Direct measurement of motor cortical responses to transcranial direct current stimulation

Date Added
May 15th, 2018
PRO Number
Pro00073545
Researcher
Nathan Rowland

List of Studies


Keywords
Brain, Central Nervous System, Movement Disorders, Muscle, Nerve, Nervous System, Parkinsons, Surgery
Summary

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has shown the potential to improve symptoms in patients with motor deficits, however its effects have not been consistent in randomized studies to date, limiting widespread adoption of this technology. A critical gap in our knowledge is a detailed understanding of how tDCS affects motor areas in the brain. We propose using tDCS while recording directly from motor cortex using subdural electrocorticography (sECoG) in patients undergoing deep brain stimulation surgery. We expect this novel approach to broaden our understanding of tDCS application and possibly lead to therapeutic advances in this population.

Institution
MUSC
Recruitment Contact
Ayesha Vohra
843-792-6210
vohra@musc.edu

Enroll-HD: A Prospective Study in a Global Huntington's Disease Cohort

Date Added
September 10th, 2015
PRO Number
Pro00048038
Researcher
Miroslav Cuturic

List of Studies

Keywords
Genetics, Movement Disorders
Summary

The primary objective of Enroll-HD is to develop a comprehensive repository of prospective and systematically collected clinical research data (demography, clinical features, family history, genetic characteristics) and biological specimens (blood) from individuals with manifest HD, unaffected individuals known to carry the HD mutation or at risk of carrying the HD mutation, and control research participants (e.g., spouses, siblings or offspring of HD mutation carriers known not to carry the HD mutation). Enroll-HD is conceived as a broad-based and long-term project to maximize the efficiencies of non-clinical research and participation in clinical research while ensuring privacy and protections for consenting research participants.

Institution
USC
Recruitment Contact
Alyson Grant
803-545-6104
alyson.grant@uscmed.sc.edu

Operant Conditioning of Motor Evoked Potential to Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Improve Motor Function Recovery after Spinal Cord Injury

Date Added
April 7th, 2015
PRO Number
Pro00042109
Researcher
Aiko Thompson

List of Studies


Keywords
Movement Disorders, Rehabilitation Studies, Spinal Cord
Summary

Over many years, we have learnt that the brain's connections with the spinal cord change in response to injury or training. Because brain-spinal cord (i.e., corticospinal) pathways are very important in movement control, restoring function of these pathways could help to restore useful movement after spinal cord injury (SCI). In this project, we hypothesize that operant conditioning training of the muscle response to non-invasive transcranial magnetic stimulation can strengthen the functional connectivity of corticospinal pathways and thereby alleviate movement problems in people with chronic incomplete SCI. This study will require about 38 visits over the first 3 months, and another 4 visits over an additional 3 months. Each visit will take about an hour.

Institution
MUSC
Recruitment Contact
Blair Dellenbach
843-792-6313
stecb@musc.edu

Modulation of Spinal Reflexes during Walking in People after Spinal Cord Injury

Date Added
April 7th, 2015
PRO Number
Pro00042824
Researcher
Aiko Thompson

List of Studies


Keywords
Movement Disorders, Rehabilitation Studies, Spinal Cord
Summary

Spinal reflexes take important part in our movement. After spinal cord injury (SCI), reflexes often change. For many years, researchers and doctors have assumed that abnormally acting spinal reflexes lead to movement problems, without clear scientific evidence. For example, in people who suffer spasticity, a common problem after SCI, walking is disturbed, presumably because stretch reflexes (e.g., knee jerk reflex) and some other reflexes are not working well. Yet, which reflex is causing a problem in what way has not been well understood. Such understanding is very important in developing and applying effective therapies for improving gait recovery after SCI. Therefore, in this project, we are studying spinal stretch reflexes and other reflexes during walking, to understand how these reflexes contribute to spastic gait problems in people with chronic incomplete SCI. Successful completion of this project will result in better understanding of spastic gait problems, which in turn, will help us develop more effective therapy application and improve the quality of life in people after SCI.

Institution
MUSC
Recruitment Contact
Blair Dellenbach
843-792-6313
stecb@musc.edu

Attenuation of Inflammatory Response in Progressive Neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease

Date Added
May 29th, 2014
PRO Number
Pro00033613
Researcher
Narendra Banik

List of Studies


Keywords
Inflammation, Movement Disorders, Parkinsons
Summary

This is an exploratory study and the information obtained may lead to new findings regarding the inflammatory and neurodegenerative mechanisms in the progression of PD and help to develop new drugs to halt the disease progression. The study simply involves a one time blood draw.

Institution
MUSC
Recruitment Contact
Christina Vaughan
792-7262
jenkisho@musc.edu



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