Cortex Changes in Real/Imagined Movements in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

May 12, 2016 updated by: Robert Welsh, University of Michigan

Tracking Brain Changes During Real and Imagined Movements in People With ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) and Healthy Volunteers.

The purpose of this study is to track areas of the brain, via functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), that retain structural and functional integrity throughout the lifespan of people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Detailed Description

A severe physical disability has a dramatic impact on a person's life, whether it is caused by a neuro-degenerative disease such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a brainstem stroke, or a spinal cord injury. Someone with these conditions may be effectively "locked-in," retaining their cognitive ability, but unable to perform any movement except, possibly, the most basic eye movements.

Areas of the brain that retain structural and functional integrity throughout the lifespan of people with ALS may be suitable for a technology called brain-computer interfaces (BCI). One day, BCIs-which can be operated "just by thinking"-may allow people with neurological disorders, such as ALS, to communicate and regain some mobility with the assistance of electronic devices.

In this study we will use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to track areas of the brain that retain structural and functional integrity throughout the lifespan of people with ALS.

The trial involves visits to the study facility every 2-6 months for up to 30 months or until visits are no longer possible. During each visit, participants will undergo a fMRI exam. During that time they will view visual images and be asked to perform 4 different motor tasks: 1) actual finger tapping, 2) actual fist clenching, 3) imaginary finger tapping, and 4) imaginary fist clenching. Each of the mini-experiments (tasks) lasts for about 6-7 minutes. While the participants are performing the tasks their brains will be repeatedly imaged using fMRI. We will then use the images to look for correlations to the tasks, which in turn will result in identifying the brain areas responsible for the activities. After the fMRI, participants will be asked to fill out questionnaires. Performing the tasks takes about 90 minutes and filling out the questionnaires takes about 30 minutes.

The facility is located on the North Campus of the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. The study coordinators currently are enrolling participants with ALS and creating a database of healthy volunteers whom they will contact at a later date.

Information gained from this study will contribute to a better understanding of ALS disease progression, and could lead to significant quality-of-life improvements for persons with end-stage ALS.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

92

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
    • Michigan
      • Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States, 48109
        • University of Michigan, Functional MRI Laboratory

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

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 70 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

All are able to participate.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Participants with and without ALS must:

  • be between 18 and 70 years of age
  • not be claustrophobic
  • not have metal particles in their eyes
  • not have metal implants (joints, inner ear, pacemaker, etc.) or foreign metal in their body
  • not have a history of neurological or psychiatric disorder
  • not have a history of alcohol or drug abuse
  • be able to lie on their back for 90 minutes
  • not be dependent on artificial ventilation
  • not be on PiPap, or must be capable of being off it for greater than 6 hours
  • healthy controls must be over the age of 40

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
ALS
ALS group should have ALS.
Control
The control group should not have ALS or any other neurological/psychiatric disorder, and must be over the age of 40.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
cortical activation patterns
Time Frame: Yearly
Yearly

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

University of Michigan

Collaborators

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Robert Welsh, PhD, Research Assistant Professor, University of Michigan Department of Radiology

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.

General Publications

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

May 1, 2008

Primary Completion (Actual)

May 1, 2012

Study Completion (Actual)

May 1, 2012

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

December 15, 2008

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 16, 2008

First Posted (Estimate)

December 17, 2008

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

May 16, 2016

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 12, 2016

Last Verified

May 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • R01NS052514 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)
  • Hum00000219

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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