Active clinical trials for "Sclerosis"

Primary fatigue represents a major cause of disability in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), being reported in about 90% of cases. Fatigue interferes with everyday functioning but, unfortunately, little is known about its mechanisms. The investigators propose a characteristic eye movement abnormality (internuclear ophthalmoparesis, INO), commonly encountered in MS, as a simple model for primary motor fatigue. The investigators described worsening of ocular performance in MS patients with INO following visual tasks (ocular motor fatigue), which is likely due to decreased neural conduction along brain pathways injured by MS. This mechanism could represent a major component of MS-related primary motor fatigue. Relevant to Veterans' care, INO is a significant cause of visual disability, especially when complicated by ocular fatigue, and limits daily activities such as reading and driving. The investigators propose a medical treatment to improve ocular performance/fatigue in INO, which can reduce visual disability and improve quality of life in Veterans with MS.

The purpose of this study is to compare two different educational programs for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), which is a common and often disabling disease of the central nervous system. MS causes many symptoms including difficulty walking, loss of balance or muscle coordination, fatigue, numbness and tingling and stiffness. The investigators want to determine which program is better at helping improve quality of life and MS symptoms. Both programs use material from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS). Both programs include 6 weekly 2-hour class sessions. Up to 600 participants will be enrolled total in 4 VA sites, with about 150 at each site. There will be 10 study visits, all to occur within 11 months. These include 1 baseline visit, 6 two-hour class visits, and 3 follow-up data collection visits. The participants in Portland will also participate in a final 12 month followup visit. Participants will be randomly (by chance) assigned to be part of either group education program. They will have a 1:1 or 50% chance of being in either program.

The purpose of this study is to provide profound insight into the supraspinal neuronal mechanisms and networks responsible for lower urinary tract (LUT) control and to verify, amend or adjust neuronal circuitry models established from findings in healthy subjects in the context of neurogenic and non-neurogenic LUT dysfunction.

The first questions asked by patients with a new diagnosis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) often include: "Does exercise help slow the progression of the disease?", "Is there any harm in exercising?", or "What type of exercise (endurance or resistance) is most appropriate?" At this time, however, there is a lack of answers for people who suffer from an illness that affects their strength above all else. Yet the beneficial effects of exercise in both healthy people as well as people with other diseases have been extensively studied and resulted in recommendations about the types of exercise that are beneficial. In this study the investigators will ask participants with ALS to exercise in one of three ways: weightlifting (resistance exercise), stationary bicycling (endurance exercise), and range of motion exercise (the current "standard of care" for ALS patients). The investigators will use several different types of tests to determine whether one type of exercise is tolerated better and is safer than another. The investigators will also collect information about how the body responds to exercise in ALS. This study will help in the development of a larger national study to understand how exercise can be combined with other treatments to potentially improve strength and alter the course of the disease.

The study will assess the patients' satisfaction of treatment after 12 months treatment with fingolimod It also will assess the tolerability profile of fingolimod in a small population.

The main purpose of the study is to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic profile of two intravenous infusions of BIIB033 administered two weeks apart in subjects with MS. Approximately 42 MS subjects are planned to be enrolled in the study in 7 separate groups (i.e., 6 subjects per group). Each subsequent group will be administered a higher dose of BIIB033. Before a higher dose group is allowed to start, a Drug Safety Review Committee will review all safety data from previous groups enrolled, as well as data from another study where BIIB033 is being administered to healthy volunteers (215HV101).

The primary objective of the study was to evaluate the immunogenicity of natalizumab (Tysabri®) produced by a modified manufacturing process (natalizumab high titer; BG00002-E) administered intravenously (IV) to participants with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The secondary objective of this study was to evaluate the safety of natalizumab high titer.

This study will use positron emission tomography (PET) to measure a brain protein called peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) in patients with multiple sclerosis. PBR is created during the inflammation process, and brain inflammation is a key feature of multiple sclerosis (MS). PBR usually affects one type of brain cell, but it can also cause damage to surrounding areas of the brain in patients with MS. PET studies of PBRs and brain inflammation may help elucidate the role of these brain cells in patients with MS. Healthy normal volunteers and patients with MS between 18 and 70 years of age may be eligible for this study. Patients with MS must have had onset of disease between 18 and 40 years of age. Patients with MS undergo the following procedures: Visit 1: Medical history, physical examination, blood tests and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Visit 2: Blood tests and PET scan. Visits 3 and 4: MRI and physical examination. Visit 5: PET scan and blood tests. Visit 6: MRI and physical examination. Healthy volunteers undergo the following: Visit 1: Medical history, physical examination, blood tests. Visits 2 and 3: PET and blood tests. Magnetic Resonance Imaging MRI uses a magnetic field and radio waves to produce images of body tissues and organs. For this procedure, the subject lies on a table that can slide in and out of the scanner (a metal cylinder), wearing earplugs to muffle loud knocking noises that occur during the scanning process. The procedure lasts about 90 minutes; the patient is asked to lie still for up to 25 minutes at a time. The subject can communicate with the MRI staff at all times during the scan. During part of the scan a contrast agent is administered through a catheter (plastic tube) placed in an arm vein to enhance the images. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) The PET scan gives information on brain and body chemistry and function. The subject lies on a bed that slides in and out of the doughnut-shaped scanner. A catheter is placed in a vein in the arm and another is placed in an artery in the wrist or elbow area. The catheter in the arm is used for injecting a radioactive material that the scanner detects, and the other is used to collect blood samples. A custom-molded plastic mask is used to support the head and prevent it from moving during the procedure. The subject may be asked to perform various tasks during the PET scan or to lie quietly. The scan lasts about 2.5 hours.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a group wellness intervention or individualized physical rehabilitation was more effective in improving health and physical activity in persons with multiple sclerosis.

People with mobility disabilities are at greater risk than the general population for incurring health problems. Many of these conditions are preventable through behavior and lifestyle changes such as exercise and physical activity. Recent evidence suggests that people with disabilities experience the same physiologic response to exercise as the general population. Nonetheless, nearly three-fourths of those with disabilities report being entirely sedentary or not active enough to achieve health benefits. Despite some knowledge of issues that limit physical activity among this population, few studies have investigated methods for promoting physical activity adoption among people with disabilities, including wheelchair users. The purpose of this study is to test the effectiveness of a behavioral intervention to promote physical activity adoption over 6 months and maintenance of physical activity over another 6 months by community-dwelling manual wheelchair users.