Clinical Research Directory

Physiological Investigations of Movement Disorders

Background: * Previous studies have given researchers information on how the brain controls movement, how people learn to make fine, skilled movements, and why some people have movement disorders. However, further research is needed to learn more about the causes of most movement disorders, such as Parkinson's disease. * By using small, specialized studies to evaluate people with movement disorders and compare them with healthy volunteers, researchers hope to learn more about the changes in the brain and possible causes of movement disorders. Objectives: * To better understand how the brain controls movement. * To learn more about movement disorders. * To train movement disorder specialists. Eligibility: * Individuals 18 years of age or older who have had a movement disorder diagnosed by a neurologist and are able to participate based on the specific requirements of the small study. * Healthy volunteers 18 years of age or older. Design: * Participants will have a screening visit with medical history, physical examination, and questionnaire to determine eligibility. Eligible participants will give consent to participate in up to seven additional outpatient visits for study procedures. The number of sessions and the procedures needed for participation depend on specific symptoms. * Participants must avoid drinking alcohol or caffeinated drinks (sodas, coffee, and tea) for at least 2 days (48 hours) before each session. * Potential studies may include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, functional MRI scans, electroencephalography, magnetoencephalography, transcranial magnetic stimulation, nerve and sensory stimulation, or movement and mental tasks during any of the above procedures. * This study does not provide treatment for movement disorders. Participants will not have to stop any treatment in order to participate.

Ecopipam Treatment of Tourette's Syndrome in Subjects 7-17 Years

Tourette's Syndrome is a neurological disease characterized by motor and vocal tics. It has been hypothesized that abnormal interactions of dopamine with its receptors may cause the tics. The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that a drug (ecopipam) that selectively blocks dopamine D1/D5 receptors can reduce the frequency and severity of the tics.

Unhide® Project: A Digital Health Platform to Collect Lifestyle Data for Brain Inflammation Research

The unhide® Project is a non-interventional, longitudinal research study designed to establish a secure data repository of demographic, health, and lifestyle information from individuals with brain inflammation and related neuroinflammatory conditions. Participants in the United States aged 2 years and older will provide self-reported health data, biometrics, and symptom diaries through the MyDataHelps™ app (branded as unhide® for this study). The goal is to create comprehensive longitudinal profiles to facilitate research into disease subtypes, causes, diagnostics, and potential treatments, as well as to identify potential participants for future optional studies. "Healthy" individuals without brain inflammation are also eligible to participate. The digital health research platform used in this study was originally developed and designed by Solve M.E and was called SolveTogether. The Brain Inflammation Collaborative (BIC) expanded upon Solve M.E.'s work to include related diagnoses, pediatric participants, enhance symptom tracking, and more. BIC and Solve M.E. combined Solve Together and unhide®, to create The unhide® Solve Together Unified Platform in 2025.

Exploring DBS Efficacy in Treatment-refractory Tourette's Syndrome

The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in patients with Treatment-refractory Tourette's syndrome (TR-TS) implantation targeting the Antero-medial globus pallidus interna (GPi), Antero-medial globus pallidus interna (amGPi), Postero-ventrolateral GPi (pvGPi), Centromedian nucleus, substantia periventricularis and nucleus ventro-oralis internus (Cm-Spv-Voi), Centre median nucleus and nucleus ventro-oralis (Cm-Voi), or Nucleus Accumbens/ Anterior Limb of Internal Capsule (NA-ALIC), or other unreported nuclei targets.