Innovations
- First in North America to perform DBS of the thalamus to treat symptoms of Tourette syndrome successfully.
- The first group worldwide to complete a prospective randomized double blinded trial of thalamic DBS for Tourette syndrome in a pilot clinical trial of five patients.
- Greatest experience in Ohio with botulinum toxin injections, and uses the procedure for the broadest range of neurological indications.
Current Clinical Studies
- Establishment of a CTSC Parkinson’s Disease Phenotypic and Genotypic Registry. The purpose of this research study is to establish a registry of people with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) to examine the effects of genes on PD. Investigators will compare disease features in people with certain gene mutations associated with PD but without those mutations, attempting to identify any distinctive characteristics. Investigators will also try to determine how the mutations contribute to the damage done to nerve cells in PD.
- Assessment of Objective Measures of Motor Impairment in the “On” and “Off” Motor States of Parkinson’s Disease. The purpose of this study is to test a new computer-based device called Quantitative Motor Assessment Tool (QMAT) in people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD) to measure various tasks reflecting motor performance and compare the results to the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS).
- Assessment of Objective Measures of Motor Impairment In Parkinson’s Disease: Evaluation of a Computer-Based Test Battery. This study tests the same new computer-based device as the previous study, the Quantitative Motor Assessment Tool (QMAT). This project involves the measurement of performance of PD subjects at random times, and represents a simpler version of the previous study.
- Genetic and Environmental Risk Factors for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP): The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of the genetic and environmental risk factors associated with the development of PSP. Participating subjects supply information about possible exposure histories by reviewing where they have lived, the diets they have consumed, and the jobs they have held, among other data. Subjects also furnish DNA through a blood draw. Thus the investigators will be able to look at both genetic and environmental risk factors to see if PSP patients share any common threads.
- Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) Investigations of the Pathophysiology and effects of Deep Brain Stimulation in Dystonia: This NIH-sponsored study aims to reveal changes in the integration of brain sensory and motor systems in patients with dystonia using advanced imaging techniques and to also use these techniques in patients undergoing Deep Brain Stimulation to understand how the integration of these systems change as dystonia improves. This information will lead to understanding into both the pathophysiology of dystonia, and the mechanism by which DBS produced its improvement. This may furthermore be used to advance the treatment of dystonia by improving the location or method by which DBS is delivered and through the development of new therapeutic approaches.
- Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) Investigations of the Pathophysiology of Parkinson’s disease: This pilot study aims to understand brain network changes involved in changes in the handling and perception of proprioceptive information in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Information gained from this study may be used to develop functional markers for progression of Parkinson’s disease and may reveal the neural circuitry involved in the alterations of perception of scale in patients with Parkinson’s disease.