DystoniaNCT00082615
Neurophysiological Markers in Patients With Craniofacial Dystonia and Their Relatives
An observational study of Dystonia, run by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This study will use a technique called blink reflex to study and compare how the brain controls muscle movement in patients with craniofacial dystonia, their first-degree relatives, and healthy, normal volunteers. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Dystonia
- How many people
- 210 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 11 May 2004to 21 Apr 2008
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Three groups of subjects shall be studied: 1) patients with craniofacial dystonia, 2) first degree relatives of patients with craniofacial dystonia, 3) age matched control group. The inclusion of the group of relatives will be valuable to study, as these individuals have shared similar environment backgrounds as patients but remain free of symptoms. Patients and their relatives 18 years or older will be enrolled through the Human Motor Control Clinic, NINDS, NIH under protocol 93-N-0202: "Diagnosis and Natural History Protocol for Patients with Different Neurological Conditions". Patients with dystonia, enrolled in Protocol 85-N-0195, "Efficacy and Pathophysiology of Botulinum Toxin for Treatment of Involuntary Movement Disorders' will also be eligible for participation in the study. Diagnosis of dystonia will rely on review of medical record, history, and clinical evaluation. Age matched volunteers over 18 years-old entered into the study must be free of neurological disease as determined by a standard physical and neurological examination.
- Patients with idiopathic BSP or Meige-Syndrome (=BSP plus oromandibular dystonia), their first degree relatives and age matched volunteers
- Age18 years or older
- Eye blink rate at rest more than 27 per minute (patients only)
Who cannot join
- Patients, their first degree relatives and normal volunteers with any significant medical or psychiatric illness, pregnancy, history of epilepsy, concurrent use of tricyclic antidepressants, neuroleptic agents, or any other licit or illicit drug that could affect brainstem excitability will not be eligible for this study. Subjects who have a pacemaker, an implanted medication pump, metal objects inside the eye or skull (for example, after brain surgery or a shrapnel would) or any recent (less than 3 months) brain lesions will not be included in this study. Patients who have received botulinum toxin injection less than three months prior to the day of testing will also be excluded.
- Other disease with involuntary blinking (Hemifacial spasm, Tic disorder, Tardive Dyskinesia, Blepharitis)
- Taking the following medications: antidepressants, anxiolytics, anticonvulsants, antipsychotics, antiparkinson, hypnotics, stimulants, and/or antihistamines
- Subject's objection to being videotaped while performing different activities
- First degree relatives and age matched volunteers who are diagnosed with a neurological or psychiatric disease or medication that alter the blink frequency.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
About this study
This study will use a technique called blink reflex to study and compare how the brain controls muscle movement in patients with craniofacial dystonia, their first-degree relatives, and healthy, normal volunteers. People with dystonia have sustained muscle contractions that cause twisting and repetitive movements or abnormal postures. In focal dystonia, this happens in one area of the body, such as the hand, neck, or face.
Three groups of people may be eligible for this study: 1) patients 18 years of age and older with craniofacial dystonia; 2) first-degree relatives of patients with craniofacial dystonia; and 3) normal volunteers matched in age to the patients. Candidates are screened with physical and neurological examinations.
Participants undergo a blink reflex study. Patients with dystonia who are receiving botulinum toxin injections must stop the medication 3 months before participating in the study and must stop any other dystonia medications, such as benzodiazepines and anticholinergics, for 12 hours before the study. For the blink reflex procedure, subjects are seated in a comfortable chair with their hands placed on a pillow on their lap. Metal electrodes are taped to the forehead for delivering small electrical shocks that feel like very brief pinpricks. Subjects receive 25 to 50 electrical stimuli, some as single shocks and some in pairs. The electrical activity of muscles that respond to the stimuli is recorded with a computer. The study takes from about 1 to 2 hours.
Read the detailed description
The objective of this study is to evaluate paired-pulse inhibition of the three responses of the electrically elicited blink reflex (BR) and the eye blink rate (EBR)in patients with craniofacial dystonia and their first degree relatives in order to determine whether abnormalities of inhibition can represent a marker of genetic predisposition for the development of dystonia. It is unclear why some relatives of patients with craniofacial dystonia do not develop dystonic symptoms. One possible explanation is that the development of dystonia is a two-stage process: first, loss of inhibition, which may be genetically determined, and second, exposure to an environmental trigger such as excessive repetitive movements. There is good evidence that focal dystonia is a genetically determined disorder, but the responsible gene remains undetermined. Patients, their first degree relatives and normal volunteers will undergo BR testing using validated electrophysiological tests of recovery cycle. The main outcome measure of the study is impaired inhibition in up to 50% of first degree relatives of patients with focal dystonia which would serve as biologic marker for the carrier state. A second outcome measure is the EBR. In those individuals with this genetic marker of impaired inhibition, future linkage analysis studies could be performed to identify the causative gene.
- Conditions
- Dystonia
- Keywords
- Movement Disorders, Recovery Cycle, Blink Reflex, Cervical Dystonia, Blepharospasm, Dystonia, Craniofacial Dystonia, Healthy Volunteer, HV
- Medical subject headings
- Dystonia, Movement Disorders, Torticollis, Blepharospasm
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted13 May 2004 (estimated)
- Study start11 May 2004
- Study completion21 Apr 2008
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for DystoniaStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)The sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Enrolment
- 210 participants
Sponsor and investigators
- Sponsor type
- US National Institutes of Health
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00082615
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 040188
- Other IDs
- 04-N-0188
- Status last verified
- 21 Apr 2008
- First submitted
- 13 May 2004
- Last updated
- 2 Jul 2017
- Results posted
- No
Publications
Hallett M. Blepharospasm: recent advances. Neurology. 2002 Nov 12;59(9):1306-12. doi: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000027361.73814.0e.
