Active clinical trials for "Sclerosis"

A trial in patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) Main objectives: To evaluate changes in the reconstitution of immune surveillance over time upon switching from natalizumab to fingolimod assessed by a change in the expression of CD49d. To evaluate changes in the migratory capacity of immune cells/peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) upon switching from natalizumab to fingolimod in an in-vitro model of the blood-brain-barrier (BBB). To evaluate changes in paraclinical disease activity over time upon switching from natalizumab to fingolimod assessed by MRI (changes in Gd+, T2w lesions and DTI). To evaluate changes in T1w / FLAIR lesions upon switching from natalizumab to fingolimod.

Cognitive impairment affects roughly 50% of people with multiple sclerosis (MS). There are currently no satisfactory medical treatments for cognitive impairments related to MS and alternative forms of treatment are needed. Exercise training can improve cognition in older adults and people with mild cognitive impairments, including those with early Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, the investigators plan to conduct the first definitive study that will test the theory that moderately intense aerobic exercise can improve cognition in people with MS-related impairment - specifically in information processing speed - more so than non-aerobic stretching and toning (both forms of exercise will be performed 3 days per week for 6 months). Primary study hypothesis: The investigators hypothesize greater improvement in speed of information processing from pre- to post-treatment in the aerobic exercise group compared to the stretching and toning group (attention control). Secondary study hypothesis: The investigators hypothesize greater improvement in other cognitive domains and patient reported outcomes from pre- to post-testing in the aerobic exercise group compared to the stretching and toning group (attention control). The investigators plan to recruit 125 adults with MS who can walk without assistance and without rest for at least 100 meters and have mild weaknesses in information processing speed. The investigators will randomly assign 50% of participants to an aerobic exercise program and 50% to a non-aerobic exercise program (stretching and toning). In order to determine whether the intervention is successful, the investigators will compare cognitive functioning in both exercise groups before the exercise-training program, at the end of the 6-month training program and three months after the end of the training program. If our study findings support our hypotheses, this would be a relatively no-barriers treatment option to further explore for other people with MS including people with greater and lesser baseline disability.

Systemic sclerosis is a rare disease with vascular involvement and systemic fibrosis. This disease is usually thought to spare central nervous system. However, neuropsychiatric manifestations like depression and cognitive functions impairment seem to be frequent. Pathophysiology of this neuropsychiatric manifestations is currently unknown. White matter hyperintensities have been reported suggested CNS vascular manifestations in systemic sclerosis. Whether this CNS vascular involvement plays a role in neuropsychiatric manifestations in systemic sclerosis is unknown. The primary objective of this prospective and multicentre study is to assess a link between neuropsychiatric manifestations and CNS involvement in systemic sclerosis. Secondary objectives are to assess the frequency of neuropsychiatric manifestations, to compare central nervous system abnormality between scleroderma patient and healthy subjects. Central nervous system involvement and neuropsychiatric manifestations will be systematically assessed through central nervous system imaging and questionnaires.

This is a pilot study to evaluate a potential imaging biomarker for aiding diagnosis and monitoring progression of ALS, based on a well established basic science pathway, published human autopsy data, preliminary data in ALS mutant mice, and our recently published data using brain PET scans to image the metabotropic glutamate receptor type 5 (mGluR5) in healthy human volunteers.

The aim of this study is to prove the BMMNC Therapy in Multiple sclerosis, and to control symptoms and help to maintain a normal quality of life of suffering patients.

The purpose of this study is to find out if supervised exercise training using a treadmill with partial weight support is safe and has an impact on gait and function of persons with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Several studies have shown that bone mineral density (BMD) at the femoral neck decreases with increasing physical handicap (EDSS-score) in MS patients. Possible explanations are less weightbearing exercise or less UV-exposure resulting in reduced vitamin D generation in the skin. Prevention of osteoporosis is a high priority, because treatment of the established disease remains sub-optimal. We have designed a double-blind randomised controlled trial of two years' duration including 90-100 persons with MS age 18-50 to assess whether supplementation with vitamin D, given as a weekly dose of 20,000 IU cholecalciferol, can prevent bone loss. The primary objective of this study is to determine changes in BMD over the 2 year study period comparing treatment and placebo groups. The most important secondary objective is to determine cytokine profiles in blood samples. We will also assess parameters related to vitamin D status and physical performance.

Multi-center, randomized , double-blind, placebo-controlled , two arm parallel design study of NeuroVax™ vs. Incomplete Freund's Adjuvant ( I F A) placebo. 150 subjects with Secondary Progressive SPMS.

The main objective of this study is to measure, in patients with MS or Chronic Inflammatory Arthritis (CIA), the correlation between two calcium intake assessment methods: A self assessment questionnaire of calcium intake (QALCIMUM®) versus a food survey serving as a reference (gold standard) and based on data from CIQUAL *. * CIQUAL Data: Nutritional food composition table available on the website of the ANSES (National Agency for Sanitary Security of Food, Environment and Labour), published by the Observatory of the Nutritional Quality of Foods. This table includes 1500 sheets of 58 nutritional components. The data is integrated into the software (DATAMEAL) for calculating the ingesta parameters at the Nîmes University Hospital.

In this study we plan to image the compartmentalized inflammation in MS using molecular imaging by positron emission tomography (PET) with a very highly resolutive camera. Two tracers will be studied and compared: i) [18F]DPA-714, which bind to the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR), a target mainly expressed by activated microglial cells. This new ligand for PBR displays several advantages compared to the existing reference compound PK11195 in term of brain entrance, signal to noise ratio, and radiolabelling possibility with [18F] ii) [18F]-fluoro-desoxy-glucose ([18F]FDG), which should reflect glucose metabolism in activated immune cells in the white matter. Progressive MS patients (secondary progressive and primary progressive) will be compared to relapsing-remitting patients and to healthy volunteers. All subjects will pass a complete neurological evaluation and a multimodal MRI to document clinical disability and tissue injury. A clinical and radiological follow up will then be performed for a 2-year period. This study should help to understand the contribution of the intracerebral inflammation on the progression of disability and could provide a surrogate marker for further therapeutic trials in chronic progressive MS.