Active clinical trials for "Parkinson Disease"

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.

The "core" of the neuronal lesions in Parkinson's disease (PD) is the progressive degeneration of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra. A significant loss of dopamine neurons and the presence of Lewy bodies (a pathological hallmark in PD) in enteric neurons have also been reported in that disease. These lesions may explain the frequent gastro-intestinal dysfunction observed in PD patients. Alterations of other neuronal populations within the enteric nervous system (ENS) as well as the mechanisms responsible for these lesions (type of cell death, alteration of neuromediators gene expression) remain to be identified. The aim of the study is to demonstrate that alterations of the human ENS in PD can be evidenced by bowel biopsies and to determine whether they are correlated to the severity of motor disability and to gastrointestinal dysfunction.

Background: Approximately 40% of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) have cognitive impairments. There is a lack of consensus as to the extent to which psychiatric symptoms, depression, age at disease onset, disease duration, and medication is related to the type and severity of cognitive impairment. This discrepancy can in part be caused by the lack of distinction between patients with different motor symptoms and disease severity. Objective: To identify the extent to which psychiatric symptoms, depression, age at disease onset, disease duration, and medication is related to the severity and type of cognitive dysfunction in patients with idiopathic PD categorized according to motor symptoms and disease severity. Methods: the population of patients with PD in the old county of Aarhus is described on the background of medical records, and stratified in accordance to age, sex and cardinal symptoms. Through proportional allocation a sample of a minimum of 50 patients with PD is drawn from the population. The patients and 30 healthy matched controls will undergo comprehensive neuropsychological assessment including tests of language, memory, executive function, and visuospatial function. Furthermore, all participants will be screened for depression (Geriatric Depression Scale) and psychiatric symptoms (Neuropsychiatric Inventory and Symptom Checklist). The patients will be categorized in accordance with their motor symptoms via cluster analysis for the purpose of analyzing the effect of psychiatric symptoms, depression, and age of disease onset, disease duration, and medication on cognition.

This study will use positron emission tomography (PET) to compare how people with Gaucher disease or Gaucher disease carriers with parkinsonism, and their family members, use dopamine in their brains in comparison with healthy normal volunteers and people who have Parkinson disease. PET assesses organ function by measuring metabolism. In this study, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used in conjunction with PET to help better interpret and understand the information gleaned from PET. People 21 years of age and older with the following conditions may be eligible for this study: Gaucher disease and parkinsonism Parkinsonism and a family history of Gaucher disease Gaucher disease and a family history of parkinsonism Gaucher disease carriers who have parkinsonism or a family history of parkinsonism Unaffected people with a family history of Gaucher disease and parkinsonism Healthy volunteers Participants undergo the following tests and procedures: Personal and family medical history Physical examination PET scan: The subject lies on a table that slides into the PET scanner until his or her head is positioned properly in the scanner. A catheter is inserted into a vein. An initial scan is done to obtain images before radionuclides are injected. Radioactive water is then injected through the catheter and the subject is asked questions in order to stimulate blood flow in certain areas of the brain to show what parts of the brain are activated. Fluorodopa is then infused through the catheter over 3 minutes. The PET scan can last up to 2 hours. MRI scan: This test uses a magnetic field and radio waves to obtain images of organs. The subject lies still on a bed in the middle of a circular scanner for about 30 minutes.

The aim of the study is to determine whether galantamine stabilizes or improves thinking abilities in individuals with Parkinson's disease. Individuals included in the study have minor complaints about thinking such as problems with concentration or memory but do not have dementia. This medication has been shown to have a positive effect on stabilizing memory in individuals with Alzheimer's disease. It is FDA approved for use in elderly individuals with Alzheimer's disease. It is hypothesized that galantamine will stabilize or improve executive and attentional functions in individuals with Parkinson's.

OBJECTIVES: I. Compare the benefit of exercise versus usual care (no exercise) on impairments and functional limitations in patients with Parkinson disease.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether patients with Parkinson's disease and treated with pergolide have a higher risk of heart valve disease compared to patients with Parkinson's disease not treated with pergolide.

The primary purpose of this study is to evaluate clinical and serologic outcomes after the discontinuation of liatermin therapy as assessed by development of new clinical conditions beyond those expected in patients with advancing Parkinson's disease. In addition, the development or resolution of anti-r-metHuGDNF binding and neutralizing antibodies will be monitored.

A case-control study to identify microbiome and genetic differences between healthy subjects and patients with incident Parkinson's disease.

The goal of the study is to develop and organize an effort to identify genes that determine an individual's risk for developing Parkinson's disease (PD). To ascertain, study and establish a repository of DNA samples that will allow for the identification of known and yet-to-be-identified genetic markers associated with the development of PD. To create a database with clinical, genetic (HLA, genome screen) and medical history information that will facilitate the search for PD susceptibility genes. To provide a centralized DNA repository to allow for targeted studies of genetic factors contributing to the onset, heterogeneity and progression of PD. To evaluate opportunities to extend the results of research to develop methods of risk prediction, prevention and therapy for PD.