UI Department of Neurology

Neurology Clinical Trials

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Clinical Trial of Ceftriaxone in Subjects with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

  • Purpose: to evaluate the safety and effect of ceftriaxone (infused via central line twice daily) in individuals with ALS.
  • Eligibility: patients 18 years of age or older with ALS who had their first symptoms of the disease in the past 3 years.
  • Duration and Involvement: subjects will infuse study medication twice per day for up to 5 years of participation. Study visits will occur monthly.
  • If interested, please contact: Jeri Sieren, RN at 319-356-8744 or at jeri-sieren@uiowa.edu or visit http://www.alsconsortium.org/nealsclinicalresearch_Ceftriaxone.html for additional information.

A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Multi-Center Study of the Safety and Efficacy of Dexpramipexole in Subjects With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (EMPOWER)

  • Purpose: to look at the safety of dexpramipexole (300 mg a day taken orally), its effects on ALS, and how well people tolerate. It will be compared to placebo
  • Eligibility: patients ages 18-80 with ALS who had their first symptoms of the disease in the past 2 years.
  • Duration and Involvement: subjects will take study medication twice a day for 12-18 months. The study will also include clinic visits every other month.
  • If interested, please contact: Heena Olalde, RN, MSN at 319-356-8326 or at heena-olalde@uiowa.edu

Headaches (Migraines)

Prospective Randomized investigation to Evaluate incidence of headache reduction in subjects with Migraine and PFO Using the AMPLATZER PFO Occluder compared to Medical Management (PREMIUM)

  • Purpose: to compare PFO closure to medical therapy in reducing the incidence of disabling migraine headaches.
  • Eligibility: patients ages 18 - 65 who have tried at least 3 different preventive migraine medications are eligible.
  • Duration and Involvement: your study involvement will include 7 study visits in the first year and yearly visits thereafter for up to 5 years.
  • If interested, please contact: Jeri Sieren, RN at 319-356-8744 or at jeri-sieren@uiowa.edu or go to http://www.premiumtrial.com/ for additional information.

Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension Treatment

The NIH sponsored Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension Treatment Trial under the direction of Michael Wall, M.D. is actively enrolling subjects. The trial is designed to determine the effectiveness of diet and acetazolamide and to uncover the cause of the disease.

  • If interested, please contact: Dr. Wall at 319-353-6942 if you have a patient with newly detected bilateral optic disc edema or go to www.nordicclinicaltrials.com for additional information.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

JCV Antibody Program in Patients with Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis Receiving or Considering Treatment with Tysabri® (STRATIFY-2)

  • Purpose: to better understand whether antibodies to JC virus may be used to predict whether a patient is at higher or lower risk for developing Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML).
  • Eligibility: patients ages 18 and older who are currently on or considering starting treatment with Tysabri®.
  • Duration and Involvement: subjects will have their blood drawn once a year for 3 years to monitor for the presence of antibodies to JC virus.
  • If interested, please contact: Heena Olalde, RN, MSN at 319-356-8326 or at heena-olalde@uiowa.edu

Nutrition Therapy and NMES to Reserve Gait Disability from Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis

  • Purpose: to see if nutrition therapy and neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) can help with improving problems with gait disability, and improving cognition in patients with secondary MS.
  • Eligibility: patients who are 16 years and older with gait impairment associated with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.
  • Duration and Involvement: subjects will be seen every 3 months for 1 year, and will be asked to undergo various assessments during the clinic visits..
  • If interested, please contact: Heena Olalde, RN, MSN at 319-356-8326 or at heena-olalde@uiowa.edu

Myasthenia Gravis (MG)

Phase II Trial of Methotrexate in Myasthenia Gravis (MG Study)

  • Purpose: to find out if methotrexate is an effective therapy for MG and if it will allow patients with MG to use less prednisone.
  • Eligibility: patients ages 15 and older with MG who are on a stable dose of Prednisone 10 mg per day or greater.
  • Duration and Involvement: patients will take study medication (methotrexate 20 mg vs. placebo) by mouth once weekly and return to clinic once per month for approximately 14 months.
  • If interested, please contact: Jeri Sieren, RN at 319-356-8744 or at jeri-sieren@uiowa.edu

Parkinson's Disease (PD)

No studies at this time.

Cerebrovascular Disease (Stroke, Brain hemorrhage, Moyamoya Disease)

Clot Lysis: Evaluating Accelerated Resolution of Intraventricular Hemorrhage Phase III (CLEAR III)

  • Purpose: to determine if a study drug called recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA), which dissolves blood clots, can help to improve a patient's condition regarding brain blood clots by rapidly removing the clot from the ventricles when compared to placebo (a fluid that does not dissolve blood clots)
  • Eligibility: patients ages 18-80 that are admitted with an intraventricular hemorrhage (bleeding in the ventricles or open spaces inside the brain).
  • Duration and Involvement: subjects will receive the study medication while they are hospitalized for their hemorrhage. They will be contacted by phone at 3 and 9 months, and follow up in clinic at 30 days, 6 months, and 1 year (final visit) after enrollment into the study.
  • If interested, please contact: Heena Olalde, RN, MSN at 319-356-8326 or at heena-olalde@uiowa.edu or go to http://biosgroup--johnshopkinsmedicine.health.officelive.com/default.aspx for additional information.

Insulin Resistance Intervention after Stroke (IRIS)

  • Purpose: is to test the effectiveness of a new medication called pioglitazone for preventing future strokes and heart attacks among persons with a recent stroke or TIA.
  • Eligibility: persons 40 years of age or older who have had a stroke or TIA in the past 6 months and are not diabetic are eligible.
  • Duration and Involvement: patients will be asked to take the study medication daily (pioglitazone 45 mg vs. placebo) and return to clinic once per year for study visits. Participation will last approximately 5 years.
  • If interested, please contact: Jeri Sieren, RN at 319-356-8744 or at jeri-sieren@uiowa.edu or go to http://www.iristrial.org/ for additional information.

The Role of Cerebral Hemodynamics in Moyamoya Disease (Moyamoya Study)

  • Purpose: to find out how often Moyamoya disease reduces blood flow and affects the uptake of oxygen by the brain, and to find out if these effects are related to the risk of having a stroke in the future.
  • Eligibility: patients ages18 and older who have Moyamoya disease.
  • Duration and Involvement: subjects be seen in clinic once every 6 months for 5 years. Subjects will also undergo a PET scan and MRI scan which will be done Washington University in St. Louis (travel covered) at enrollment, 1 year, and 3 years.
  • If interested, please contact: Heena Olalde, RN, MSN at 319-356-8326 or at heena-olalde@uiowa.edu

Randomized Evaluation of Recurrent Stroke comparing PFO Closure to Established Current Standard of Care Treatment (RESPECT)

  • Purpose: to compare PFO closure to medicine in preventing another stroke related to a PFO and to evaluate the safety of the PFO closure device.
  • Eligibility: patients 18 - 60 years of age who have had a stroke in the last 9 months and have a PFO may be eligible to enroll.
  • Duration and Involvement: patients will either undergo closure of their PFO or will be medically managed during the course of the study. Participants will have approximately 9 study visits over 5 years.
  • If interested, please contact: Jeri Sieren, RN at 319-356-8744 or at jeri-sieren@uiowa.edu or go to http://www.respectstudy.com/ for additional information.

UI Department of Neurology :: 200 Hawkins Drive :: Iowa City, IA 52242 :: Phone: 319-384-8111 Fax: 319-384-7199 ::e-mail: neurology-scheduling@uiowa.edu