Trials Today

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether a stress reduction program called Resilience, Stress, and Ethnicity (RiSE) improves well-being, inflammation, and the epigenome in African American (AA) women who have risk factors for heart or metabolic disease. The main question it aims to answer is whether an intervention that integrates cognitive-behavioral strategies focused on the impact that social stress, such as racism, has on the body, racial identity development, and empowerment. Participants will placed in one of the two following groups: - The RiSE program will focus on teaching participants how to reduce their stress levels and will meet online weekly for approximately 2 hours each week for 8 consecutive weeks. - The Health Education program will include education on how to improve general health and will meet online weekly for approximately 2 hours each week for 8 consecutive weeks. Participants will provide saliva to measure cytokines and DNA methylation (DNAm), complete questionnaires, and have blood pressure, heart rate, and weight measured at the following clinic visits: 1. Prior to starting the intervention 2. Mid-way through the intervention (Week 4) 3. End of the intervention (Week 8) 4. Six (6) months after the completion of the intervention

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2023

open study

Many breast cancer survivors (estimated 70% in some studies) experience clinically significant depression and/or anxiety in the months and years after finishing cancer treatments. This research will build on the rigor of prior research to reduce breast cancer survivor depression and anxiety with a compassion meditation intervention called CBCT (Cognitively-Based Compassion Training) for online synchronous delivery that is also inclusive of informal caregivers (i.e., adult family members who live with and typically provide half the care for survivors, aka supportive partners).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2023

open study

This study will compare two approaches to cognitive rehabilitation in adults with stroke with persistent, mild to moderate, cognitive impairment. Both approaches will feature a web-based computer "game" that trains cognitive processing speed, i.e., how quickly individuals process information that they receive through their senses. This training is termed Speed of Processing Training (SOPT). One approach will add (A) in-lab training on everyday activities with important cognitive components and (B) procedures designed to transfer improvements in cognition from the treatment setting to everyday life. This approach is termed Constraint-Induced Cognitive Therapy (CICT). The other approach will add (A) in-lab training on relaxation, healthy nutrition, and healthy sleep and (B) procedures designed to promote integration of these lifestyle changes into everyday life. This approach is termed Brain Fitness-Heath Education Lifestyle Program (BF-HELP). Both CICT and BF-HELP will involve 35 hours of training. Ten 1-hour sessions of SOPT will be scheduled in the home with training conducted independently by participants. Ten 2.5 hours of in-lab, face-to-face, therapist directed sessions will be scheduled. These sessions will feature a brief period of SOPT; the bulk of the sessions will be committed to in-lab training on the target behaviors and the procedures designed to promote transfer of therapeutic gains to daily life; The set of the latter procedures is termed the Transfer Package. To accommodate the demands of participants' other activities, training sessions will be permitted to be scheduled as tightly as every weekday over 2 weeks or as loosely as every other weekday or so over 4 weeks. Family caregivers in both groups will also receive training on how to best support participants in their therapeutic program. The study will also test if there is an advantage to placing follow-up phone calls after treatment ends. The purpose of the calls will be to support transition of any behavioral changes achieved during treatment into everyday life on a long-term basis. Participants will be randomly assigned to the interventions. Testing will happen one month before treatment, one day before treatment, one day afterwards, and 6-months afterwards. Outcomes measured will include cognitive processing speed, cognitive function on laboratory tests, and spontaneous performance of everyday activities with important cognitive components in daily life.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2022

open study

This study will assess cognition, neural function, and drug exposure in chronic pain patients who have been prescribed medical cannabis and will differentiate outcomes based on use of specific CBD-dominant versus THC-dominant treatment products. This longitudinal study will recruit medical cannabis users from local dispensaries. Each participant will complete a baseline assessment prior to the start of medical cannabis use, monthly phone calls to assess treatment adherence, and a four-month follow- up assessment. The aims of this project are: Aim 1. To assess impacts of medical cannabis compounds on executive functions, learning and memory in adults to determine whether cognitive impairments are evident after the onset of cannabis use; Aim 2. To assess the impacts of medical cannabis compounds on white matter microstructure, functional brain activity and functional connectivity; Aim 3. To differentiate change over four months in these outcomes as a function of (a) age and (b) pre-to-post-treatment changes in blood levels of cannabinoid compounds.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2025

