Investigating the Genetic and Phenotypic Presentation of Ataxia and Nucleotide Repeat Diseases

March 20, 2026 updated by: Zbigniew K. Wszolek, Mayo Clinic
The purpose of this study is to create a repository for cerebellar ataxia and nucleotide repeat diseases in order to fully investigate the genetic and phenotypic presentations of both.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

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.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The investigators are initiating a new program dedicated to the research and study of neurodegenerative forms of spinocerebellar ataxia as well and other nucleotide repeat diseases with the exclusion of Huntington's Disease. The analysis will be conducted to provide better clinical, genetic, and pathological characterizations of neurodegenerative forms of spinocerebellar ataxia. The investigators would like to create a repository for samples on these cases as well as prospective cases who are seen via clinic, support groups, referrals etc. The investigators will perform clinical evaluations utilizing ataxia pertinent scales. The investigators project to expand the present genealogical bank by collecting more specimens and identify more families in the process. All this will be performed in collaboration with basic scientists in order to conduct proper laboratory investigation that will help arrive at a cure for neurodegenerative forms of spinocerebellar ataxia and nucleotide repeat diseases excluding Huntington's Disease .

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 (Estimated)

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.
1000

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Florida
      • Jacksonville, Florida, United States, 32224
        • Mayo Clinic in Florida

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

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Participants will be identified through investigator's clinical practice and their relatives, health fairs, as well as support groups. Controls will be recruited from clinical practice (spouses and caregivers), support groups, and interested volunteers.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Males and females over the age of 18 years
  • We acknowledge that some participants may be unable to consent due to underlying medical conditions; an eligible proxy may provide the informed consent and provide a signature on the designated line.
  • Participants with a clinical diagnosis of spinocerebellar ataxia and other nucleotide repeat diseases (not including Huntington's Disease) with or without a genetic mutation and unaffected family members (grandparents, parents, brothers, sisters, cousins, uncles and aunts) who may or may not carry a genetic mutation for the disease.
  • Patients with genetic neurodegenerative form of spinocerebellar ataxia and other nucleotide repeat diseases excluding Huntington's Disease who do not have a known family history of genetic neurodegenerative spinocerebellar ataxia.
  • Women of childbearing age will be included as they will not be exposed to any harmful substances nor any forms of treatment while in this study.
  • Males and females over 18 years of age with no known medical or family history of inherited neurodegenerative forms of spinocerebellar ataxia or nucleotide repeat diseases (not including Huntington's Disease) will be enrolled as controls.
  • Spouses and caregivers of patients with spinocerebellar ataxia and nucleotide repeat diseases (not including Huntington's Disease) may serve as controls in the study.

Controls will also be participants interested in the study after having viewed the advertisement displayed here at Mayo Clinic Florida or heard about the study by word of mouth.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients that do not want to participate by either checking no on the contact letter or refusing over the phone. This will be recorded in the Progeny system and patients will not be contacted again.
  • Allergy to study-related materials including lidocaine or iodine. We will make all efforts to utilize alternative means when obtaining specimens (i.e. using rubbing alcohol and obtaining blood samples instead of skin biopsies).
  • Potential subjects will not be excluded based on being minorities.
  • Pregnant subjects will not be included in the study.
  • We propose to include 1000 subjects in our repository (500 affected plus unaffected and 500 controls patients).

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

  • Observational Models: Case-Control
  • Time Perspectives: Cross-Sectional

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.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Spinocerebellar Ataxia and Other Nucleotide Repeat Diseases
Participants with a clinical diagnosis of spinocerebellar ataxia and other nucleotide repeat diseases (not including Huntington's Disease) with or without a genetic mutation and unaffected family members (grandparents, parents, brothers, sisters, cousins, uncles and aunts) who may or may not carry a genetic mutation for the disease.
Other: Specimen collection
Blood, urine, stool, cerebrospinal fluid, and skin biopsy may be collected
Control Group
Participants with no known medical or family history of inherited neurodegenerative forms of spinocerebellar ataxia or nucleotide repeat diseases (not including Huntington's Disease) and spouses or caregivers of patients with spinocerebellar ataxia and nucleotide repeat diseases (not including Huntington's Disease) will serve as controls in the study.
Other: Specimen collection
Blood, urine, stool, cerebrospinal fluid, and skin biopsy may be collected

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
Development of repository
Time Frame: 10 years
Specimen sample collection to create a repository for genetic neurodegenerative forms of spinocerebellar ataxia and nucleotide repeat diseases not including Huntington's disease
10 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.
Mayo Clinic

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: Zbigniew K Wszolek, MD, Mayo Clinic

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Helpful Links

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.
July 17, 2017

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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.
December 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
December 1, 2026

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).
August 24, 2020

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.
August 24, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

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.
August 27, 2020

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 24, 2026

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 20, 2026

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, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

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.
  • 16-009414

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

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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