Validating a New Writer s Cramp Scale

NCT01579266 | Completed

• 2 other identifiers: 12010412-N-0104
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 16
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Background: \- People with writer s cramp develop tightness in arm muscles and abnormal hand posture when writing, which makes writing difficult or impossible. At present, there is no suitable rating scale to measure the symptoms of or disability associated with writer s cramp. Researchers want to videotape people performing simple writing tasks. They will then compare the performance of people with writer s cramp on these tasks to those of people without writer s cramp. This information will help develop a rating scale to evaluate writer s cramp. Objectives: \- To develop a new rating scale for writer s cramp. Eligibility: \- Individuals at least 18 years of age who have writer s cramp. Design:

• Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history.
• Participants will have one outpatient study visit that will last about 3 hours.
• Participants will perform tasks related to writing, such as writing passages and drawing spirals and loops. They will be videotaped during these tasks. They will repeat some of the writing tasks three more times; on paper attached to a writing tablet, directly on the writing tablet, and on a computer tablet.
• The angles made by the joints will be measured at rest not while writing healthy volunteers.

Conditions

Dystonia

Keywords

Writer's Cramp; Focal Hand Dystonia; Writer Cramp; Dystonia

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 99 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Subjects must be at least 18 years of age.
• Subjects must be willing to be videotaped while writing.
• Subjects must have regular hand function with the ability to write without an assistive device

You may not qualify if:

• Patients with WC:
• Botulinum toxin (BTX) administration within 3 months of participation.
• Unable to provide consent.
• Patients taking oral medications for WC including muscle relaxants or other centrally-active medications such as antidepressants which may enhance tremors.
• Medical conditions that affect hand function, such as stroke, nerve entrapment, tremor, parkinsonism, chorea, ataxia affecting the dominant hand.
• HVs:
• Unable to provide consent.
• Healthy volunteers taking oral medications that may affect motor function such as muscle relaxants or centrally-active medications including medications for psychiatric conditions like antidepressants and antipsychotics.
• Healthy volunteers with abnormal hand function including medical conditions that may influence hand function, e.g., strokes, nerve entrapments, tremor, parkinsonism, chorea, ataxia and psychiatric conditions (such as psychosis and depression) affecting the dominant hand.
• Have history of hand surgery and or hand trauma.
• Have abnormal findings on medical history and physical exam.

Sponsors & Collaborators

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

Study Sites (1)

National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike

Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States

Location

Related Publications (3)

• Wissel J, Kabus C, Wenzel R, Klepsch S, Schwarz U, Nebe A, Schelosky L, Scholz U, Poewe W. Botulinum toxin in writer's cramp: objective response evaluation in 31 patients. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1996 Aug;61(2):172-5. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.61.2.172.

  PMID: 8708685 BACKGROUND

• Pekmezovic T, Svetel M, Ivanovic N, Dragasevic N, Petrovic I, Tepavcevic DK, Kostic VS. Quality of life in patients with focal dystonia. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2009 Feb;111(2):161-4. doi: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2008.09.023. Epub 2008 Nov 7.

  PMID: 18995953 BACKGROUND

• Burke RE, Fahn S, Marsden CD, Bressman SB, Moskowitz C, Friedman J. Validity and reliability of a rating scale for the primary torsion dystonias. Neurology. 1985 Jan;35(1):73-7. doi: 10.1212/wnl.35.1.73.

  PMID: 3966004 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Dystonia; Dystonic Disorders; Dystonia, Focal, Task-Specific

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

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

Study Officials

• Mark Hallett, M.D.

  National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: NIH
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 14, 2012
• First Posted: April 17, 2012
• Study Start: March 21, 2012
• Study Completion: October 25, 2016
• Last Updated: October 22, 2019

Record last verified: 2016-10-25

Locations

US (1)