Brain Activity in People With Functional Movement Disorders

Completed

Conditions studied: Functional Movement Disorders

In brief

This study will use functional MRI (fMRI, a technique that shows what areas of the brain are active when performing different mental tasks), to examine how the brain in people with functional movement disorders (FMD) may differ from that in people without FMDs. People with FMD have movement symptoms they feel they cannot control and that are not due to a known medical disorder. Previous studies looking at the brain activity of FMD patients have found areas in the frontal lobe of the brain that appeared overactive. These overactive areas may make it difficult to perform complex mental tasks. Studying the brain during performance of these tasks may enhance knowledge about FMD. Patients 18 years of age or older with an FMD and healthy normal volunteers may be eligible for this study. Participants have two visits to the NIH Clinical Center for the following procedures: First visit (screening): * Medical history and neurological examination. * Urine drug screen for illicit drugs. * Psychological testing, including an interview and questionnaires. Second visit: * Brain MRI (if one has not been done at NIH within the past 12 months): MRI uses a magnetic field and radio waves to produce images of body tissues and organs. The subject lies on a table that can slide in and out of the scanner (a narrow cylinder), wearing earplugs to muffle loud noises that occur during the scanning process. The procedure lasts about 2 hours, during which time the patient is asked to lie still for up to 30 minutes at a time. * Brain fMRI: While in the MRI scanner, subjects read questions and answer them yes or no by pushing buttons. They are asked to answer questions about their health, their movement symptoms and unrelated topics (like personal preferences and current events). The questions vary in difficulty. Sometimes subjects are instructed to answer correctly; other times they are asked to answer incorrectly. A strap is placed around the subject's chest and two wires are taped to the fingers to monitor heart rate, breathing rate and sweat response during the scan. The scan takes about 2 hours.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT00448084

Run by

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

People needed

65

Starts

2007-03-08

Expected to finish

2008-08-05

Last updated by the study team

2017-07-02

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 65. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may not qualify if…

• Subjects with any abnormal findings on neurological exam consistent with an organic disorder
• Subjects with a positive urine pregnancy test
• Subjects with a positive urine drug screen
• Subjects who are pregnant
• Subjects with any finding on the MRI safety questionnaire which prevents them from safely undergoing an MRI scan
• Subjects with metallic dental fillings which are likely to enhance MRI artifacts
• Subjects with any history of dementia, brain tumor, stroke, head trauma or a vascular malformation as obtained by history or from imaging studies
• Subjects with moderate to severe brain atrophy on imaging studies, as assessed by a study investigator
• Subjects with any history of a severe medical condition, such as cardiovascular disease, which would prevent them from lying flat for up to 120 minutes
• Subjects without the capacity to give informed consent
• Subjects with claustrophobia or other restrictions which prevent them from undergoing a scan in a confined space for up to 120 minutes
• Subjects using beta-blocker medications or other chronotropes which may inhibit the cardiac responsivity
• Patient whose movement frequency and severity prevents them from undergoing MRI safely and effectively for the purposes of data collection
• Patient with a pending medical-legal case
• Subjects with suicidal ideation

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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