open study

The purpose of this study is to find out what combination of components, if any, offers the best support for keeping weight off after someone loses weight. Long term weight loss maintenance is a challenge for many people who lose weight. There are many strategies, or components, people may use to avoid regain, but investigators do not know if there is a best, or optimal, combination of such components that can be done without adding a lot of cost or other burdens for people. - The primary goal of this clinical trial is to identify the optimal package that maximizes weight loss maintenance. - The study also wants to understand the reasons why these components may work and if certain components help specific sub-groups of people. Participants will engage in a 16-week Phase 1 Weight Loss Program. Participants who lose 5% or more of their weight during that program will continue to Phase 2 Extended Care and be randomly assigned to 0, 1, 2, 3, or all of four methods of weight loss maintenance. They will use their assigned package for 12 months. Researchers will compare 16 different possible combinations of components and learn which of the 16 packages offers the best support for keeping weight off. The four components participants could be assigned to in Phase 2 are: 1. Reduced Food Variety: Limiting the variety of foods participants eat by having them choose a few high-calorie, low nutrient foods to eat regularly 2. Home-based Resistance Training: Engaging in exercises that build strength from the comfort of the participant's own home 3. Buddy Training and Support: Having a friend or "buddy" get trained to support the participant 4. Acceptance and Commitment (ACT) Workshops: Having participants learn skills to handle tough thoughts and feelings about weight control in a healthy way Participants will have their weight measured and complete surveys 4 times if they complete both Phase 1 and Phase 2. During Phase 1, participants will attend weekly group sessions and be in touch with a study staff member investigators call a Wellness Coach. During Phase 2, participants will stay in touch with their Wellness Coach, use their assigned package, and answer questions about their experience periodically.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2025

open study

Anxiety-, obsessive-compulsive and trauma- and stressor-related disorders reflect a significant public health problem. This study is designed to evaluate the predictive power of a novel biomarker based on a CO2 challenge, thus addressing the central question "can this easy-to-administer assay aid clinicians in deciding whether or not to initiate exposure-based therapy?"

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2022

open study

Patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD) will be exposed to active repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) from F8 coil or active rTMS from H coil for smoking cessation. Smoking and brain functional connectivity changes will be assessed at baseline, different stages of rTMS and/or follow-ups.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2022

open study

The purpose of this study is to conduct a randomized controlled trial to determine the effects of a cellphone app and a driving mode intervention on driving behavior in drivers aged 18-24 years.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2022

open study

This pilot study is a first step in looking at the relationship between exercise and appetite in women with loss of control eating.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2024

open study

Globally, populations are aging thereby increasing healthcare burden, overall cognitive impairment, and dementia including Alzheimers diseases (AD). The lack of effective treatments makes it essential to develop new strategies for healthy cognitive aging, including interventions to slow or prevent cognitive decline. A traditional Mediterranean diet, rich in polyphenols (PPs), may prevent or delay the onset of cognitive dysfunction in older adults, preserving healthy brain structure and function, and lowering the risk of AD. These effects, mediated in part by gut microbiome-derived PP metabolites, highlight the role alterations in the brain-gut microbiome system play in neurodegeneration. Moreover, high levels of circulating phenyl-y-valerolactones, neuroprotective compounds, exclusively produced by gut microbiota from flavan-3-ol-rich foods (e.g., cocoa, tea, berries) are associated with delaying the onset of cognitive dysfunction in older adults. Intake of such PPs can also change gut microbial composition and function, altering the physiology of the hosts secondary bile acid (BA) pool, affecting regulatory and signaling functions in the brain as well as cognitive decline and AD. The investigators hypothesize that, in older adults with enhanced AD risk, dietary intake of PPs maintains healthier brain features and cognitive function, and that this beneficial effect is mediated by gut microbiota metabolites of PPs and BAs. In this multi-PI application by leaders in the field of brain-gut microbiome interactions, the investigators will conduct a year-long, multi-center, randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study in 300 older adults in the United States (validation sample of 100 from Northern Ireland) who are at enhanced risk of developing AD. Ultimately, the investigators will establish the protective effects of regular dietary PP intake on cognitive function and on brain-gut microbiome interactions, ideally allowing the development of effective dietary regimes to prevent of delay the onset of AD in at-risk elderly, thereby reducing cognitive decline and healthcare costs. Participants will be asked to provide information about their diet, mood, and behaviors via food diaries, physical body measures (e.g. height, weight, etc.), and online questionnaires collected before each in-clinic appointment, as well as monthly online questionnaires. MR imaging will be collected on participants to assess neurocognitive changes as a result of the supplement. Participants will be asked to provide both stool and blood samples. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the Juice Plus+ intervention group or the placebo treatment group and then asked to take their respective supplement 4 pills twice a day. All participants will be asked to come in for 4 in-clinic appointments, including 3 brain MRI scans and 3 cognitive testing appointments, collect 3 stool samples with corresponding diet diaries, and provide 3 blood samples over the course of 12 months. Participants will also meet with a nutritionist 3 times over the 12 months to discuss diet to ensure study eligibility and any questions about the supplement.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2025