PubMed 12434791
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 2 Jul 2017. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Neurophysiological Markers in Patients With Craniofacial Dystonia and Their Relatives
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00082615
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 040188
- Conditions
- Dystonia
- Keywords
- Movement Disorders, Recovery Cycle, Blink Reflex, Cervical Dystonia, Blepharospasm, Dystonia, Craniofacial Dystonia, Healthy Volunteer
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 210 participants
- Lead sponsor
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)US National Institutes of Health
- Study start
- 11 May 2004
- Study completion
- 21 Apr 2008
- First posted
- 13 May 2004 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study will use a technique called blink reflex to study and compare how the brain controls muscle movement in patients with craniofacial dystonia, their first-degree relatives, and healthy, normal volunteers. People with dystonia have sustained muscle contractions that cause twisting and repetitive movements or abnormal postures. In focal dystonia, this happens in one area of the body, such as the hand, neck, or face.
Three groups of people may be eligible for this study: 1) patients 18 years of age and older with craniofacial dystonia; 2) first-degree relatives of patients with craniofacial dystonia; and 3) normal volunteers matched in age to the patients. Candidates are screened with physical and neurological examinations.
Participants undergo a blink reflex study. Patients with dystonia who are receiving botulinum toxin injections must stop the medication 3 months before participating in the study and must stop any other dystonia medications, such as benzodiazepines and anticholinergics, for 12 hours before the study. For the blink reflex procedure, subjects are seated in a comfortable chair with their hands placed on a pillow on their lap. Metal electrodes are taped to the forehead for delivering small electrical shocks that feel like very brief pinpricks. Subjects receive 25 to 50 electrical stimuli, some as single shocks and some in pairs. The electrical activity of muscles that respond to the stimuli is recorded with a computer. The study takes from about 1 to 2 hours.
Detailed description
The objective of this study is to evaluate paired-pulse inhibition of the three responses of the electrically elicited blink reflex (BR) and the eye blink rate (EBR)in patients with craniofacial dystonia and their first degree relatives in order to determine whether abnormalities of inhibition can represent a marker of genetic predisposition for the development of dystonia. It is unclear why some relatives of patients with craniofacial dystonia do not develop dystonic symptoms. One possible explanation is that the development of dystonia is a two-stage process: first, loss of inhibition, which may be genetically determined, and second, exposure to an environmental trigger such as excessive repetitive movements. There is good evidence that focal dystonia is a genetically determined disorder, but the responsible gene remains undetermined. Patients, their first degree relatives and normal volunteers will undergo BR testing using validated electrophysiological tests of recovery cycle. The main outcome measure of the study is impaired inhibition in up to 50% of first degree relatives of patients with focal dystonia which would serve as biologic marker for the carrier state. A second outcome measure is the EBR. In those individuals with this genetic marker of impaired inhibition, future linkage analysis studies could be performed to identify the causative gene.
Study design
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Three groups of subjects shall be studied: 1) patients with craniofacial dystonia, 2) first degree relatives of patients with craniofacial dystonia, 3) age matched control group. The inclusion of the group of relatives will be valuable to study, as these individuals have shared similar environment backgrounds as patients but remain free of symptoms. Patients and their relatives 18 years or older will be enrolled through the Human Motor Control Clinic, NINDS, NIH under protocol 93-N-0202: "Diagnosis and Natural History Protocol for Patients with Different Neurological Conditions". Patients with dystonia, enrolled in Protocol 85-N-0195, "Efficacy and Pathophysiology of Botulinum Toxin for Treatment of Involuntary Movement Disorders' will also be eligible for participation in the study. Diagnosis of dystonia will rely on review of medical record, history, and clinical evaluation. Age matched volunteers over 18 years-old entered into the study must be free of neurological disease as determined by a standard physical and neurological examination.
- Patients with idiopathic BSP or Meige-Syndrome (=BSP plus oromandibular dystonia), their first degree relatives and age matched volunteers
- Age18 years or older
- Eye blink rate at rest more than 27 per minute (patients only)
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Patients, their first degree relatives and normal volunteers with any significant medical or psychiatric illness, pregnancy, history of epilepsy, concurrent use of tricyclic antidepressants, neuroleptic agents, or any other licit or illicit drug that could affect brainstem excitability will not be eligible for this study. Subjects who have a pacemaker, an implanted medication pump, metal objects inside the eye or skull (for example, after brain surgery or a shrapnel would) or any recent (less than 3 months) brain lesions will not be included in this study. Patients who have received botulinum toxin injection less than three months prior to the day of testing will also be excluded.
- Other disease with involuntary blinking (Hemifacial spasm, Tic disorder, Tardive Dyskinesia, Blepharitis)
- Taking the following medications: antidepressants, anxiolytics, anticonvulsants, antipsychotics, antiparkinson, hypnotics, stimulants, and/or antihistamines
- Subject's objection to being videotaped while performing different activities
- First degree relatives and age matched volunteers who are diagnosed with a neurological or psychiatric disease or medication that alter the blink frequency.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Not reported in the source record.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 2 Jul 2017.
- Background: PubMed 12434791Hallett M. Blepharospasm: recent advances. Neurology. 2002 Nov 12;59(9):1306-12. doi: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000027361.73814.0e.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Dystonia, run by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Jul 2017. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00082615, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 2 Jul 2017.