GABA Imaging Study

GABA Imaging Study


On July 11, 2014 Tremor Action Network (TAN) advertised the GABA Imaging Of Essential Tremor. In compliance with TAN’s mission to spread awareness of tremor by advocating for a cure through research, the December 11, 2015 “GABA Imaging Study” post is an update of the 2014 blog.

This study is for two groups of people, those with ET, and friends, family members and others who do not have ET. The study’s geographic location is limited to the Tri State – New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

To paraphrase the 2014 blog the control group, those that do not have ET, is really important. “The study is in great need of such people.”

There are new details for contact information.

Dr. Elan Louis and colleagues at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut have undertaken a new research initiative. The objective of this research is to use new advanced imaging methods to learn what is happening in the brains of people with ET. They are calling on the assistance of the ET community to help them complete this groundbreaking, NIH-funded research.

Interested candidates would comply with the following criteria:

  1. You have been diagnosed by a doctor as having ET (rather than dystonia, for example).
  2. You are at least 65 years old.
  3. You did NOT have brain surgery for ET.
  4. You do NOT have any metals in your body (pacemakers, stents, prosthesis, etc.) – this would contraindicate performing an MRI scan of your brain.
  5. You do NOT receive treatment with primidone or topiramate.
  6. You are willing to have two interviews (one now and one in 3 years) with us at Yale, or at your home. During each interview, after some questionnaires, an MRI scan of the brain will be performed. Each interview/scan will last approximately 3 hours.
  7. You are willing to consider becoming a brain donor in the future. We would discuss this further with you.
  8. We are also recruiting people who do not have essential tremor as control participants.

Participants will be compensated $125 after each interview (total compensation after completing the two interviews: $250).

If you are interested, send an email to [email protected] or call 203.785.5754.

TAN Blog Contributor
Kathleen Welker

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