Recruting: (USA) Clinical Autonomic Disorders: A Training Protocol

Dolphin · Dec 18, 2017

via https://cfsme-registry.info

Clinical Autonomic Disorders: A Training Protocol
Background:
The autonomic nervous system helps control things that happen automatically in the body, like blood pressure, heart rate, and digestion. When it doesn't work properly, it's called dysautonomia. Researchers want to learn more about dysautonomias and train doctors to learn how to better diagnose them.

Objectives:
To allow people with autonomic disorders to be evaluated. To help fellows in the NIH Autonomic Disorders fellowship program see a variety of diseases in their training.

Eligibility:
People age 18 and older with dysautonomia; children over age 2 if they might benefit Healthy adult volunteers

Design:
Participants will have different procedures depending on their symptoms. They will have one or more visits. They will have some but not all of the tests below. Participants will have a medical history and physical exam. They may be tested for problems thinking. They may complete a symptom questionnaire. They may have their temperature and blood pressure taken. Participants may have an intravenous line placed. A needle will guide a thin plastic tube into an arm vein. Participants may have blood drawn several times. They may give a urine sample. Participants may have an electrocardiogram. How much blood a participant s heart is pumping and/or how much blood is flowing through their arm may be measured. The total amount of blood in their bloodstream may be measured. Participants may have their ability to sweat and/or sense of smell tested. Breathing, bowel sounds, and/or body functions may be monitored. Pupil size, response to environmental temperature changes, and/or breathing may be measured. Participants may have a bladder ultrasound. Small pieces of skin may be taken for study.

Condition
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Pseudopheochromocytoma
Healthy Volunteers
Neurocardiogenic Syncope
Postural Tachycardia Syndrome

Primary Outcome Measures:
Successful completion of the Clinical Fellowship in autonomic disorders [ Time Frame: ongoing ]

Secondary Outcome Measures:
Clinical samples and data from evaluation of patients with known or suspected autonomic disorders [ Time Frame: ongoing ]

Estimated Enrollment: 300
Study Start Date: May 31, 2014
Estimated Study Completion Date: April 30, 2018
Estimated Primary Completion Date: April 30, 2018 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)

Detailed Description:
Objective:
This Protocol is to facilitate training of Fellows in evaluation of clinical disorders of the autonomic nervous system. The training is necessary to enable Fellows to sit for and pass the certifying examination in autonomic disorders administered by the United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties (UCNS) and to maintain UCNS accreditation of the Fellowship. A secondary objective is to include results of evaluations and testing with those from other Protocols, for future data analyses.

Study population:
Referred patients with known or suspected abnormalities of one or more components of the autonomic nervous system and healthy adult volunteers. Volunteers will be studied for Fellows to practice and gain normative values for pupillometric function.

Design:
Clinical physiologic, neuropharmacologic, and neurochemical testing will be performed during outpatient clinic visits or during inpatient admissions, depending on the individual testing schedule. Inpatient testing may be done in conjunction with other Protocols (e.g., 03-N-0004). Most of the testing under this Protocol can be completed in a single outpatient visit over the course of a workday. Testing procedures under this Protocol will be performed as needed for adequate Fellow training. In addition to autonomic medical history and physical examination, clinical testing procedures may include (A) monitoring of hemodynamics, sweating, and other physiologic parameters associated with the Valsalva maneuver, orthostasis, or external temperature manipulation; (B) venous blood sampling for assays of levels of catecholamines and related neurochemicals; (C) administration of autonomic test drugs; (D) skin biopsies; (E) blood volume measurement; (F) pupillometry; (G) gastrointestinal phonography; (H) urinary bladder ultrasound; and (I) neurobehavioral rating scales.

Outcome measures:
The main outcome measure is competency in clinical and laboratory evaluation of autonomic disorders, based on assessment of the Fellow by the Principal Investigator at approximately 6-month intervals. A secondary outcome measure is results obtained under this Protocol, which may be analyzed and reported as research data along with data from other Protocols.

Eligibility
Information from the National Library of Medicine
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.

Ages Eligible for Study: 2 Years and older (Child, Adult, Senior)
Sexes Eligible for Study: All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

INCLUSION CRITERIA - PATIENTS:
Patients may be included if they are at least 18 years old and are known or suspected to have failure of one or more components of the autonomic nervous system, small fiber neuropathy, inherited dysautonomia, orthostatic intolerance, neurocardiogenic syncope, status post endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy, or disorders of catecholamine synthesis or fate. Children greater than two years old may be enrolled in this Protocol if they might personally benefit from the tests in the Protocol through the establishment of a diagnosis.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA - PATIENTS:
There are no exclusion criteria for the study as a whole.

INCLUSION CRITERIA - HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS:
Healthy adult Volunteers (at least 18 years old) may be included, pending normal or medically insignificant results of history and physical examination. A repeat history and physical examination is required if more than 6 months have gone by from a previous workup.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA - HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS:
A candidate Healthy Volunteer will be excluded if the person has any of the following: symptoms of autonomic dysfunction, including lightheadedness, fainting, abnormalities of sweating, frequent nausea, vomiting, constipation, or diarrhea, or urinary frequency or retention. If the Volunteer has a condition requiring medication that in the judgment of the Investigators will affect results of the pupillometric tests under this Protocol, the Volunteer may be included for training purposes.

Contacts and Locations
Information from the National Library of Medicine
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.

Contacts
Contact: Janna Gelsomino, R.N. (301) 435-5166 janna.gelsomino@ninds.nih.gov
Contact: David S Goldstein, M.D. (301) 496-2103 goldsteind@ninds.nih.gov

Locations
United States, Maryland
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
Contact: For more information at the NIH Clinical Center contact Patient Recruitment and Public Liaison Office (PRPL) 800-411-1222 ext TTY8664111010 prpl@mail.cc.nih.gov
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Woolie · Dec 19, 2017

Looks like a good study for us to get involved in. Could generate some valuable data.

Little Bluestem · Dec 20, 2017

Yes, but I don't know how I'd get myself to Bethesda, Maryland.

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Recruting: (USA) Clinical Autonomic Disorders: A Training Protocol

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