Neurophysiological Studies in Patients With Paroxysmal Hyperkinetic Movement Disorders

Completed

Conditions studied: Movement Disorders

In brief

This study will use three neurophysiological tests (see below) to determine what areas of the brain are responsible for paroxysmal hyperkinetic movement disorders. Patients with these disorders have sudden, brief attacks of movement, similar to epileptic seizures, but without loss of consciousness. Normal volunteers and patients with two subtypes of paroxysmal hyperkinetic movement disorder, paroxysmal dyskinesia and psychogenic variant, that can be induced by a specific trigger, such as a sudden movement or prolonged exercise, will be included in this study. Candidates must be 12 years of age or older. Women of childbearing potential will be screened with a pregnancy test. Participants will undergo one or more of the procedures detailed below. Patients' test results will be compared with those of normal volunteers. Before each test, participants will provide a medical history and undergo a brief physical examination. During each procedure, the subject will have surface electromyography (EMG) to measure the electrical activity of muscles. For EMG, electrodes (metal discs) filled with a conductive gel are taped to the skin over the muscle to be evaluated. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) MRI uses a strong magnetic field, radio waves, and computer technology to provide detailed images of the brain. For this test, the subject lies in a narrow cylinder (the scanner), while pictures of the brain are taken. Earplugs are worn to muffle loud noises caused by electrical switching of radio frequency circuits used in the scanning process. For functional MRI (fMRI), the subject is asked to mimic a movement that occurs during an attack, such as stiffening the hand to make a fist or flexing and rotating the arm inward, to detect changes in the brain regions involved in the movement. During the procedure, involuntary movements and voluntary movements will be monitored by surface EMG and by video camera. The test will last about 1-1/2 hours. Electroencephalography (EEG) EEG measures the electrical activity of the brain (brain waves) with electrodes placed on the scalp. During the procedure, muscle activity will be recorded with EMG. The subject will first relax and then will be asked to mimic a movement attack. The test will last from 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Startle Reflex The subject will put on a headphone and hear loud noises in a random fashion. During the test, muscle activity will be recorded with EMG and with a video c...

Key facts

Study ID

NCT00056888

Run by

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

People needed

115

Starts

2003-03-21

Expected to finish

2009-02-17

Last updated by the study team

2017-07-02

Who can join

Age: 8 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may not qualify if…

• Psychogenic paroxysmal hyperkinetic patients:
• A. Age younger than 8 years old.
• B. Patients with attacks that involve head and neck movements, axial movements, bilateral limb involvement, or violent attacks that typically make patients fall to the ground. With respect to children, violent attacks are defined as any attack that can potentially result in injury (hitting the head, falls, violent flailing, hitting furniture or walls)
• C. Previous history of or MRI findings consistent with brain tumors, strokes, trauma or arterial venous malformations.
• D. Contraindication to MRI such as having devices not compatible with MRI (pacemaker, an implanted medical pump, brain stimulators, etc.), metallic prostheses in their body (metal pins and rods, heart valves, cochlear implants, etc.), and history of working with metals in the past, since such persons may potentially have small metal fragments in the eye without being aware of it.
• E. Any diagnosis of progressive neurological disorders other than psychogenic paroxysmal hyperkinetic movement disorder.
• F. Any history of significant medical disorders requiring chronic treatment with other drugs that affects the CNS, which cannot be stopped.
• G. Women who are pregnant or nursing. Female subjects of childbearing potential (including all girls after menarche) will have specific interview and a pregnancy test prior to the study (before each imaging procedure if required) to ensure that they are not pregnant or nursing.
• H. Any subject who is not capable of giving an informed consent. This will be determined at the initial evaluation at NINDS clinic. Patients with Mini Mental Score less than 25 or significant psychiatric history will be further evaluated by detailed neuropsychiatric testing, or consultation with a psychiatrist.
• Normal Volunteers:
• A. Normal subjects younger than 8 years and older than 65 will be excluded.
• B. Normal subjects with MRI findings consistent with organic brain lesions such as brain tumors, stroke, trauma or AVMs will be excluded.
• C. Normal subjects with a history of significant medical disorders such as cancers, or requiring continuous treatment with drugs will be excluded.
• D. Subjects with mental disorders will be excluded.
• E. We will not scan pregnant women because safety of high magnetic field to fetus is not established. Therefore, we will administer a urine pregnancy test for any female subjects of childbearing potential 24 hours prior to functional MRI scan.

Where it is running

• National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike — Bethesda, Maryland, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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