Funding News - NINDS Notes - March 2008
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Contents:
News & Notes:
- New Innovator Award Program
- New Rules for Reporting Clinical Trials
- NIH Issues New Public Access Policy
Funding Opportunities:
- Brain Tumor Dispersal
- Development and Maintenance of Software
- High Throughput Screening
- High Throughput Tools
- Human Microbiome
- Institutional Clinical and Translational Science Award
- Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
- Physiome in Health and Disease
- Rare Diseases
- SCORE Awards
- Small Business
- Social, Behavioral, and Genetic Factors in Health
- SPOREs in Human Cancer
- Stem Cells
Volunteers Needed for Studies on:
New Innovator Award Program
NIH invites applications for the 2008 NIH Director’s New Innovator Award program. The program supports exceptionally creative scientists who take highly innovative—and often unconventional—approaches to major challenges in biomedical or behavioral research. The awards are for new investigators who have not received an NIH regular research (R01) or similar grant.
The program, part of the NIH Roadmap, complements other NIH efforts to fund innovative research and support scientists in the early stages of their independent research careers. The NIH Roadmap is an innovative approach to accelerate fundamental discovery and translate that knowledge into effective prevention strategies and new treatments. Research proposed under these awards need not be in a conventional biomedical or behavioral discipline, but must be relevant to the mission of NIH.
New Innovator Awards provide $1.5 million in direct costs over 5 years. NIH expects to make up to 24 New Innovator Awards in September 2008. Thirty awards were made in 2007.
The award application period is from March 3 to 31, 2008. Potential applicants should contact Dr. Judith Greenberg, Director, Division of Genetics and Developmental Biology, National Institute of General Medical Sciences; telephone: 301-594-4469; email: newinnovator@nih.gov. For more information, visit http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-08-014.html.
Top This Item OnlyNew Rules for Reporting Clinical Trials
The FDA Amendments Act of 2007 (Title VIII) expanded the ClinicalTrials.gov registry to include mandatory reporting of phase II-IV clinical trials of drugs and devices. The law requires timely registration of clinical trials, and subsequent reporting of results.
Clinical trials for serious and life-threatening diseases that were ongoing as of December 26, 2007, should have been registered in ClinicalTrials.gov by December 26, 2007. All new phase II-IV clinical trials should be registered by September 27, 2008.
Registration of NIH-funded applicable clinical trials in the database have to be certified before funding can be released. Competing grant applications submitted to the NIH on or after January 25, 2008 that include applicable clinical trials should include information about registration (e.g., the NCT number, the brief title, and the name of the responsible party) of any ongoing trials in the “Human Subjects” section of the research plan. If a new applicable clinical trial is proposed in the grant, the “Human Subjects” section of the research plan should include a statement that the application includes a trial that requires registration in ClinicalTrials.gov.
All progress reports for grants that include an applicable clinical trial with budget start dates of April 1, 2008 or later should include information about any ongoing trials in the “Human Subjects” section.
The Act states that the information is to be submitted by a "responsible party." It defines the trial’s responsible party as the sponsor or the principal investigator—if so designated by a sponsor, grantee, contractor, or awardee (provided that "the principal investigator is responsible for conducting the trial, has access to and control over the data from the clinical trial, has the right to publish the results of the trial, and has the ability to meet all of the requirements" for submitting information under the law). NINDS program directors can help with the registration process.
For more information, see NIH Guide Notices http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-08-014.html and http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-08-023.html.
Top This Item OnlyNIH Issues New Public Access Policy
NIH recently announced its new Public Access Policy regarding peer-reviewed publications. The new policy will ensure published NIH-funded research is accessible to the public, healthcare providers, educators, and scientists and will help advance science and improve human health.
In accordance with federal law, NIH now requires that published articles resulting from NIH-funded research be submitted to PubMed Central. These articles will be made publicly available on PubMed Central within 12 months of the publication date. The length of this delay period is determined by the copyright holder, which may be the author, institution, or publisher. NIH will work with all three groups to make this new policy a success.
There are three actions grantees must take to comply with the policy:
1. Address copyright. Beginning April 7, 2008, authors of articles resulting from NIH-funded research are responsible for ensuring that publishing agreements allow for full compliance with the policy.
