Active clinical trials for "Sclerosis"

This pilot study takes the innovative approach of using ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIO) nanoparticle enhanced MRI to measure activity of the innate immune system within MS lesions. Activity of innate immunity has been hypothesized as one of the critical pathologic processes underpinning neurologic worsening in progressive MS. As such, in the short term this project proposes to investigate USPIO uptake in SPMS lesions as a promising in vivo imaging biomarker for chronic-active lesions, as distinguished from chronic-inactive lesions.

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the safety of combining phospholipids with medicinal plants for treatment of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

The primary objective of the study is to assess the efficacy of oral BG00012 as compared with placebo in pediatric subjects with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The secondary objectives of this study are to evaluate the safety and tolerability of BG00012 and to compare the effect of BG00012 with placebo on additional clinical and radiological measures of disease activity.

The most common symptom displayed in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) is a pronounced sense of fatigue that can have negative effect on functional ability and quality of life (QOL). An important goal of researchers and clinicians involves improving the QOL of individuals with MS, and the exercise therapy represents potentially modifiable behavior that positively impacts on pathogenesis of MS and thus the QOL. However, the main barrier for its application is low motivational level that MS patients experience due to fatigue with adjacent reduced exercise tolerability and mobility, and muscle weakness. Getting individuals with MS motivated to engage in continuous physical activity may be particularly difficult and challenging, especially those with severe disability or Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS 6-8). Till now, researchers have focused their attention mainly on the moderate or vigorous intensity of exercise and on cardiorespiratory training in MS patients to achieve improvements in daily life quality, less indicating the exercise content, and most importantly, breathing exercises. In addition, it is investigators intention to make exercise for MS patients more applicable and accessible, motivational and easier, but most important, productive. Investigators think that MS patients experience more stress with aerobic exercise or moderate to high intensity programme exercise, and can hardly keep continuum including endurance exercise, or treadmill. Hypothesis: Investigators hypothesis is that 4-weeks of continuous low demanding or mild exercise programme with specific content and an accent on breathing exercise can attenuate primary fatigue in MS patients, especially in those with more severe disability or EDSS from 6-8, and provide maintenance of exercise motivation. Investigators also propose that important assistant factor for final goal achievement is social and mental support of the exercise group (EDSS from 0-8) led by a physiotherapist. This will help to maintain exercise motivation and finally make better psychophysical functioning, and thus better QOL.

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a rare genetic multisystem disorder characterized by the development of hamartomas in several organs (e.g. brain, heart, kidney, liver, lung), and skin in more than 90% of cases. Facial angiofibromas (FA), present in about 80% of patients, are a stigmatizing hallmark of the disease. Everolimus could be a candidate for use as a topical formulation to treat FA. This adaptive seamless Phase II/III study primary objective is to determine the dose of topical everolimus for treatment of FA and evaluate the efficacy and safety of topical everolimus versus placebo in patients with angiofibromas.

We have had reports of an individual who utilized a modified Paleolithic diet and vitamin/ supplement program as part of his approach to managing ALS related symptoms. This individual has experienced stability in his ALS functional rating score and stable to improving strength over an 18 month period. There are also anecdotal reports of ALS patients who have utilized a dietary approach based on a Paleolithic eating plan of improved function. This is a safety study. We will be assessing if patients can implement the proposed modified Paleolithic diet (Wahls Elimination), if lean muscle mass is maintained on the study diet, and what changes occur in the ALS functional symptoms and quality of life.

Prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in patients with MS increases with disease duration. Current management of urinary clinical symptoms in MS is mainly conservative. Its long-term outcome is often poor because of the progressive disease course and the treatment related side effects. Alternative therapeutic options are botulinum toxin injections, electrical stimulation of dorsal penile/clitoral nerve, and sacral nerve modulation. Posterior tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) is a second minimally-invasive method of electrical stimulation. Multiple benefits may derive from the development and validation of a dedicated protocol of a new self-activated neuromodulation therapy, which may improve therapy compliance/effectiveness, quality of life and social life in MS patients with refractory LUTS. Furthermore, it may contribute to reduce outpatient visits, health costs and work absenteeism. To investigate the performance and safety of the medical device eCoin™ for the treatment of refractory LUTS in patients with MS over a period of 6 months.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive loss of central and peripheral motor neurons. ALS leads to death usually within 3 to 5 years from the onset of the symptoms. Available treatment can prolong the disease duration but cannot modify the disease course. Depression is a frequent complication of ALS, which further decreases quality of life and the available data concerning effectivity of antidepressant drugs are conflicting. Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is a noninvasive method of modulation of brain plasticity with confirmed antidepressive effect. The purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness of rTMS in improving the depression in patients with ALS with placebo stimulation. Intervention will include 10 daily sessions. In each session 3000 magnetic pulses will be administered over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Assessment depression severity will be made before and after therapy, as well as two and four weeks later.

Expiratory muscle strength training (EMST) is an emerging palliative intervention for prolonging pulmonary and swallow function in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (PALS), but it is unknown whether EMST may result in detrimental immediate to short-term fatigue because there is no way to measure fatigue non-invasively. This study will determine the immediate to short-term impact of EMST on objective respiratory and swallow function, whether subjective ratings of dyspnea and fatigue map to objective decompensation of respiratory and swallow function, and the ability to monitor fatigue of the respiratory and swallowing musculature non-invasively. Findings from this research study will provide preliminary evidence regarding optimal timing for PALS to complete EMST and will provide PALS and clinicians increased capabilities to monitor fatigue non-invasively.

This study monitor the immediate and persistent impact of a preventive complex six-month program specifically developed for newly diagnosed people with multiple sclerosis on fatigue, mental and physical fitness, and quality of life. The study determined whether changes in clinical function are related to changes in neurohormones, and whether the effect of therapy is dependent on the active approach of study participants.