Active clinical trials for "Parkinson Disease"

The purpose of this double blind study is to determine whether CERE-120 (adeno-associated virus serotype 2 [AAV2]-neurturin [NTN]) is effective and safe in the treatment of patients with idiopathic Parkinson's Disease. CERE-120 is administered via bilateral stereotactic injections targeting the putaminal region of the brain. The design of this study involves approximately 34 patients receiving CERE-120 treatment via stereotactic surgery and approximately 17 patients receiving sham stereotactic surgery (no CERE-120 administered).

Purpose of study: To investigate whether the NMDA antagonist Memantine has a substantial effect of brain metabolism in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), using Positron Emission Tomography (PET). Background: Disturbances in brain metabolism is thought to contribute to degeneration of neurons in brain of PD patients. Production of toxic oxygen radicals and presence of too much excitatory neurotransmitter (glutamate) due to over activity is involved. These factors can theoretically be alleviated by memantine. Hypothesis: Memantine decreases metabolism in areas in PD brain known to be over-active. Decreases in cerebral blood flow and oxygen metabolism in these areas will be the consequence and this can be detected by PET.

This study will compare an implant with the technique of sensory training to determine which method may improve the ability to swallow and reduce the risk of choking. Many people with a brain injury or neurological disorders experience difficulty in swallowing. Past studies have shown that an electrical pulse applied to muscles or an increase in sensory stimulation to the throat can help. Patients ages 18 to 90 who have had a brain injury or neurological disorder and who have had trouble swallowing for 6 months or longer may be eligible for this study. Patients will undergo a physical examination, pregnancy test, and exam by a throat and speech physician. Fiber-optic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing with sensory testing involves a flexible tube passed through the nose to the back of the throat to allow observation of the voice box. Videofluoroscopy, an X-ray of the head and neck, will be done while patients swallow. Patients experiencing trouble with the upper esophagus may undergo additional procedures, including manometry to measure pressure changes in the back of the throat, and reevaluation through the fiber-optic tube. Patients in this study will have a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, which uses a strong magnetic field to obtain images of the body. Patients will lie on a table that slides into the enclosed tunnel of the scanner. The scan will take 20 to 25 minutes. Patients will be assigned randomly to one of two groups: the intramuscular group, to have a stimulation device implanted in the neck, and the vibrotactile group, to receive a vibrotactile stimulator. All patients will have 10 training sessions with their devices, plus follow-up. Those patients in the first group will undergo surgery, under general anesthesia, for the implant. Three weeks following the implant procedure, patients will come to NIH to have the stimulator turned on and programmed and to learn how to use the device. Those patients in the second group will have about 2 to 3 weeks of training in using a vibrotactile device, and then they will take it home to use. All patients will return to NIH at 3 months to ensure proper use of the devices, and they will visit for follow-up at 6 months and 12 months for tests and questionnaires. ...

The primary purpose of the study is to investigate the anti-dyskinetic effect of several doses of sarizotan in Parkinson patients in order to generate information on the dose-response relationship (dose-finding).

Many patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) have sleep problems, including excessive sleepiness during the day. This is probably due to degeneration of sleep-regulating areas in the brain. At present, the only treatment for sleepiness in PD is modafinil, which is expensive and only partially effective. There is another potential treatment for sleepiness that is used worldwide, is inexpensive, well tolerated and safe - namely, caffeine. There have also been suggestions that caffeine may slow the progression of degeneration in PD, since coffee non-drinkers are at higher risk of developing PD. PD patients, even with severe sleepiness often do not use caffeine. It is unclear whether this is because their PD makes their sleepiness unresponsive to caffeine, because they cannot tolerate it, or whether this reflects their lifelong habit of non-use. This proposal outlines a trial in which patients with excessive sleepiness will be given caffeine or placebo (no therapy) in a blinded fashion. In this way, the effect of caffeine on sleepiness and motor symptoms can be directly analyzed. In addition, these findings can be used to test the tolerability of caffeine, to help plan a larger-scale study testing whether caffeine can slow the progression of PD

A 12-week, multicenter, double-blind, randomized study designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of 20 and 60 mg/day istradefylline compared with placebo in subjects with OFF-time phenomena and advanced Parkinson's disease treated with levodopa/carbidopa.

The aim of the study is to evaluate the long-term efficacy, local tolerability and safety of Lisuride applied as subcutaneous infusion compared to placebo in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease with motor fluctuations and "OFF" periods refractory to conventional treatment.

The purpose of this trial is to test the short-term effectiveness of valerian, a medicinal herb, to improve sleep in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).

Super rapid transcranial magnetic stimulation (srTMS) is a method of brain stimulation that may be able to change the electrical activity of the nerve cells of the brain. It has been proposed and tested as a treatment for brain disorders, including Parkinson's disease. The purpose of this study is to use a device called the magnetic stimulator to investigate the safe limit of srTMS, such as intensity of stimulation and the number of magnetic pulses that may lead to excessive brain stimulation. Ten patients with Parkinson's disease-whose main problems are slowness of movement and difficulty walking-will participate in this study. They will be asked to come to the laboratory for one experiment. Before and after srTMS treatment, investigators will test participants' brain function with a series of psychological tests and an EEG (electroencephalogram). The srTMS treatment is performed by placing an insulated coil of wire on the scalp and passing a very brief electrical current through the wire coil. The experiment will last 2 to 4 hours.

The objective is to compare the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of IPX054 and carbidopa-levodopa immediate-release tablets in subjects with idiopathic Parkinson's disease who are currently being treated with a stable regimen of carbidopa-levodopa immediate-release tablets.