2. Submit the article to NIH. Beginning April 7, 2008, authors must submit to PubMed Central an electronic version of every peer-reviewed article resulting from NIH-funded research, once the article is accepted for publication.
3. Cite. Beginning April 7, 2008, authors must include PubMed Central ID numbers in NIH applications and reports when citing their articles covered by the policy.
For more information, see http://publicaccess.nih.gov/index.htm.
Top This Item OnlyBrain Tumor Dispersal
NINDS and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) encourage grant applications for research on understanding and preventing brain tumor dispersal. This announcement is supported by 2 funding mechanisms: R01 and R21.
Many brain tumors are highly invasive and, therefore, extremely difficult to treat. Cells from the primary tumor often invade surrounding brain tissues, so that removal of the main tumor mass is not enough to prevent recurrence. The goal of this announcement is to promote studies that: (1) identify the properties of brain tumor cells that cause them to migrate; (2) determine how interaction of tumor cells with normal brain elements affects migration; and (3) translate understanding of these parameters into interventions that target invading tumor cells.
Potential applicants should contact Dr. Jane Fountain, Program Director, Neural Environment Cluster, NINDS; telephone: 301-496-1431; email: fountai@ninds.nih.gov. For a more detailed description of this program announcement, visit http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAS-08-048.html or http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAS-08-049.html.
Top This Item OnlyDevelopment and Maintenance of Software
NINDS invites applications for continued development and maintenance of software. This announcement is made together with 9 other NIH components.
Biomedical research laboratories increasingly undertake software development projects to solve problems of interest specific to their laboratories. These software packages sometimes become useful to a broader community of users that can include translational and clinical researchers. The purpose of this program announcement is to assure the availability and continued usefulness of existing biomedical informatics/computational biology software to a broader biomedical research community.
Potential applicants should contact Dr. Yuan Liu, Chief, Office of International Activities, NINDS; telephone: 301-496-0012; email: yl5o@nih.gov. For a more detailed description of this program announcement, visit http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-08-010.html.
Top This Item OnlyHigh Throughput Screening
NIH encourages applications for assay development for high throughput molecular screening (HTS).
This program announcement is an NIH Roadmap Initiative. The NIH Roadmap is an innovative approach to accelerate fundamental discovery and translate that knowledge into effective prevention strategies and new treatments. All NIH institutes and centers participate in Roadmap Initiatives.
HTS is the automated, simultaneous testing of thousands of distinct chemical compounds in models of biological mechanisms. Active compounds identified through HTS can provide the starting point for designing powerful research tools that allow pharmacological probing of basic biological mechanisms. These tools also can be used to establish the role of a molecular target in a disease process or its ability to alter the metabolism or toxicity of a therapeutic agent. The goal of this announcement is to support the development of novel, scientifically and technologically outstanding assays that can be miniaturized, automated, and further used for screening small molecules against structurally diverse libraries.
Potential applicants should contact Dr. Mark Scheideler, Senior Scientific Officer, Technology Development, NINDS; telephone: 301-496-1779; email: scheidelerm@ninds.nih.gov. For a more detailed description of this announcement, visit http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-08-024.html. For more information on the NIH Roadmap, visit http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/.
High Throughput Screening Announcement
NIH invites applications for assays for high throughput screening to support the molecular libraries screening network (MLSCN). This announcement is supported by two funding mechanisms: R03 and X01.
This program announcement is an NIH Roadmap Initiative. The NIH Roadmap is an innovative approach to accelerate fundamental discovery and translate that knowledge into effective prevention strategies and new treatments. All NIH institutes and centers participate in Roadmap Initiatives.
The purpose of this announcement is to solicit high throughput screening assays from the scientific community by identifying investigators who have the interest and capability to work with the MLSCN in support of chemical probe development. The MLSCN offers biomedical researchers access to large-scale automated screening centers, diverse compound libraries, and information on biological activities of small molecules.
Potential applicants should contact Dr. Ingrid Li, Molecular Libraries Assay Access Team, NIH Molecular Libraries and Imaging Roadmap, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH); telephone: 301-443-5288; email: ili1@mail.nih.gov. For a more detailed description of this announcement, visit http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-08-035.html or http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-08-034.html. For more information on the NIH Roadmap, visithttp://nihroadmap.nih.gov/.