open study

This study is a 3-group, parallel design, randomized controlled trial (RCT) in approximately 258 adults with obesity that will investigate whether a 16-week behavioral weight loss treatment and a 52-week stepped-care digital health intervention can improve the maintenance of a ≥ 5% weight loss. 16-week run-in (Phase 1). To qualify for randomization, participants must lose ≥ 5% of initial weight in the 16-week run-in. This loss will be achieved with the provision of weekly-group lifestyle counseling, which includes a partial meal replacement diet. 52-week randomized trial of 3 weight loss maintenance strategies (Phase 2): Participants who have achieved ≥ 5% weight loss during Phase 1 will be randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: 1. Participants in the Usual Care group will be emailed monthly educational modules with information on maintaining weight loss. 2. Participants in the SELF group will receive a wireless "smart" body weight scale and a wearable physical activity tracker, and daily text messages with tailored feedback to assist in weight loss maintenance. 3. Participants in the STEP group will be enrolled in an intervention that consists of 4 steps that are progressive and based on response to treatment. After 13 weeks at each step, participants who do not maintain a ≥5% weight loss or regain 2 percentage points of weight from the participants randomization value will move to a higher intensity step. Participants who maintain weight loss will stay at the same step.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2024

open study

The goal of this 16-week clinical trial is to assess the health benefits of a low-fat vegan diet on insulin sensitivity and glycemic control in type 2 diabetes. Participants will receive at no cost, study-related weekly nutrition education classes and one-on-one consultation with a registered dietitian.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2024

open study

The purpose of this research study is to understand whether concurrent treatment for cigarettes and e-cigarettes in which an individual quits both products at the same time (QUIT-C) or sequential treatment in which an individual quits cigarettes first followed by e-cigarettes is more effective for quitting both products. The study will also compare the effect of treatment on health-related biomarkers. All participants will receive varenicline, a medication used to treat tobacco use dependence, counseling, and cessation resources (i.e., links to text-based support, self-change booklet). Varenicline helps to reduce cravings for tobacco use and decreases the pleasurable effects of cigarettes and other tobacco products.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2024

open study

The goal of this fully-remote randomized controlled trial is to test the efficacy of Mindful Steps in facilitating physical activity compared to usual standard of care among 136 patients with COPD and/or HF. The main question it aims to answer is can this intervention promote physical activity as measured by daily step counts in sedentary patients with COPD and/or HF. Participants will be randomized (1:1 ratio) to receive either the Mindful Steps intervention or usual care for 12 months, with both arms receiving a Walking for Health education booklet.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2025

