Treatment of Cortical Myoclonus With Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

NCT00001663 | Completed Phase 1

• 2 other identifiers: 97005397-N-0053
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 10
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Myoclonus is a condition related to epilepsy of involuntary twitching or jerking of the limbs. The purpose of this study is to determine if stimulation of the brain with magnetic pulses can decrease myoclonus. Researchers believe that this may be possible because in studies on normal volunteers, magnetic stimulation made areas of the brain difficult to activate for several minutes. In addition, early studies on patients with myoclonus have shown magnetic stimulation to be effective at decreasing involuntary movements. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive technique that can be used to stimulate brain activity and gather information about brain function. It is very useful when studying the areas of the brain and spinal cord related to motor activity (motor cortex and corticospinal tract). Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) involves the placement of coil of wire (electromagnet) on the patient's scalp and rapidly turning on and off the electrical current. The changing magnetic field produces weak electrical currents in the brain near the coil. This permits non-invasive, relatively localized stimulation of the surface of the brain (cerebral cortex). The effect of magnetic stimulation varies, depending upon the location, intensity and frequency of the magnetic pulses. Researchers plan to use rTMS for 10 days on patients participating in the study. The 10 day period will be broken into 5 days of active repetitive magnetic stimulation and 5 days of placebo "ineffective" stimulation. At the end of the 10 day period, if the results show that rTMS was beneficial, patients may undergo an additional 5 days of active rTMS.

Conditions

Movement Disorder; Myoclonus; Nervous System Disease

Keywords

Neurological Disorders; Movement Disorders; Physiology; Noninvasive; Brain Stimulation; Cortical Myoclonus

Interventions

Magstim Super Rapid Stimulator DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

Age 5 to 90 with severe cortical myoclonus. No intracranial metal hardware (excluding dental fillings), pacemakers, indwelling medication pumps, cochlear implants, intracardiac lines, significant intracranial masses or increased intracranial pressure. Subject must not be pregnant.

Contact the study team to discuss eligibility requirements. They can help determine if this study is right for you.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS): lead

Study Sites (1)

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States

Location

Related Publications (3)

• Cantello R, Gianelli M, Civardi C, Mutani R. Magnetic brain stimulation: the silent period after the motor evoked potential. Neurology. 1992 Oct;42(10):1951-9. doi: 10.1212/wnl.42.10.1951.

  PMID: 1407578 BACKGROUND

• Inghilleri M, Berardelli A, Cruccu G, Manfredi M. Silent period evoked by transcranial stimulation of the human cortex and cervicomedullary junction. J Physiol. 1993 Jul;466:521-34.

  PMID: 8410704 BACKGROUND

• Fuhr P, Agostino R, Hallett M. Spinal motor neuron excitability during the silent period after cortical stimulation. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol. 1991 Aug;81(4):257-62. doi: 10.1016/0168-5597(91)90011-l.

  PMID: 1714819 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Movement Disorders; Myoclonus; Nervous System Diseases

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Central Nervous System Diseases; Dyskinesias; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: phase 1
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Sponsor Type: NIH

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 3, 1999
• First Posted: November 4, 1999
• Study Start: January 1, 1997
• Study Completion: January 1, 2002
• Last Updated: March 4, 2008

Record last verified: 2002-01

Locations

US (1)