Active clinical trials for "Sclerosis"

The purpose of this study is to determine the timeline of progression from pre-pulmonary hypertension to diagnosable pulmonary hypertension based on right heart catheterization. Moreover, to determine the timeline for progression from diagnosable pulmonary hypertension to clinical worsening of disease as defined as death, hospitalization, or worsening of PHT symptoms.

The purpose of this trial is to test the Single-Use Autoinjector for a) ease of use; b) multiple domains related to subject's acceptability and satisfaction, and c) reliability of the correct function for self-injection of Rebif® 44 mcg sc tiw in subjects with relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS).

The purpose of this study is to determine if sexual dysfunction symptoms and quality of life measures in patients with Multiple Sclerosis may be improved in patients that are prescribed Tysabri.

Non-adherence reduces treatment benefit and can bias the assessment of treatment efficacy thereby involving safety risks for the patient and influencing health cost-effectiveness. This observational study will concentrate upon the role of MS nurses in influencing adherence. This study will examine the influence of initial and subsequent periodic nurse interviews which aim to improve adherence to Betaferon® treatment.

It is thought that treating Multiple Sclerosis with Novantrone for a short period of time prior to treatment with Copaxone may enhance the onset effect of Copaxone.

The purpose of the study is to determine whether giving intravenous dexamethasone every 4 weeks during the first 12 months of weekly Avonex dosing will reduce the progression of functional impairment, brain atrophy, relapse rate and frequency, and new and enlarging brain lesions over the first 24 months of Avonex therapy in patients with relapsing-remitting or mono-symptomatic multiple sclerosis.

The purpose of this follow-up study is to look carefully at the long-term course of multiple sclerosis (MS) and possibly the long-term effects of Betaseron in the patients who were previously enrolled in the original North American study that led to the marketing approval of Betaseron.

This is a single-center, phase 2 randomized clinical trial of tamoxifen on mean percent predicted isometric muscle strength in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The purpose is to determine whether the triphenylethylenetamoxifen, used as adjuvant therapy in the treatment of breast cancer, can delay the loss of isometric muscle strength in ALS patients.

This study will determine whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can detect damage to certain parts of the brain and analyze the thickness of the brain's outer surface in patients with multiple sclerosis. MRI is a diagnostic test that uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to obtain images of body organs and tissues. It can sometimes permit diagnosis even before symptoms develop. MS is a disease of white matter, the fatty covering around the nerves in the brain and spinal cord. The nerves themselves are called gray matter. Damage to white matter impairs nerve function, leading to a variety of symptoms, such as weakness, vision problems, difficulty walking, paralysis, and others. MRI can detect some changes in white matter, but changes that may also appear in gray matter may be more difficult to find. This study will use new MRI techniques to try to identify gray matter damage in patients with MS. Healthy volunteers and people with MS or clinically isolated syndrome (an early stage of MS in which the patient has had just one of the problems MS can cause) who are between 18 and 55 years of age may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a medical history and neurological examination, and blood and urine tests. Within one month of the screening evaluation, participants undergo MRI scanning on a standard 1.5 Tesla machine to confirm their health status. (The power of the MRI scanner is measured in Tesla; the higher the Tesla, the better the visualization.) For this procedure, the subject lies on a table that moves into the scanner (a narrow cylinder with a magnetic field), and wears earplugs to muffle loud knocking and thumping sounds that occur during the scanning process. During the procedure, a contrast agent called Gadolinium is injected into the blood stream to brighten the images. The test lasts about 2 hours, during which time the subject must lie still for up to a few minutes at a time. Within a month after the first MRI, participants repeat the test for a second time. The procedure is identical to the first scan, except a 3.0 Tesla machine is used.

Hypothesis: There exists patients who have met ALS or PMA diagnostic criteria and subsequently experienced robust and sustained improvement, i.e. a "reversal." Thirty-eight of these patients were identified in the prior Duke University study, Documentation of Known ALS Reversals (St.A.R. Protocol 1, Duke IRB Pro00076395). The investigators hypothesize these patients have had different environmental exposures than patients with typically progressive ALS. Identification of specific environmental influences may point to exposures which are protective or exposure that lead to the development of a rare and novel reversible ALS-like disease. Objective: This study seeks to identify environmental exposures associated with ALS reversals.