treatment of hypoxia, sleep-disorders, and other cognitively-impairing metabolic conditions as well as maximally- dosed FDA-approved medications for dementia, depression, and PBA. The second group of patients (n= 280) was seen by non-dementia specialists in the community and received usual care which did not include comprehensive assessment or treatment of underlying metabolic derangements or maximal utilization of currently available medications. This study, evaluating date from a larger cohort (n>800) of specialist-treated cognitively-impaired patients, will further examine the hypothesis that a comprehensive dementia treatment protocol yields cognitive stabilization and/or improvement using already available dementia drugs when compared with usual community care.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate change of cerebral glucose metabolism by donepezil therapy and to associate change of glucose metabolism and symptoms.

The main goal of the GENEPARK consortium is to employ innovative haemogenomic approaches to determine gene expression profiles specific for genetic and idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. These gene expression signatures will be utilised clinically as non-invasive diagnostic tests for PD. The sensitivity of the newly developed diagnostic test will be determined by extensive validations on an independent cohort of PD patients, whereas the specificity will be assessed by testing patients with atypical parkinsonisms, including multiple system atrophy, progressive supranuclear palsy and diffuse Lewy body disease. In order to test the specificity of the diagnostic set in other disorders that affect basal ganglia, Huntington's disease and dopa responsive dystonia patients will be analysed. The second objective of the proposal is to determine correlations between gene expression signatures and different stages of PD and thus provide the basis for early diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression. These changes in blood gene expression will be correlated with alterations detected by neuroimaging in the brain of PD patients. Such combinations of molecular and morphological markers of disease may ultimately facilitate the selection and monitoring of neuroprotective therapies for PD. Finally, GENEPARK aims to develop new bioinformatic software tools for selection of genomic biomarkers using microarray data. A set of established computational tools will be applied and novel methods, some of them based on mechanistic modelling of the neurodegenerative diseases, will be developed in order to study the advantages and limitations of the different methodologies. With special emphasis on the careful clinical selection of patients and sufficient power regarding patient numbers, as well as extensive quality control and validation of the data, GENEPARK aims to develop a standardised approach to development and validation of haemogenomic biomarkers of disease.

Lewy body spectrum disorders are a common group of neurodegenerative diseases that cause memory loss, behavioural and motor disabilities that impair quality of life. Cognitive enhancers help people afflicted with these conditions. However, some people do not benefit from this treatment, while others experience serious side effects. Side effects and poor response lead to hospitalization and early institutionalization. Pharmacogenomics, the study of how DNA variation can influence drug effects, will be combined with functional changes in brain imaging in response to cognitive enhancers in patients with Lewy body disease. The goal is to develop a predictive test that can be administered in the clinic to aid physicians' choice of initial medication. This can reduce health care costs and improve treatment to Canadians suffering from these devastating disorders.