Top This Item OnlyHigh Throughput Tools
NINDS and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) encourage small business grant applications to develop high throughput tools for brain and behavior. This announcement is supported by two funding mechanisms: SBIR and STTR.
Analytic tools that can screen for particular characteristics at high rates are crucial to discovery science and increasingly valuable in both basic research (e.g., phenotyping) and applied research (e.g., drug discovery). The intent of this announcement is to support commercial development of technologies for high throughput data acquisition and analysis that can aid basic behavioral science or neuroscience.
Potential applicants should contact Dr. Margaret Grabb, NIMH; telephone: 301-443-3563; e-mail: mgrabb@mail.nih.gov. For a more detailed description of this announcement, visit http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-08-001.html or http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/ PA-08-002.html.
Top This Item OnlyHuman Microbiome
NIH encourages applications to construct a reference sequence data set for the human microbiome.
This program announcement is an NIH Roadmap Initiative. The NIH Roadmap is an innovative approach to accelerate fundamental discovery and translate that knowledge into effective prevention strategies and new treatments. All NIH institutes and centers participate in Roadmap Initiatives.
The complex and dynamic communities of microbes (the human microbiota) that are present on and within the human body are thought to profoundly influence physiology, nutrition, immunity, and development. The human microbiota is an untapped area of knowledge that may be vital for preventing and treating diseases. The purpose of this announcement is to support projects for continued large-scale, state-of-the-art production of genomic sequence to generate sequenced, assembled, and annotated microbial genomes isolated from the human body, and to explore the complexity of the human microbiome through metagenomic sequencing of the microbial flora at a set of designated body sites.
Letters of Intent Receipt Date: April 22, 2008
Application Receipt Date: May 22, 2008
Potential applicants should contact Dr. Jane Peterson, Division of Extramural Research, National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI); telephone: 301-496-7531; email: jane_peterson@nih.gov; or Dr. Maria Giovanni, Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID); telephone: 301-496-1884; email: mgiovanni@niaid.nih.gov. For a more detailed description of this announcement, visit http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-08-001.html. For more information on the NIH Roadmap, visit http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/.
Human Microbiome Demonstration Projects
NIH encourages applications for human microbiome demonstration projects.
This program announcement is an NIH Roadmap Initiative. The NIH Roadmap is an innovative approach to accelerate fundamental discovery and translate that knowledge into effective prevention strategies and new treatments. All NIH institutes and centers participate in Roadmap Initiatives.
The NIH human microbiome project is a component of the NIH Roadmap program. The goal of the project is to extensively characterize the human microbiome and create a technological and data research resource that will enable in-depth study of its variation in relation to any of a number of relevant variables (e.g., genotype, disease, age, nutrition, medication, and environment) and its influence on health and disease. The purpose of this announcement is to solicit applications to examine—through the use of molecular techniques—the relationship between an individual’s microbiome and health and disease.
Letters of Intent Receipt Date: April 22, 2008
Application Receipt Date: May 22, 2008
Potential applicants should contact Dr. Jane Peterson, Division of Extramural Research, National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI); telephone: 301-496-7531; email: hmprfainformation@mail.nih.gov. For a more detailed description of this announcement, visit http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-08-012.html. For more information on the NIH Roadmap, visit http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/.
Top This Item OnlyInstitutional Clinical and Translational Science Award
NIH encourages applications for institutional clinical and translational science awards (CTSAs).
This program announcement is an NIH Roadmap Initiative. The NIH Roadmap is an innovative approach to accelerate fundamental discovery and translate that knowledge into effective prevention strategies and new treatments. All NIH institutes and centers participate in Roadmap Initiatives.
Clinical and translational science is critical to the success of the NIH mission. The CTSA initiative assists institutions in creating integrated academic homes for clinical and translational science that have the resources to train multi- and inter-disciplinary investigators and research teams via access to innovative research tools and information technologies that apply new knowledge and techniques to patient care. CTSAs will attract basic, translational, and clinical investigators; community clinicians; clinical practices; networks; professional societies; and industry to develop new professional interactions, programs, and research projects.
