Active clinical trials for "Parkinson Disease, Secondary"

The purpose of this study is to investigate the long-term effects of treatment with the selective post-synaptic a1-adrenergic blocker terazosin on serial in a population of subjects with defined pre-motor Parkinson's disease (PD) risks and abnormal imaging exams. Imaging changes will be correlated to the presence and severity of motor and non-motor symptoms of PD, measured by validated clinical scales and cardiac autonomic function tests.

REM Behavior Sleep Disorder (RBD) is a sleep disorder causing people to 'act out' their dreams. A high percentage of individuals with idiopathic RBD (iRBD) are known to develop conditions affecting the neurons in the brain such as Parkinson's disease (PD). Based on the increased risk to develop PD, individuals with iRBD are currently considered ideal candidates for therapies that can possibly protects brain cells, due to the critical window of opportunity to intervene early before brain cell loss progresses significantly. Early changes of PD are associated with a number of symptoms including loss of smell, constipation, anxiety and depression. In addition, early heart and brain abnormalities can be visualized using specialized imaging techniques called 123I-MIBG myocardial scintigraphy (MIBG) and dopamine transporter (DAT) single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) respectively. The combined presence of certain symptoms and the use of these imaging techniques are considered early markers of PD in individuals with iRBD. In other conditions, like heart failure, MIBG abnormalities are reversed by drugs able to block excessive adrenergic stimulation, known as beta-blockers. In this study the investigators want to learn about the effect of treatment with the beta-blocker carvedilol on MIBG abnormalities found in iRBD patients at risk to develop PD. The investigators believe that reversing the MIBG abnormality might prelude to a slowing of the neurodegenerative process. This drug is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for congestive heart failure, hypertension and left ventricular dysfunction after myocardial infarction. However, carvedilol is not approved by the FDA in patients with iRBD at risk for PD. The available doses for this drug oral formulations are 3.125mg, 6.25mg, 12.5mg and 25mg. Changes visualized with the MIBG imaging technique will be correlated to the presence and severity of neurological (i.e. tremors, stiffness, slow movements, walking difficulties) and other symptoms associated with PD (i.e. abnormal smell, constipation, depression, color vision abnormalities), as measured by specific clinical scales and exams.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by many non-motor symptoms that occur several years before the diagnosis, in particular idiopathic REM behavior disorder (iRBD), which is associated with autonomic impairment. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of treatment with the selective post-synaptic a1-adrenergic blocker terazosin on 123I-MIBG myocardial uptake in a population of subjects with defined pre-motor PD risks (i.e. hyposmia and RBD) and abnormal baseline 123I-MIBG uptake, with or without 123I-Ioflupane uptake abnormality or PD motor symptoms. Scintigraphic changes will be correlated to motor and non-motor severity of PD, measured by validated clinical scales and cardiac autonomic function tests.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the long-term effects of treatment with the adrenergic blocker carvedilol on serial DaTscan, a dopamine transporter (DAT) single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) imaging technique in a population of subjects with defined pre-motor Parkinson's disease risks (i.e., REM sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD) and at least one among hyposmia, constipation, depression and color vision abnormality) and abnormal 123I-Metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy.

The present multicenter randomized study investigates whether the management of patients with parkinsonism by a nurse specialist (case-manager) can significantly improve patients' quality of life over 12 months, compared to control patients managed with the standard-of-care process. Participants will be evaluated with clinical scales testing quality of life, motor and non-motor symptoms, and the number of unscheduled hospital access throughout the course of the study.

The aim of this protocol is to evaluate the effects of a home-based therapeutic exercise program applied in patients with PD or secondary parkinsonism to reverse frailty. The design of this study is experimental, prospective, randomized and double blind. The study population that will be part of this study will be men and women with a diagnosis of PD or secondary parkinsonism belonging to the Health Area V of the Health Service of the Principality of Asturias, Spain.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder affecting approximately 80,000 Veterans, representing a priority area for VA research. Current medicines for PD only improve symptoms, treatments that slow disease progression are needed, and earlier diagnosis of PD may be the key to their development. PD symptoms can be mimicked by medicines (most commonly antipsychotic drugs that block dopamine), and some of these patients actually have underlying "prodromal" PD that was "unmasked" years before it would have caused symptoms. This problem is increasing as these medicines are now used for common conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. The investigators will identify prodromal PD in patients with drug-induced symptoms using brain scans. These patients will be enrolled in a randomized clinical trial of aerobic exercise which slows progression in animal models of PD and has other health benefits. The investigators will measure the effect of exercise on symptoms, disease progression (using brain scans) and markers of PD risk (using blood tests). These studies will improve early PD diagnosis and potentially identify a way to slow progression of PD.

BACKGROUND: Non-Motor Symptoms (NMS) are frequent in patients with Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease (IPD). Clinical expressions, postulated pathophysiological mechanisms and responsiveness to antiparkinson medication represent differences between IPD and secondary Parkinsonism (SP). OBJECTIVES: To evaluate NMS expressions in IPD, SP and a control group. METHODS: Diagnosis of SP was supported by comorbidity, radiological findings, type of onset, onset rate and progression, exposures for neuroleptics, and responsiveness to pharmacological antiparkinson therapy. The participants were consecutively recruited at two outdoor patient clinics. The Well-Being Map™ for evaluation. These were completed by the participants at one point before visit. The controls consisted of non-Parkinsonian individuals, matched by age and gender.

Based on a prospectively collected data analysis, a new tool, namely CoMDA (Cognition in Movement Disorders Assessment) is developed by merging each item of Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB). A machine learning, able to classify the cognitive profile and predict patients' at risk of dementia, is created.

The Department of Experimental Medicine - Section of Hygiene, Occupational Medicine, Forensic Medicine of the Second University of Naples, the Section of Neurology of the Second University of Naples and the Mediterranean Neurological Institute NEUROMED, IRCCS are involved in the realization of a research project aimed at studying the correlation between environmental and occupational exposure to metals (copper, iron and manganese) and Parkinson disease in order to increase the knowledge of these possible risk factors and highlight an eventual predictive-diagnostic meaning of possible discrepancies in the content of these elements; secondly the collected data could be used for assessing the association (odd ratio-OR) between pathologies and different risk factors (for example smoking habits, professional exposure and so on).