Protocol Number: 03-N-0236

Title:

A Neuroimaging Study of Automatic Movements in Patients with Parkinson's Disease

Number:

03-N-0236

Summary:

Parkinson's disease patients usually have difficulty making automatic movements. Automatic movements are movements people often make without conscious thought.

The purpose of this study is to investigate regions of the brain that affect automatic movements and to understand the movements of Parkinson's patients. Investigators hope this knowledge will lead to better treatment for the disease.

Thirty participants will be enrolled in this study. Each will give a medical history and undergo a brief physical exam. Participants will have two MRI scans, each lasting approximately 1.5 hours. During these scans, they may be asked to move their right or left hands or to remember some letters that they have been shown. Before undergoing the second scan, participants will be asked to practice the tasks until they can perform them correctly.

Sponsoring Institute:

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

Recruitment Detail

Type: Active Accrual Of New Subjects

Gender: Male & Female

Referral Letter Required: No

Population Exclusion(s): Children

Eligibility Criteria:

INCLUSION CRITERIA:

Thirty patients with PD will be included in the study.

The diagnosis of PD is based on medical history, physical and neurological examinations, response to levodopa or dopaminergic drugs, and laboratory tests and MRI scans to exclude other diseases.

Patients will be assessed with the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE). Only patients with mild to moderate motor disability (UDRS less than or equal to 40) and without cognitive impairment (MMT score greater than or equal to 25) will be investigated.

Patients will be studied only after their medication has been withdrawn for at least 12 hours.

All subjects participating in the study should have a valid Clinical Center Medical Record Number.

The fMRI experiment will follow the standard operating procedures of the HMCS Neuroimaging Group.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

Subjects with psychiatric disorders or severe motor disabilities will be excluded.

Subjects with pacemakers, cardiac or neural defibrillators, intracranial aneurysm clips, intraorbital metallic structures, insulin pumps, cochlear implants, and other metallic objects will not be scanned.

Women who are pregnant are excluded from MRI because the safety of the fetus in the presence of high magnetic fields is not established. Therefore, all women of childbearing potential will have a pregnancy test performed, which must be negative, before proceeding.

Subjects under age 18 will be excluded.

Special Instructions: Currently Not Provided

Keywords:

fMRI

Brain Activity

Overlearned

Dual-Task

Mechanism

Recruitment Keywords:

Parkinson Disease

PD

Conditions:

Parkinson Disease

Investigational Drug(s):

None

Investigational Device(s):

None

Contacts:

Patient Recruitment and Public Liaison Office
Building 61
10 Cloister Court
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-4754
Toll Free: 1-800-411-1222
TTY: 301-594-9774 (local),1-866-411-1010 (toll free)
Fax: 301-480-9793

Electronic Mail:prpl@mail.cc.nih.gov

Citations:

Catalan MJ, Ishii K, Honda M, Samii A, Hallett M. A PET study of sequential finger movements of varying length in patients with

Parkinson's disease. Brain. 1999 Mar;122 ( Pt 3):483-95. PMID: 10094257

Cunnington R, Iansek R, Bradshaw JL. Movement-related potentials in Parkinson's disease: external cues and attentional strategies. Mov Disord. 1999 Jan;14(1):63-8. PMID: 9918346

Catalan MJ, Honda M, Weeks RA, Cohen LG, Hallett M. The functional neuroanatomy of simple and complex sequential finger movements: a PET study. Brain. 1998 Feb;121 ( Pt 2):253-64. PMID: 9549504

• Questions about participating in a study, please contact the Patient Recruitment and Public Liaison Office, CC.
• Technical questions regarding the Clinical Center web site, please contact the Department of Networks and Applications, CC.

Search The Studies | Help | Questions |
Clinical Center Home | NIH Home

Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center (CC)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Bethesda, Maryland 20892. Last update: 10/20/2004