open study

The goal of this clinical trial is to understand if genetic variations are associated with the amount of weight loss with diet and while taking an FDA-approved medication for weight loss. The main question[s] it aims to answer are: - In Aim One, the investigators propose to rigorously test the hypothesis that presence of the Taq1A A1+ polymorphism is associated with greater weight loss with NB compared with the A1- genotype. - In Aim Two, the investigators will explore other genetic polymorphisms that might influence the efficacy of NB such as the fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene which modulates DRD2 signaling, as carriers of risk alleles in both the FTO and ANKK1 gene demonstrate altered responses to reward-learning tasks associated with negative outcomes. Participants will be in the study for 40 weeks, which consists of two phases: 1. From baseline to week 12, participants will receive individual nutritional counseling on a calorie restricted diet. This phase includes in-person visits, blood tests, an EKG, vital signs, questionnaires, body weight, and nutritional visits. 2. From week 12 to week 40, participants will continue to receive dietary counseling and will receive treatment with naltrexone/bupropion for 28 weeks. This phase includes in-person and phone visits, blood tests, vital signs, questionnaires, body weight, and nutritional visits.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2023

open study

The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate the safety and effectiveness of cochlear implantation in infants and toddlers with single-sided deafness. The main questions it aims to answer are: - Are cochlear implants an effective treatment of single-sided deafness in infants and toddlers? - Are cochlear implants a safe treatment for single-sided deafness in infants and toddlers? Participants will receive a cochlear implant and be followed until they are five years old. During those five years, the investigators will program the device and monitor auditory development. Children will be asked to: - Undergo cochlear implantation - Wear their cochlear implant processor whenever they are awake. - Participate in traditional hearing tests - Participate in traditional hearing testing - Participate in localization testing - Participate in hearing in noise testing - Participate in word recognition testing - Participate in speech, language, and educational evaluations The researchers will compare results to children with typical hearing in both ears and children with single-sided deafness who have not received an implant to observe any differences between the groups.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2023

open study

With an incidence rate of about 1%, Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is a serious mental disorder associated with high mortality, morbidity, and cost. AN in youth is more responsive to early treatment but becomes highly resistant once it has taken an enduring course. The first-line treatment for adolescents with AN is Family Based Treatment (FBT). While FBT can be delivered using videoconferencing (FBT-V), therapists' limited availability hampers scalability. Guided self-help (GSH) versions of efficacious treatments have been used to scale and increase access to care. The main aim of this proposed comparative effectiveness study is to confirm that clinical improvements in GSH-FBT are achieved with greater efficiency than FBT-V in generalizable clinical settings.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2023

open study

This is a phase IIa, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study designed to examine whether low-dose cariprazine (1.5mg/d) impacts cocaine use in medically-stable OUD patients with co-occurring CocUD who have already been taking BUP-NX at a stable dose for at least one week (up to 24mg buprenorphine/6mg naloxone daily). To be eligible for this relapse-prevention study, patients will have a cocaine-negative urine at the time of study enrollment. Approximately 48 subjects will be randomized to participate in this study. At randomization, patients will be stratified on cocaine-use severity, e.g., < 8 days cocaine use in the prior month (less severe) vs. > 8 days cocaine use in the prior month (more severe). A subset (n=24) of participants who are fMRI-eligible will also participate in an fMRI session during the trial, examining whether cariprazine impacts the brain response to relapse-relevant probes of reward and inhibition. All fMRI-eligible patients will be offered the scanning opportunity, until 24 scans are acquired. Blinding: This pilot study will be designated as single-blind. Participants are blind to their medication status. In our single-blind studies, we also ask our clinical / patient-interacting staff to remain "blind" to the participants' medication status (similar to 'double-blind' studies), but our non-treatment (e.g., engineering) staff have access to participant group status for preliminary data examinations. After enrollment, subjects will be randomized to receive 1.5mg/d cariprazine or placebo in a 2:1 ratio. At baseline, subjects will complete several assessments, behavioral tasks and neurocognition probes monitored by fNIRS and will then begin taking cariprazine (or placebo) each day for 8 weeks. The behavioral tasks and fNIRS session will be collected again 10-17 days after taking the first dose of study medication, when plasma levels of cariprazine are likely approaching steady-state; fMRI probes will be collected at the steady-state timepoint in the fMRI-eligible subgroup. Urines will be collected 2x/weekly throughout the trial; weekly blood samples will be analyzed for buprenorphine/norbuprenorphine as an index of BUP-NX compliance, and for metabolites of cariprazine, for cariprazine compliance. Individuals will participate for approximately 11 weeks, inclusive of the screening period and follow-up visit; maximal study medication exposure for each subject is up to 8 weeks. The study has 4 distinct phases: 1. Screening (approx. 1-2 weeks) 2. Baseline (1-2 visits; includes baseline assessments, behavioral tasks/fNIRS session, and randomization) 3. Outpatient treatment (8 wks; 2 visits/wk, includes daily cariprazine (or placebo), daily BUP-NX (at the participants' usual community treatment site), and imaging (fMRI and fNIRS)/behavioral tasks at steady-state. 4. Follow-up: A follow-up visit to assess medical and psychological status will occur approximately 1 week after the last dose of study medication.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2022

