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The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) encourage investigator-initiated research grant applications on pathogenesis and treatment of inflammatory myopathy. Responses to this program announcement may include studies in appropriate animal models or preclinical or clinical studies in patients with any form of inflammatory muscle disease.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), the National Eye Institute (NEI) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) seek applications to develop and validate biomarkers for the microvascular complications of diabetes. Prevention and treatment of long-term micro- and macrovascular complications remain a critical problem in the management of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. In the United States, diabetes is the leading cause of new blindness in working-age adults, of new cases of end stage renal disease and of non-traumatic lower leg amputations. Basic science advances in the coming years are expected to lead to new therapies to prevent or treat the development of nephropathy, retinopathy and neuropathy. Surrogate endpoints for complications can be utilized in clinical trials to assess the efficacy of these new therapies. In addition, such biomarkers may be useful for predicting those patients who are at high risk for the development of complications, and who may benefit from aggressive intervention.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) solicit applications for studies designed to elucidate the effects of acute and recurrent episodes of hypoglycemia on glial and neuronal cells of the developing and mature central nervous system. Recent therapeutic strategies aimed at closely controlling elevated glucose levels in diabetic individuals put them at risk for experiencing episodes of hypoglycemia. Acute and recurrent hypoglycemia may cause transient or persistent alteration of cognitive function, and can result in seizures or coma. Recent studies of ischemia have provided information about the effects of glucose deprivation coupled with hypoxia on cells of the central nervous system. However, less is known about the effects of reduced glycemic levels on CNS cell function and survival in a normoxic environment.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF) invite applications to address the problem of hypoglycemia unawareness in patients with diabetes. Episodes of severe hypoglycemia are a major obstacle to the achievement of euglycemia and the prevention of long- term complications in patients with diabetes. Many individuals with diabetes develop hypoglycemia unawareness, which prevents institution of intensified blood glucose control and puts patients at risk for hypoglycemia-related complications. This RFA solicits basic and clinical studies to 1) define the mechanisms underlying the loss of hypoglycemia awareness in patients with diabetes, and 2) develop novel approaches to prevent or reverse hypoglycemia unawareness.

Functional brain imaging techniques that take advantage of the changes in hemodynamic responses of the brain (positron emission tomography, functional magnetic resonance imaging, and infrared imaging) have emerged as promising new avenues for studying the neural basis of many different cognitive activities. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS),the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) invite research grant applications that offer the promise of exceptional technical and conceptual advances in our understanding of the nature of the signal being recorded in hemodynamic brain imaging techniques. We currently have a fundamental gap in our knowledge, because we do not truly understand the linkage between the hemodynamic response that is being recorded in imaging techniques and the supporting cellular and molecular mechanisms. Furthermore, the time course of the hemodynamic response, which evolves over 10 to 15 seconds, has been problematic in the ability of these functional imaging techniques to be applied to issues involving temporal sequencing of various cognitive events. Of particular interest for this RFA would be approaches involving functional imaging and neurophysiological (e.g., single and multi- unit recording) studies conducted entirely in non-human primates intended to address the issue of the neural mechanisms underlying functional activation determined using fMRI or PET techniques. Also of interest are proposals that take advantage of improved understanding of the link between hemodynamic and neural events to increase the ability of functional imaging methods to accurately assess the temporal sequencing of cognitive activation that cannot be answered in humans with current technology. Thus, this RFA seeks proposals that will increase the utility of functional imaging techniques by a) providing greater understanding of the link to underlying neural activity and b) improving the ability of these techniques to address questions with a significant temporal component.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF) solicit applications for clinical studies designed to enhance understanding and prevention of hypoglycemia in patients with diabetes. Large clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of intensified glucose control in the prevention of the long-term complications of diabetes. However, episodes of severe hypoglycemia may complicate intensified treatment and are often a major obstacle to the achievement of euglycemia in many patients. This RFA solicits clinical studies to 1) define and characterize hypoglycemia in diabetic individuals and 2) develop new approaches to prevent the development of hypoglycemia or to ameliorate its effects in individuals with diabetes.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the thalamus for the treatment of tremor was approved by the FDA in 1997 following the pioneering work of Benabid and colleagues in France. Subsequently it has been found that stimulation in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) or globus pallidus (GPi) can relieve multiple symptoms of Parkinson"s disease (PD). DBS has been successful in restoring significant mobility to a large number of patients with advanced PD. During the past year, GPi and STN stimulation underwent review at the FDA for potential use to decrease symptoms of dyskinesia, tremor, postural instability, and/or bradykinesia in individuals with advanced PD.

The NINDS seeks to fund high quality clinical trials to evaluate treatments for neurological disorders. The NINDS Clinical Trial Planning Grant allows for early peer review of the rationale and design for clinical trials of treatments for neurological disorders and provides support for the development of a detailed clinical trial research plan, including a complete manual of operations and procedures.

The NINDS is committed to identifying effective treatments for neurological disorders by supporting well-executed clinical trials. Before proceeding to a full-scale clinical trial, pilot clinical studies are often required. The NINDS announces its interest in supporting pilot studies required to obtain necessary information to clearly establish the clinical basis for proceeding to a full- scale trial. The purpose of PILOT STUDIES FOR CLINICAL TRIALS IN NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS grant (for brevity referred to as NINDS Pilot Studies grant) is to obtain preliminary data and conduct studies to support the rationale for a subsequent full-scale clinical trial of an intervention to treat or prevent neurological disease.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) invite grant applications for the formation of cross-disciplinary networks of scientists interested in studying the etiology of Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and its implications for the disorder’s nosology, assessment and treatment. These research networks will allow the formation of novel collaborations among neuroscientists, behavioral scientists, and clinical scientists in order to develop integrative and cutting edge research project grant applications. These networks are intended to facilitate the connection between etiologic theory and ADHD assessment techniques and treatment procedures. Networks must include representation from multiple perspectives that, at a minimum, span expertise across levels of analysis (e.g., molecular to behavioral) and disciplines (e.g., behavioral science, neuroscience, genetics, psychiatry, pediatrics).