Active clinical trials for "Motor Neuron Disease"

Patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) typically endure a progressive paralysis due to the continued loss of motoneurons that leads them to death in less than 5 years. No treatment has changed its natural history. Intrathecal injection of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells can secret trophic factors that keep the motorneurons functional. The investigators have designed a phase I/II clinical trial to check the feasibility of this approach in humans.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, sometimes called Lou Gehrig's s Disease, or Maladie de Charcot) is a progressive, usually fatal, neurodegenerative disease caused by the degeneration of motor neurons, the nerve cells in the central nervous system that control voluntary muscle movement. This study will investigate the use of far infrared radiation for the control, management and treatment of ALS.

People with cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have reduced connections in the nerve circuits between the brain and the hands. Activating spared nerve circuits is one potential way to improve recovery. The investigators are testing different combinations of physical wrist and hand movements paired with magnetic brain stimulation and electrical spinal cord or nerve stimulation to see the effects on nerve transmission to hand muscles. This is a preliminary study. This study is testing for temporary changes in nerve transmission to hand muscles. There is no expectation of long-term benefit from this study. If temporary changes are seen in this study, then future studies would focus on how to prolong that effect.

The primary objective of this study is to assess the safety and tolerability, with emphasis on the oral cavity, of ROSF (containing riluzole 50mg) in subjects with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) administered twice daily for 12 weeks. Secondary objectives include (1) to record the subject's assessment of any difficulty taking riluzole administered as ROSF and any difficulty taking riluzole in the tablet formulation and (2) to record the relative preference, if any, of subjects and caretakers, for riluzole administered as ROSF vs. the riluzole tablet.

To evaluate the correlation between peripheral neurofilament levels and clinical subtypes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and the severity of peripheral motor axonal involvement.

The primary objectives of the study are to estimate and rank-order the longitudinal standardized mean changes over 6 months and over 12 months, for a set of outcome measures administered to participants with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), in order to identify measures that are more sensitive to disease progression than Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R). The secondary objectives of this study are: To evaluate the test-retest reproducibility of each outcome measure; To determine correlations between 6 and 12-month changes in all exploratory measures with 18 and 24-month changes in ALSFRS-R and survival; To assess correlations between/among the various measures; To obtain biological samples in order to identify molecular correlates to the clinical measures and to further characterize previously identified and novel molecular biomarkers of disease progression for incorporation into future clinical studies.

For individuals with neurodegenerative conditions, such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Parkinson disease, swallowing impairment (i.e., dysphagia) is a common and serious symptom. Dysphagia places the affected individual at risk for secondary health consequences, including malnutrition and aspiration pneumonia, and negatively affects quality of life. Thickened liquids are commonly recommended for individuals with dysphagia, as they flow more slowly and reduce the risk of entry into the airway. However, there is limited understanding about how changes in liquid thickness modulate swallowing physiology in individuals with neurodegenerative conditions, and previous reports have shown that increased liquid thickness may contribute to the accumulation of residue in the throat. The purpose of this study is to explore swallowing physiology and function in individuals with neurodegenerative conditions, across five levels of liquid thickness (thin, slightly-thick, mildly-thick, moderately-thick, and extremely-thick), and to identify boundaries of "optimal liquid thickness", which maintain airway safety, without contributing to the accumulation of significant residue. Results from this study will help guide the clinical recommendations for thickened liquids in dysphagia management.

Respiratory failure is the leading cause of death in motor neuron disease (MND) patients. Symptoms of respiratory dysfunction in MND patients include sleep disturbance, excessive daytime somnolence, morning headaches and cognitive changes. Almost all MND patients will develop respiratory problems during the course of their disease. In a small percentage of MND patients, respiratory failure may present as the primary symptom at onset, whereas more commonly it develops later in the disease.

To verify the correlation between TMAO level and the pathogenesis and progression of ALS

Background: - Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) is an inherited disease. It causes weakness in muscles used for swallowing, breathing, and speaking. SBMA mainly affects men, but women can carry the gene for it. Researchers think there may be a link between SBMA and excess fat in the liver. Objective: - To look for fatty liver and liver injury in people with SBMA, people with motor neuron disease, and people who carry the gene for SBMA. Eligibility: Adults 18 years and older who have SBMA, have motor neuron disease, or are carriers of SBMA. Healthy adult volunteers. Design: Participants will be screened with medical history, physical exam, and blood tests. Participants will have 1 outpatient visit of 1-2 days. Women will have a urine pregnancy test. All participants will have: Blood tests. Liver ultrasound. A probe is placed on the abdomen at certain locations and angles and takes pictures. The painless procedure takes 20-30 minutes. Liver magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. The MRI scanner is a metal cylinder with a magnetic field. Participants will lie on a table that slides in and out of it. They will be in the scanner for about 30 minutes. They will get earplugs for loud noises. Some participants with abnormal liver testing will have a biopsy (small piece) of the liver taken. The biopsy site will be located with ultrasound, then cleaned and numbed. The physician will quickly pass a needle in and out of the liver while the participants holds their breath. Afterward, participants will be monitored in bed for 6 hours. Participants may return for follow-up and another 1-2 day outpatient visit yearly for up to 2 years.