Natural History of the Leukodystrophies

March 21, 2019 updated by: Baylor Research Institute

The Etiology, Pathogenesis, and Natural History of the Leukodystrophies

The purpose of this study is to:

  1. define novel homogeneous groups of patients with LDs and
  2. work toward finding the cause of these disorders.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Detailed Description

Patients with leukodystrophies (LDs) of unknown etiology are a heterogeneous group but constitute the second largest group of genetic white matter diseases. In order to find the cause of leukodystrophies, patients with LDs of unknown cause will be analyzed clinically, neurophysiologically, biochemically and genetically. Patients would have been diagnosed as having no known leukodystrophies at outside centers. At the Baylor University Medical Center, such patients will undergo a series of neuropsychological, blood, urine, spinal fluid, radiological, and peripheral tissue pathological tests. Some of these tests will be part of a standard battery while others will be tailored to individual patients. Patients will be followed yearly or as necessary. Patients will be screened for mutations in genes coding for structural myelin proteins. In some patients in whom all tests yielded no information regarding the etiology of their disease, and in whom there is evidence to suggest involvement of the peripheral nervous system, a sural nerve biopsy will be considered. Sural nerve biopsy tissue will be evaluated using a novel combination of approaches including detailed pathological, immunohistochemical, and biochemical analysis of myelin proteins and lipids. Schwann cell biology and expression of myelin genes in the brain will also be investigated in situ. It is hoped that the present study will help clarify the nosology of the leukodystrophies and significantly advance our understanding of the pathogenesis of these diseases.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
10

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Texas
      • Dallas, Texas, United States, 75246
        • Baylor University Medical Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • ADULT
  • OLDER_ADULT
  • CHILD

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Subjects identified with a leukodystrophy of unknown etiology

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Subjects must:

  • have clinical and radiographic signs of leukodystrophy without a specific etiology
  • no diagnosis of adrenoleukodystrophy, adrenomyeloneuropathy, metachromatic leukodystrophy, Krabbe disease, Canavan disease, a well-defined amino acid organic acid disorder, or a systemic mitochondrial cytopathy.
  • First-degree relatives of patients with leukodystrophies of unknown etiology (father, mother, siblings, or sons and daughters of the patients)
  • Be able to travel to Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas Texas for evaluation and spend 5-8 working days on site
  • Be able to tolerate a general exam and neurological exam
  • Be able to tolerate a modest amount of blood drawing, provide a urine specimen, and have a skin biopsy(if not previously done)
  • Be able to tolerate the performance of necessary neuroimaging studies to include EEG and Head MRI
  • Be able to tolerate a neuropsychological testing and rehabilitation evaluation
  • Be able to tolerate spinal tap or nerve biopsy if needed

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Unable to travel to Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas Texas for evaluation
  • Refusal to sign a study consent form
  • Unable to tolerate the performance of the required testing

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Leukodystrophy of unknown etiology
Subjects who may have an undiagnosed form of leukodystrophy

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Neuropsychological evaluation to measure baseline cognitive function and detect signs of dementia over time
Time Frame: Every 52 weeks up to 5 years
Neuropsychological status is evaluated at Baseline and no less than once every year for the duration of the study to assess for any deterioration in function
Every 52 weeks up to 5 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Evoked potentials to assess involvement of different areas of brain over time
Time Frame: Every 52 weeks up to 5 years
Evoked potentials are evaluated at Baseline and no less than once every year for the duration of the study to assess for changes in function
Every 52 weeks up to 5 years
MRI of the brain to assess involvement of different areas of the brain over time
Time Frame: Every 52 weeks
Changes in the brain are assessed at Baseline and no less than once every year for the duration of the study to assess for changes
Every 52 weeks
Electroencephalogram to assess involvement of different areas of the brain over time
Time Frame: Every 52 weeks up to 5 years
EEG is assessed at Baseline and no less than once a year for the duration of the study to assess for changes in function
Every 52 weeks up to 5 years
Electromyelogram to assess for changes in muscle function over time
Time Frame: Every 52 weeks up to 5 years
EMG is assessed at Baseline and no less than once a year for the duration of the study to assess for changes in function
Every 52 weeks up to 5 years
Nerve Conduction study to assess abnormalities in affected nerves
Time Frame: Every 52 weeks up to 5 years
Nerve conduction is assessed at Baseline and no less than once a year for the duration of the study to assess for changes in function
Every 52 weeks up to 5 years
Skin biopsy for to look for evidence of storage disease
Time Frame: Baseline
Baseline
DNA Studies to search for mutations in genes of structural myelin proteins or genes that control myelin production
Time Frame: Baseline
Baseline
Spinal Tap to look for diagnostic markers of leukodystrophy
Time Frame: Baseline
Baseline
Nerve Biopsy to look for pathological abnormalities in affected nerves
Time Frame: Baseline
Baseline
Neuro-ophthalmological exam to assess for abnormalities in the eye
Time Frame: Every 52 weeks up to 5 years
Eyes are assessed at Baseline and no less than once a year for the duration of the study to assess for changes in function
Every 52 weeks up to 5 years

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Baylor Research Institute

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Raphael Schiffmann, MD, MHS, Baylor University Medical Center, Baylor Institute of Metabolic Disease

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (ACTUAL)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
January 23, 2019

Primary Completion (ACTUAL)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
January 23, 2019

Study Completion (ACTUAL)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
January 23, 2019

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 7, 2016

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 21, 2016

First Posted (ESTIMATE)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 26, 2016

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (ACTUAL)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
March 22, 2019

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 21, 2019

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
March 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 008-169

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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