Active clinical trials for "Neurodegenerative Diseases"

In this study, the investigators aim to provide a deeper understanding of Parkinson's disease and find a biomarker of Parkinson's disease. This is done using imaging scans called Positron Emission tomography (PET), Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT), and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). The findings will provide a deeper understanding of the brain changes in Parkinson's disease. More importantly, this study will help with the discovery and development of new medications aiming to delay progression of Parkinson's disease symptoms

The purpose of the HSP Sequencing Initiative is to better understand the role of genetics in hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) and related disorders. The HSPs are a group of more than 80 inherited neurological diseases that share the common feature of progressive spasticity. Collectively, the HSPs present the most common cause of inherited spasticity and associated disability, with a combined prevalence of 2-5 cases per 100,000 individuals worldwide. In childhood-onset forms, initial symptoms are often non-specific and many children may not receive a diagnosis until progressive features are recognized, often leading to a significant diagnostic delay. Genetic testing in children with spastic paraplegia is not yet standard practice. In this study, the investigators hope to identify genetic factors related to HSP. By identifying different genetic factors, the investigators hope that over time we can develop better treatments for sub-categories of HSP based on cause.

Greater advances are needed in two separate but related areas in healthcare: 1) the Clinical Decision Support Systems that complement the EHR use in support of routine patient care, population management and disease management; and 2) the use of the point-of-care observational data from the provider-patient encounter that support realworld medical research and healthcare quality measure assessment. Real-world evaluations of treatments of chronic diseases in the context of comorbid conditions and special populations (minorities, women, mentally ill, and those with addiction) are limited. The purpose of the OPERA database is to help address this unmet need in clinical research.

NSHDS (Northern Sweden Health and Disease Study) is an umbrella term for a prospective biobank with related survey data. The sample collection consists of three subcohorts, Västerbotten Intervention Programme (VIP), Mammography Screening Project (MA) and MONICA (MONItoring of Trends and Determinants in CArdiovascular Disease). The blood samples are stored at the Northern Sweden Biobank.

Background: Neurodegenerative disorders can lead to problems in movement or memory. Some can cause abnormal proteins to build up in brain cells. Researchers want to understand whether these diseases have related causes or risk factors. Objective: To test people with movement or thinking and memory problems to see if they are eligible for research studies. Eligibility: People ages 18 and older with a neurodegenerative disorder associated with accumulation of TDP-43 or Tau proteins Design: Participants will have a screening visit. This may take place over 2-3 days. Tests include: Medical history Physical exam Questions about behavior and mood Tests of memory, attention, concentration, and thinking Movement measurement. The speed at which participants can stand up from a chair, tap their finger and foot, and walk a short distance will be measured. Some movements will be videotaped. They will be videotaped while they speak and read a paragraph. Blood tests. This might include genetic testing. Lung and breathing tests MRI. They will lie on a table that slides into a cylinder that takes pictures of the body. Some participants will get a dye through IV. Electromyography. A thin needle will be inserted into the muscles to measure electrical signals. Nerve tests. Small electrodes on the skin record muscle and nerve activity. A small piece of skin may be removed. A skin or blood sample may be taken to create stem cells. Optional lumbar puncture. A needle will be inserted into the space between the bones of the back to collect fluid. If participants are not eligible for current studies, they may be contacted in the future.

This study is being conducted to better understand the role of inflammation in Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). The investigators plan to recruit 30 PD, 30 AD/Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI), and 60 age matched healthy controls in this study to study the role of immune response in PD and AD. The study involves up to two study visits involving brief questionnaires and blood draw of up to 250cc (approximately 17 tablespoons) to be collected. More ways to participate, including 1) smaller amount blood donation (up to 100cc per visit for 1-2 visits); and 2) participation via tele-visit and mobile phlebotomy visits (blood donation up to 50cc, ~5 tubes, by a certified mobile phlebotomist at home/location of choice) now available.

The purpose of this study is to collect CSF and blood samples that can be used in future research studies to identify potential biomarkers in blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collected in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) patients.

General aim of the study is the improvement of the clinical knowledge of ultra-rare inherited metabolic and degenerative neurological diseases (prevalence less than 5:100,000) in adulthood through the systematic longitudinal collection of clinical, laboratory and instrumental data.

Functional neurosurgery is dedicated to modulating aberrant neural circuits associated with a wide range of neurological conditions. Recently, technological advances in MRI have permitted marked improvements in the direct visualization of neural targets, which is necessary for the accurate targeting in functional neurosurgery procedures. This research study focuses on imaging patient brains before their scheduled procedures by using a 3 tesla (T) MRI to provide higher resolution and quality brain images. The reason for this study is to assess the image quality using different MRI sequences or settings to improve the image resolution of the most common functional neurosurgery targets (e.g., subthalamic nucleus, globus pallidus, and thalamus) and compare the image quality of the brains in patients with healthy controls. Performing a preoperative MRI is standard-of-care for patients indicated for deep brain stimulation (DBS), gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS), radiofrequency ablation (RFA), magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS). MRI sequence parameters shown to improve the image quality of different neural structures in a recent literature review (Boutet et al. 2021) will be reproduced on the 3T MRI at Toronto Western Hospital.

The Westlake Longevity Cohort (We-Longevity) is a prospective cohort study among centenarians, nonagenarians, senior citizens and their family members up to three generations living in Lishui, China. The primary aim of this cohort is to characterize the multi-omics molecular characteristics of healthy longevity and their dynamic trajectories. Another aim of We-Longevity is to investigate the association of dietary and lifestyle with the multi-omics molecular characteristics of healthy longevity, and to facilitate the development of personalized nutritional/lifestyle recommendation for the public.