AUTO-HD: Autonomic Function in Huntington's Disease Study
In this study, researchers are examining both the function and structure of the brain. The goal of this study is to determine if certain parts of the brain work or appear differently in Huntington’s patients compared to individuals without Huntington’s Disease (HD). More specifically, this study looks at the network of brain regions that control the autonomic nervous system. The experiments in this study are aimed to test the hypothesis that the functional connections in key areas of the brain that maintain a balanced autonomic nervous system are impaired compared to controls. Participants in this study undergo resting state, functional MRI studies to investigate differences in the brain signals between participants with HD and controls. We also perform MRI sequences that allow us to quantify differences in the cerebral arteries, cerebral blood flow, and oxygenation between participants with HD and controls. We expect that this work will illuminate novel pathological pathways in HD that will drive therapeutic development.
TZ-PD: Terazosin for Parkinson's Disease Study
The purpose of this research study is to study the safety and tolerability of Terazosin when taken at 5mg. Researchers at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics are interested in developing new ways to slow the progression of Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Terazosin is used to treat high blood pressure or an enlarged prostate, but recent data shows that some of its effects could slow down the progression of PD symptoms. Terazosin is not FDA approved for use in treating PD, and its use in this research is investigational. As part of this research study, we are interested in seeing how Terazosin effects energy deficits caused by PD. We will do this by evaluating the level of a chemical used for energy in the body called ATP. This chemical will be measured in the blood and brain, before and after study participants start taking Terazosin.
TZ-HD: Terazosin for Huntington's Disease Study
The purpose of this study is to quantify differences in ATP levels in the brain of patients with Huntington’s Disease (HD) compared to controls. A key pathogenic feature of HD is impaired energy metabolism that is likely driven by mitochondrial dysfunction. The importance of energetics in HD is recognized but heavily understudied. Thus, there is a critical need to be able to quantitatively study energetics in the brains of patients with HD. Recently, we identified an existing drug, Terazosin, that binds to and activates phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (Pgk1), the first ATP generating enzyme in glycolysis. In this study, we will evaluate acute changes in ATP levels in the brain using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy before and after administering a single dose of Terazosin to participants with HD versus controls.
TZ-AD: Terazosin for Alzheimer's Disease Study
The research study aims to evaluate changes caused by Terazosin (TZ) in brain ATP levels of patients with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). TZ is an FDA- approved drug used to treat hypertension and enlarge prostate. It has been found, however, that the drug enhances glycolysis, which causes an increase in brain energy levels (i.e. increase in ATP molecules). One of the most prevalent early features of AD is the presence of mitochondrial dysfunction in diverse cellular types, including neurons and other brain cells. The mitochondria malfunction causes subsequent energy deficit and is the main contributor of increased neuronal cell death in AD due to the highly energy dependent nature of neural populations. In this study, we assess energetics by measuring ATP levels in the brain and the blood of participants with AD who have been administered a gradually titrated dose of up to 5mg Terazosin over the period of twenty one days.
WEAR-HD: Wearable Device in Huntington's Disease Study
The goal of the research study is to demonstrate feasibility of wearable devices to track the progression of Huntington's Disease (HD). HD is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder that affects the striata and causes gradual motor, cognitive and functional deterioration. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is responsible for controlling many physiological functions, such as heart rate (HR), and is comprised of two divisions that work to maintain balance: the parasympathetic (dominates heart rate at rest) and the sympathetic (increases heart rate and force of contraction). Individuals with HD experience enhanced sympathetic tone as a result of ANS dysfunction caused by disease progression. Wearable devices contain technology that uses, among others, photoplethysmography to measure HR, providing easily accessible detailed longitudinal data. In this study, we test wearable devices in early-stage HD participants versus control by collecting heart rate and heart rate variability over the period of six months and relating the data with striatal deterioration, an indicator of disease progression.