Potential applicants should contact Dr. Anthony Hayward, Division of Clinical Research Resources, National Center for Research Resources (NCRR); telephone: 301-435-0790; email: haywarda@mail.nih.gov. For a more detailed description of this announcement, visit http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-08-002.html. For more information on the NIH Roadmap, visit http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/.
Top This Item OnlyNanoscience and Nanotechnology
NINDS invites applications for research on nanoscience and nanotechnology in biology and medicine. This announcement is made together with 15 other NIH components and is supported by two funding mechanisms: R01 and R21.
Nanoscience and nanotechnology refer to the understanding and control of matter at the atomic, molecular, or macromolecular levels at the length scale of approximately 1 - 100 nanometers. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to stimulate research approaches that have the potential to make valuable contributions to biology and medicine. Nanoscience and nanotechnology can bring fundamental changes to the study and understanding of biological processes in health and disease, as well as enable novel diagnostics and interventions for treating disease.
Potential applicants should contact Dr. Joseph Pancrazio, Program Director, Repair and Plasticity Cluster, NINDS; telephone: 301-496-1447; email: jp439m@nih.gov. For a more detailed description of this announcement, visit http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-08-052.html orhttp://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-08-053.html.
Top This Item OnlyPhysiome in Health and Disease
NINDS invites grant applications for research on predictive multiscale models of the physiome in health and disease. This announcement is made together with 11 other NIH components.
The goal of this announcement is to move forward the field of biomedical computational modeling through the development of more realistic and predictive models of health and disease. These models may be designed to uncover biological mechanisms or to make predictions about clinical outcome and may draw on a variety of data sources including relevant clinical data. Ultimately the models and the information derived from their use will enable biomedical and behavioral researchers, and clinicians to better understand, prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases or aberrations in normal development.
Potential applicants should contact Dr. Yuan Liu, Chief, Office of International Activities, NINDS; telephone: 301-496-0012; email: yl5o@nih.gov. For a more detailed description of this program announcement, visit http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-08-023.html.
Top This Item OnlyRare Diseases
NINDS invites applications for the Rare Diseases Clinical Research Consortia of the Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network. This announcement is made together with 10 other NIH components.
Approximately 25 million people in the United States are affected by an estimated 6,000 rare diseases or conditions leading to significant morbidity and mortality. This initiative will support the continuation of a collaborative and coordinated network comprised of investigators and patient support groups that are committed to investigating rare diseases and will work in partnership with leaders in technology to enhance communication and sharing of resources.
Letters of Intent Receipt Date: July 20, 2008
Application Receipt Date: August 20, 2008
Potential applicants should contact Dr. Rashmi Gopal-Srivastava, Office of Rare Diseases, NIH; telephone: 301-402-4336; email: gopalr@mail.nih.gov. For a more detailed description of this announcement, visit http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-OD-08-001.html.
Rare Diseases (Data Management and Coordinating Center)
NINDS and the Office of Rare Diseases, NIH, invite applications to continue the data management and coordinating center (DMCC)
for the Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network.
The Network is a cooperative group composed of several Rare Diseases Clinical Research Consortia and a single DMCC to facilitate clinical research in rare diseases. The purpose of this announcement is to invite new and renewal cooperative agreement applications for the DMCC, which supports the Network.
Letters of Intent Receipt Date: March 22, 2008
Application Receipt Date: April 22, 2008
Potential applicants should contact Dr. Randall Stewart, Program Director, Channels, Synapses, and Circuits Cluster, NINDS; telephone: 301-496-1917; email: stewartr@ninds.nih.gov. For a more detailed description of this announcement, visit http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-OD-08-002.html.
Top This Item Only
SCORE Awards
NINDS encourages applications for Support of Competitive Research (SCORE) Research Advancement Awards. This announcement is made together with 11 other NIH components.
The objective of the SCORE program is to promote the development of faculty at minority-serving institutions in order to increase their research competitiveness and promote their transition to non-SCORE external sources of funding. The program is expected to increase the participation of individuals from groups underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral research, and to enhance the institutions’ research bases.
