Active clinical trials for "Perceptual Disorders"

Neurological pathologies cause important and permanent disabilities in every day life. These pathologies can follow stoke, affecting two people per one thousand each year or cerebral palsy, affecting two births per one thousand each year. To date, the diagnosis and the rehabilitation of motor and cognitive problems has been carried out separately by different domains. For example, physiotherapists have focused on motor problems and neuropsychologists have focused on cognitive functions. However, a number of studies have demonstrated a link between motor and cognitive abilities in adults and children. The present study has three main aims: (1) to better evaluate motor and cognitive problems in brain damaged patients (all ages), (2) to understand the link between motor and cognitive abilities in patients and healthy participants and, (3) to propose new types of therapies based on the link between motor and cognitive functions.

The purpose of this study is to determine the relationships between sedative exposure during pediatric critical illness and long-term neurocognitive outcomes. We will test for drug- and dose-dependent relationships between sedative exposure and neurocognitive outcomes along the early developmental spectrum and will control for baseline and environmental factors, as well as the severity and course of illness. Hypotheses: Greater exposure to benzodiazepines and/or ketamine will be associated with lower IQ even when controlling for severity of illness, hospital course, and baseline factors. In addition, benzodiazepines and/or ketamine will negatively affect other aspects of neurocognitive function. Younger children exposed to benzodiazepines and/or ketamine will have worse neurocognitive outcomes than older children with similar sedative exposure and severity of illness.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on hearing in post-menopausal women.

Problems with attention are a common and debilitating consequence of brain injury. Studies show that poor attention is the number one predictor of poor cognitive functioning one year post-injury. This is due to the fact that attention is a necessary component of more complex cognitive functions such as learning & memory, multi-tasking and problem solving. In many cases, individuals may exhibit problems with spatial attention known as 'hemi-spatial neglect syndrome' or simply 'neglect'. Many studies now show that the processing machinery of the brain is plastic and remodeled throughout life by learning and experience, enabling the strengthening of cognitive skills or abilities. The investigators own research has shown that brief, daily computerized cognitive training that is sufficiently challenging, goal-directed and adaptive enables intact brain structures to restore balance in attention and compensate for disruptions in cognitive functioning.

Anosognosia for hemispatial neglect is an intriguing phenomenon characterized by decreased awareness of spatial deficits, common in patients with right hemisphere stroke. However, it has not been examined as extensively as anosognosia for hemiplegia. In this study, we aim to investigate the relationship between the decrease in anosognosia for neglect and the improvement of spatial deficits.

The purpose of this study is to examine measurement of unilateral neglect post stroke. Although a number of clinical assessments are used to measure neglect, it is unclear whether items from some of the most commonly used assessments are able to effectively and comprehensively measure neglect. This study will determine whether these assessments measure different aspects of neglect and whether items from various neglect assessments can be combined to more effectively measure neglect.

Some children with certain language disorders may not properly process the sounds they hear, resulting in language impairments. The purpose of this study is to determine if deficits in auditory temporal processing the way the brain analyzes the timing and patterns of sounds are an inherited trait. Families with auditory temporal processing deficits are sought in order to identify the genes responsible for auditory temporal processing deficits. Children and adults with a diagnosis or history of language impairment in the family and their family members both affected and non-affected are eligible for this two-part study. In Part 1, participants undergo a series of language tests and listening tests to measure various characteristics of how they perceive sound. In Part 2, they are interviewed about language disorders, learning disabilities, and other medical problems of family members. This information is used to construct a pedigree (family tree diagram) showing the pattern of inheritance of family traits. Study subjects whose pedigree indicates that language disorders may be hereditary in their family will provide either a small blood sample (1 to 2 tablespoons) or a tissue specimen obtained from a cheek swab (rubbing the inside of the cheek with a small brush or cotton swabs). The sample will be used to isolate DNA for genetic analysis.

The goal of this retrospective is to investigate the relationship between lesion site and neglect anosognosia in subacute or chronic right hemispheric stroke patients with left hemispatial neglect. The main questions it aims to answer are: Was any lesion site related to a higher neglect anosognosia rate? Did any lesion site related to a more severe neglect anosognosia? Participants will be divided into two groups regarding the presence of anosognosia for spatial neglect. Researchers will compare patients with and without anosognosia to see if any lesion site resulted in a higher anosognosia rate and more severe unawareness of neglect symptoms in daily life.

Goal: Various studies suggest a negative association between spatial neglect and motor outcomes after stroke (Barrett & Muzaffar 2014) (Kwakkel 2014). Our goal is to assess: The longitudinal interaction of the recovery of spatial neglect with the recovery of motor function and outcomes (such as paresis, sitting balance and standing balance) Whether the association is different across the different subtypes of spatial neglect (visuospatial/personal/ADL-related) The role of compensation strategies for balance control in patients with spatial neglect To do so, we will perform a longitudinal cohort study in which we will repetitively assess post-stroke patients using a comprehensive assessment approach for both spatial neglect and motor outcomes. With regards to neglect, we will evaluate various aspects of both visuospatial and personal neglect. For motor outcomes, we will combine clinical and instrumented (biomechanical) assessment methods to evaluate post-stroke recovery of leg paresis, (sitting and standing) balance and gait.

The investigators propose to explore the hypothesis that vibrotactile channels for indicating spatial orientation can be exploited as a sensory prosthesis. The specific research applications will be used for guiding visual orientation, to provide alternative feedback to vision and vestibular signals for controlling balance, and for directional and lateralisation cueing in patients with neglect syndromes. The programme will study whether vibrotactile feedback improves performance and also if it speeds rehabilitation when used as an adjunct to conventional therapy.