Active clinical trials for "Nystagmus, Pathologic"

This study will examine the safety and effectiveness of a new surgical procedure to correct congenital nystagmus-a disorder of eye muscle-vision-brain coordination characterized by rapid to and fro eye movements (oscillation). Nystagmus usually begins in infancy or early childhood; its effect on vision varies greatly among patients. Current treatments, such as prism glasses, acupuncture, electronic nerve stimulation, contact lenses, various drug treatments, and others have had limited success. Patients with congenital nystagmus sometimes have other eye problems as well, such as cataracts, glaucoma, astigmatism or strabismus (cross-eyes). When these patients have eye muscle surgery to correct a problem, such as strabismus, their nystagmus also improves. Researchers think that simply cutting the muscles might produce this beneficial effect. This study will test this hypothesis-the horizontal muscles of the eye will be cut and then reattached in the same position. This procedure has been tried in one sheepdog with good results. This small preliminary trial will include five adult patients with congenital nystagmus who have no other treatment options. It will evaluate the safety of the surgery and its effect on eye oscillation and vision. If the procedure is found to be safe, additional patients will be studied. Patients will have a medical history, basic physical examination, complete eye examination, and electro-oculography (eye movement recordings) to determine if eligibility for the study. Those accepted into the study will undergo eye muscle surgery and followup eye examinations and electro-oculography at 1 week, 6 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years and 3 years after surgery.

Involuntary oscillations of the eyes (nystagmus) impairs vision so that affected patients, who have neurological disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS) , cannot read or watch TV. Two medicines have been reported to suppress nystagmus and improve vision in such patients: gabapentin and memantine. The investigators set out to test which of these two drug was more effective by carrying out a double-blind cross-over study. In this way, we could determine which drug worked best in each patient.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the safety and efficacy of neramexane mesylate in the treatment of congenital idiopathic nystagmus (CIN) in comparison to placebo. In addition, a subgroup of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients suffering from acquired nystagmus will be included; this subgroup will be analyzed in an exploratory manner only.

Episodic ataxia type 2 (EA2) is a rare familial neurological condition characterized by debilitating episodes of vertigo and imbalance. Since the serendipitous discovery of dramatic response of EA2 to acetazolamide, acetazolamide has been the first-line treatment for EA2. Yet, for those patients who do not respond to or cannot tolerate acetazolamide, there is no alternative treatment. The purpose of this randomized trial is to test whether 4-aminopyridine may reduce the ataxia episodes in EA2 as an alternative to acetazolamide. Funding Source - FDA OOPD

Clinical investigation of a medical device (CAVA) for recording eye movements. Healthy volunteers will wear the device for 23 hours a day, for 30 days. On 8 separate days of the trial they will induce optokinetic nystagmus (a normal reflex in response to full-field motion) by watching a short video of less than 1 minute in duration. The data will be analysed offline by a scientist, who will attempt to identify the dates that the nystagmus was induced.

Suppression of the optokinetic nystagmus when a target is perceived can be applied to assess visual acuity objectively. Our aim is to establish prediction intervals for this optokinetic nystagmus suppression test (Speedwheel Test, SW) so that SW acuity may be used to estimate Snellen acuity (FrACT- C and -E) in the clinic in adults and children unable to cooperate in other acuity testing.

This screening protocol is designed to help recruitment patients for National Eye Institute (NEI) studies on nystagmus and strabismus. Patients must meet specific requirements of a research study, and this protocol serves as a first step for admitting patients to an appropriate program. Candidates will undergo a medical history, physical examination, eye examination and blood test. The eye examination includes measurement of eye pressure and dilation of the pupils to fully examine the lens, vitreous and retina. Specialized tests will be done only if needed to determine eligibility for a nystagmus or strabismus study. These include routine laboratory tests, non-invasive imaging, questionnaires, and other standard tests. If needed, a test called oculography may be done to record eye movements. There are two procedures for recording and documenting these movements. In the infrared system, the patient wears a pair of glasses or goggles and looks at a red light while the head is kept steady. In the search coil system, the eye is numbed with anesthetic eye drops and a soft contact lens is placed on the eye. Then the patient looks at a red light while the head is held still. Each oculography session lasts 20 to 30 minutes. Photographs of the eye may be taken. When the screening is completed, patients will be informed of their options to participate in a study. Patients who are ineligible for a current study will be informed of alternative treatments or options. No treatment is offered under this protocol.

To investigate the prevalence of positional nystagmus in a population of healthy Danish adults.

The vestibulo-ocular reflex is the motor response of our eyes in the opposite direction to a translational or rotational movement of our head. The post-rotational nystagmus test (PRN) assesses the integrity of this reflex, thus assessing the perception of the vestibular system. The duration of this reflex after administering this test has been widely studied in children from 2 months to 12 years and 11 months of age. However, there is a knowledge gap from that age that the present study seeks to address.