Potential applicants should contact Dr. Hinda Zlotnik, Minority Opportunities in Research Division, National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS); telephone: 301-594-3900; email: zlotnikh@nigms.nih.gov. For a more detailed description of this program announcement, visit http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-08-026.html.
Top This Item OnlySmall Business
NINDS invites small business innovation research (SBIR) grant applications. This announcement is made together with 25 other NIH components.
The purposes of the SBIR program are to stimulate technological innovation in the private sector; strengthen the role of small business in meeting Federal research and development needs; increase the commercial application of Federally-supported research results; foster and encourage participation by socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses and women-owned businesses in the SBIR program; and improve the return on investment from Federally-funded research in regards to economic and social benefits to the Nation. The goal of this announcement is to encourage small businesses to submit grant applications.
Potential applicants should contact Dr. Randall Stewart, Program Director, Channels, Synapses, and Circuits Cluster, NINDS; telephone: 301-496-1917; email: stewartr@ninds.nih.gov. For a more detailed description of this announcement, visit http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-08-050.html.
Small Business Technology Transfer
NINDS invites small business technology transfer (STTR) grant applications. This announcement is made together with 22 other
NIH components.
The STTR program is intended to stimulate a partnership of ideas and technologies between innovative small businesses and research institutions through Federally-funded research and development. An objective of the STTR program is to increase private sector commercialization of innovations derived from Federal research and development.
Potential applicants should contact Dr. Randall Stewart, Program Director, Channels, Synapses, and Circuits Cluster, NINDS; telephone: 301-496-1917; email: stewartr@ninds.nih.gov. For a more detailed description of this announcement, visit http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-08-051.html.
Top This Item OnlySocial, Behavioral, and Genetic Factors in Health
NINDS invites NIH-funded investigators to submit supplement applications to their currently funded research to study how interactions among genetic, behavioral, or social factors influence health and disease. This award is made together with 16 other NIH components and is supported by a number of funding mechanisms: R01, R21, P01, P20, P50, P60, U01, U10, and U54.
How genetic, behavioral, and social factors interact in human physiological processes and influence disease expression and health outcomes remains understudied. This announcement focuses on questions concerning the effects of gene-environment-behavioral interactions. Another focus of the announcement is to better understand how the interaction of behaviors and social environment factors affects gene expression, disease and behavior phenotypes, and health outcomes.
Potential applicants should contact Dr. Margaret Sutherland, Program Director, Neurodegeneration Cluster, NINDS; telephone: 301-496-5680; e-mail: sutherlandm@mail.nih.gov. For a more detailed description of this announcement, visit http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-08-065.html, http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-08-066.html, or http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-08-067.html.
Top This Item OnlySPOREs
NINDS, the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) invite applications for Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPOREs) in cancer.
SPOREs conduct state-of-the-art research that will contribute to improved screening, detection, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cancer. These programs are expected not only to conduct a wide spectrum of research activities, but also to contribute significantly to the development of specialized research cores, improved research model systems, and collaborative research projects with other institutions. The research supported by this program must be translational in nature.
Potential applicants should contact Dr. Jane Fountain, Program Director, Neural Environment Cluster, NINDS; telephone: 301-496-1431; email: fountai@mail.nih.gov. For a more detailed description of this program announcement, visit http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-08-020.html.
Top This Item OnlyStem Cells
NINDS encourages grant applications for human pluripotent stem cell research using non-embryonic sources. This announcement is made together with 13 other NIH components and is supported by two funding mechanisms: R01 and R21.
Human embryonic stem cells have been recognized as a valuable tool for advancing knowledge of human development and biology. However, using established methods, these cells cannot be obtained without destroying human pre-implantation embryos. Recent technical innovations in stem cell biology suggest that there may be new opportunities for scientific progress with pluripotent stem cells obtained from sources other than human embryos.
Potential applicants should contact Dr. David Owens, Program Director, Repair and Plasticity Cluster, NINDS; telephone: 301-496-1447; e-mail: do47h@nih.gov. For a more detailed description of this announcement, visit http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-08-043.html or http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-08-044.html.
Top This Item OnlyPersons with Uncontrolled Epilepsy Sought for Study
Scientists at NINDS are seeking adults with epilepsy that is not controlled by medication (medically intractable epilepsy) to participate in a research study to increase understanding of epilepsy and to test an experimental method that may lead to a new type of treatment for it.
