Search Results Within Category "Brain & Nervous System"

We are studying the effects of stimulating the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve connects the brain to many organs in the body. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is already approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat depression and epilepsy. We want to learn more about how it affects other parts of our bodies, such as the heart, metabolism, the immune system, and the nervous system. We hope that by understanding how VNS affects the body as a whole, we can develop new treatments for other conditions, or help to improve its use for depression and epilepsy.

This research study is testing a potential new treatment for refractory chronic migraine (RCM). The potential new treatment is called ShiraTronics Migraine Therapy. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of the ShiraTronics Migraine Therapy System. The ShiraTronics System delivers mild electrical pulses to nerves associated with migraine pain around the back and front of your head. These electrical pulses interrupt or change the transmission of pain signals to the brain, which can potentially relieve your chronic migraine pain and symptoms. The ShiraTronics System is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for investigational (under research) use, and not approved for sale.

This is a small, Phase 0, window of opportunity study to provide human experience to support our pre-clinical data and gain preliminary information regarding the safety and tolerability of mirdametinib and vorinostat when given in combination.

This research is being completed to examine the cells, brain imaging, and speech in individuals with REM Sleep Behavior Disorder who are taking serotonergic medications such as Citalopram, Escitalopram, Fluoxetine, Fluvoxamine, Paroxetine and Sertraline. The purpose of examining these is to try and see if we can predict signs of Dementia with Lewy bodies (a progressive form of dementia with an increase in decline of thinking, reasoning, and other functions). This may benefit others by enabling us to diagnose Dementia with Lewy Bodies sooner rather than later.

Individuals who are carriers of ALS causative gene variants have an increased lifetime risk of developing ALS or a related disorder, Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD). We are doing this research to collect a wide range of biofluid samples, clinical information, and other health and wellbeing information to look for measurable differences that will help us understand how and when the body changes in response to ALS causative gene variants.

Study to examine the physiological responses that occur during a hot flush in postmenopausal women

We are studying the effectiveness of GammaTiles TM that are placed during surgery done to remove brain tumors. GammaTiles TM are used to deliver radiation to the surgical area in the brain. We are collecting information about the effectiveness and side effects and will compare to people who receive the usual treatment.

We are doing this research to collect a wide range of samples, clinical information, and measurements that will be used for future research into ALS and related neurological diseases. Participants will be asked to complete 7 in-person study visits and monthly remote self-assessment activities. Access to a personal device (computer and/or smartphone or tablet) that is connected to the internet is needed to complete the monthly remote activities.

The objective of this study is to describe how activation of distinct pathways in and around the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and internal segment of the globus pallidus (GPi) correlate to changes in sleep outcomes in movement disorders patients after deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery targeting these structures.

Through this research, the study staff hopes to better understand how DBS works and to define the optimal site in the brain for DBS treatment for Parkinson’s Disease. You will be asked to come for one study visit where you will perform some physical and mental tasks while on and temporarily off your medications and DBS treatment. Participation in this research study will take 7-8 hours.

This study is for people who have essential tremor and will be receiving the Boston Scientific Vercise Genus deep brain stimulation (DBS) system. We are studying the possibility that a kind of deep brain stimulation called "coordinated reset" stimulation (CR-DBS) will be more effective than current DBS treatment for essential tremor. We expect that participants will be in this research study for about 9 to 11 months.

This study will examine the brain activation associated with the transition between movements in Parkinson’s disease, and if these changes are related to the development of problems with moving (like freezing of gait) and thinking. We will look at brain activity associated with the vestibular (inner ear) and cortical (surface of the brain) systems. People with Parkinson’s disease (especially people with freezing of gait) sometimes have difficulty initiating changes in movement types, such as going from standing to walking, turning, or switching between slow and fast repetitive movements. The difficulty in movement transitions may be associated with an overactive vestibular system (inner ear) or cortical system. In each experiment in this study, we expect about 20-25 participants with Parkinson’s disease and freezing of gait, 20-25 participants with Parkinson’s without freezing of gait, and 20-25 control participants

We are conducting this research to try to find a better way of treating Parkinson's disease, specifically postural instability and gait disturbances (PIGD) by looking at certain brain characteristics using 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI.) We think we could discover how to make DBS more effective for such things as postural gait instability and other symptoms of PD. Participants will be asked to come to our research location, walk on a treadmill, and have a 3T MRI.

We hope to identify patterns in the brain that may be related to symptoms of PD, such as problems with walking. We are also testing different stimulation settings to see if they might be more effective than the settings that are currently used for treatment. This research may aid in our understanding of PD and how to treat it more effectively with DBS.

This study is about understanding how cognitive, sensory, and motor processes interact. Participants must be a stroke survivor, with a unilateral stroke, leaving arm weakness on one side only, that happened at least 3 months ago.

This study will look at the effects of treatment combining Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT) and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) for young people who have tic disorder. Participants must be 12- 21 years old and able to have an MRI. All participants will receive 10 daily sessions of CBIT, a well-established behavioral treatment that is considered to be the first treatment for tics. Participants will also be assigned randomly (by chance) to receive TMS or a sham (treatment not delivered) just before each CBIT session. The device for TMS delivers electromagnetic stimulation to a specific area of the brain with a small coil on the scalp. The effectiveness of the CBIT for the two groups, with and without the TMS, will be compared.

This study is about understanding how TMS affects the balance between inhibitory and facilitatory processes in the motor cortex. The study includes an experimental device, specifically transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), electroencephalography (EEG), and electromyography (EMG). TMS is a non-invasive brain stimulation method to probe brain activity. EEG is used to record brain activity through electrodes placed on the head, while EMG measures muscle activity through sensors attached to the skin.

The purpose of the study is to establish and maintain a biorepository of tissue and biospecimen samples relevant to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) research. We will obtain, store, and catalogue peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), blood and blood components, skin punch biopsy samples, and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) from people living with ALS, linked to clinical datasets, to advance ALS research.

This research study is aimed at finding the changes in brain activity of people who have experienced a stroke and how it may affect their movement coordination during walking. Participants will be asked to walk on a treadmill at a comfortable speed while their movement pattern will be measured. Participants will also undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan and assessment of the brain activity using Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) which is a non-invasive brain stimulation method often used to stimulate nerve cells in the brain and assess connectivity between the brain and individual muscles.

The purpose of this research is to better understand balance and walking in a healthy adult population to compare to patients with Parkinson’s Disease. This research study uses small wearable devices that attach to your clothing and can measure your body’s location while performing walking and balance tests. We expect that you will be in this research study at the Minnesota State Fair for approximately 10-15 minutes.

The main purpose of this study is to test whether Walkasins can help people with peripheral neuropathy maintain their balance better. Walkasins have been developed to improve balance and walking by enhancing a person’s ability to feel the pressure beneath his/her feet as he/she walks.

This study aims to reduce the radiotherapy (RT) dose necessary to successfully treat patients with intracranial germ cell tumors who are in a state of complete response (CR) following chemotherapy. In this study, a further reduction in whole ventricular irradiation (WVI) will be tested. The primary aim of the study is to determine whether 12 Gy of WVI, and 12 Gy tumor boost, would be successful. Event-free survival (EFS) in patients with central nervous system germinoma, who meet criteria for CR or continued complete response (CCR) following chemotherapy/second-look surgery, would be the primary measurement of success.

The purpose of this project is to provide new knowledge of the relationship between structural and functional changes in cortico-basal ganglia pathways and the severity of motor and non-motor deficits in humans with PD.

The study is being conducted in order to further understand how we perceive the world, and if and how this may be different in individuals on the autism spectrum. We hope to further understand sensory processing differences in autism.

The purpose of this research is to better understand how alcohol impacts pain processing in people with Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD) using MRI technology.

Medications used to treat Parkinson's disease will be delivered using a sachet ; placed in the oral/buccal cavity (between cheek and gum of lower jaw). This study may be a good fit for you if you are healthy, between the ages of 18 and 65, and aren’t currently taking regular medications. We expect that you will be in this research study for one visit, approximately 7 hours total. Compensation and transportation expenses will be provided.

The goal of this study is to provide comprehensive longitudinal assessments of a cohort of PD patients before, during, and after DBS surgery, including neurological, neurophysiological, and neuropsychological data.

This research will use neuroimaging to study the brain systems involved in prioritizing goals effectively, as well as testing whether variation in those systems is associated with the personality trait conscientiousness, which reflects organization, self-discipline, and industriousness and predicts important health and other life outcomes.

The purpose of this study is to test the effects of an in person or home-based exergame intervention on improving cognition and fitness in community-dwelling older adults with memory complaints. The exergame refers to a new low-cost virtual reality cognitive game with cycling. We expect that participants will be in this research study for 4 months. Intervention sessions will require approximately 1 hour, 3 days per week for 3 months.

This study is about how pain affects drinking behaviors in people with chronic temporomandibular disorder (TMD).