Eligible persons must have uncontrolled epilepsy, be 18-70 years of age, and be able to have magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Study participants will be screened in research study 01-N-0139 (Evaluation and Treatment of Patients with Epilepsy) to confirm that they are candidates for seizure surgery. Surgical candidates will enter the study (00-N-0158) and undergo surgical placement of a tube into the region of the brain where the seizures originate. A solution of saline (salt water) and a solution of muscimol, a chemical that suppresses brain activity, will be infused into the seizure focus. Neurological examinations, EEG, and MRI scans will evaluate the effects of the infusions. Standard surgical treatment for medically intractable epilepsy will be provided after the infusions. The study requires a 2- to 4-week inpatient stay at NIH. Travel, epilepsy surgery, and study-related expenses will be paid by NIH.
For more information, contact the Patient Recruitment Office at 800-411-1222, or via email at prpl@cc.nih.gov. Please refer to study number 00-N-0158.
Top This Item OnlyPersons with Focal Dystonia Sought for Study
Scientists at NINDS are seeking persons with focal dystonia for an outpatient research study comparing the structure of the brains of people with and without the disorder. Dystonia is a disease that involves muscle contractions along with twisting movements and abnormal postures. Focal dystonia affects a single body part. Participation in this study may include providing a medical history, having a physical examination, laboratory testing, and non-invasive brain imaging using MRI.
Eligible persons must be diagnosed with focal dystonia (blepharospasm, cervical dystonia, or hand dystonia [writer’s cramp]), 18 years old or older, healthy, eligible to have an MRI, and willing to abstain from caffeine and alcohol for 48 hours before the MRI. Persons who are pregnant or claustrophobic may be ineligible.
The study will be conducted at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD. There is no cost for participation. Time commitment consists of two visits lasting two hours each.
For more information, contact Muslimah ‘Ali Najee-ullah at 301-402-3494. Please refer to study number 02-N-0132.
Top This Item OnlyPersons with Focal Hand Dystonia Sought for Study
Scientists at NINDS are seeking persons with focal hand dystonia (writer’s cramp) to participate in a research study on the effect of non-invasive electrical stimulation—called transcranial electrical polarization or TEP—on the symptoms of the disorder.
In the study, TEP (or mock-TEP) stimulation will be delivered to the area of the brain that controls hand movements during three outpatient sessions—each lasting 1-2 hours over a one-week period. Participants must not have received botulinum toxin within 10 weeks of starting the study, and must refrain from alcoholic beverages for 24 hours prior to study participation.
Eligible persons must have focal hand dystonia or writer’s cramp and be 18 years or older. Persons who have any serious medical, surgical, neurological, or psychiatric conditions, or who have a history of epilepsy or use of medications that could increase the risk of seizure, may not be eligible. Persons with secondary dystonia, a pacemaker, implanted medical pump, metal plate or metal object in the skull or eye (anything other than dental appliances or fillings), or who are pregnant, also may be ineligible.
The study will take place at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD. There is no cost for participation. Travel costs may be reimbursed.
For more information, contact Elaine Considine, RN, at 301-435-8518. Please refer to study number 05-N-0122.
Top This Item OnlyPersons with Neurofibromatosis Type 2 Sought for Study
Scientists at NINDS are seeking persons with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) to participate in a research study to learn about NF2 tumor development and progression.
Study participants will have a thorough evaluation of their NF2-related tumors and how those tumors affect function (vision, walking, hearing, balance, etc.). All testing—which will include MRI—will be performed on an outpatient basis and will be repeated every 6 months.
Eligible persons must have a diagnosis of NF2 by established criteria or genetic testing, be 8 to 75 years old, and be able to have MRIs. Persons who are pregnant, or who have an allergy to MRI contrast or other medical conditions that would limit their ability to participate, may not be eligible.
The study will take place at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD. There is no charge for study-related tests. Travel costs may be reimbursed.
For more information, contact the Patient Recruitment Office at 800-411-1222, or via email at prpl@cc.nih.gov. Please refer to study number 08-N-0044.
Top This Item Only
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