open study

The purpose of the Trial-Ready Cohort - Down Syndrome (TRC-DS) is to enroll 120 healthy adults with Down syndrome (DS), between the ages of 25-55, into a trial ready cohort (TRC), and up to 450 participants in total including co-enrolled in the Alzheimer Biomarkers Consortium - Down Syndrome (ABC-DS) study. Participants enrolled in the TRC-DS will undergo longitudinal cognitive and clinical assessment, genetic and biomarker testing, as well as imaging and biospecimen collection. Using these outcome measures, researchers will analyze the relationships between cognitive measures and biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) to identify endpoints for AD clinical trials in DS that best reflect disease progression. To learn more about the study and participating sites, visit our study website at: https://www.trcds.org/. TRC-DS is collaborating with the Alzheimer's Disease Biomarker Consortium-Down Syndrome (ABC-DS) to allow study participants to be concurrently enrolled in both ABC-DS and TRC-DS, referred to as "co-enrollment". ABC-DS is a longitudinal, observational research study that is overseen at University of Pittsburgh Coordinating Center. ABC-DS participants who express interest in potentially joining a clinical trial in the future and who meet TRC-DS eligibility criteria, may choose to co-enroll in TRC-DS at an ABC-DS Site. Co-enrolled participants will adhere to the ABC-DS protocol and schedule of activities, but agree to share their data with the TRC-DS team and to receive invitations for future participation in clinical trials. Fore more information on ABC-DS please visit https://www.nia.nih.gov/research/abc-ds or http://abcds.pitt.edu/.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Jun 2021

open study

This is a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study of the effects of transdermal estradiol versus placebo on cognitive flexibility, reward processing, and eating disorder pathology in hypoestrogenemic female adolescents and young adults (ages 14-35 years) with an eating disorder characterized by extreme dietary restriction and/or excessive exercise. Subjects will be randomized 1:1 to 12 weeks of transdermal estradiol with cyclic progesterone or placebo patches and cyclic placebo pills. Study visits include a screening visit to determine eligibility and visits at baseline, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks. Study procedures comprise behavioral, neuroimaging, and endocrine assessments.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2019

open study

T1D Pregnancy & Me will partner with pregnant participants living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) in the United States to collect real-world data on management of T1D in pregnancy. This is a remote study where participants can complete online surveys and share device data (continuous glucose monitor (CGM) data and insulin data). Through the collection of CGM, insulin, and pregnancy outcome data, the study will provide important information to understand how diabetes is being managed during pregnancy. These data will provide much needed evidence to guide modern management of diabetes during pregnancy with a goal of improving care and outcomes.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Apr 2025

open study

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if the My Health Coach app helps adults with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). The main questions it aims to answer are: Does the My Health Coach app improve the quality of life of adults with FASD? Does the My Health Coach app help adults with FASD manage their day to day life? All participants will be asked to complete 3 sets of surveys: 1) at the study start, 2) at 6 weeks, and 3) at 12 weeks. Half of the participants will be given the app at the study start to use. The other half of participants will get the app after the 12 week surveys are complete. Researchers will compare survey results from people who receive the app right away to those who are in the waitlist group to see if there are changes in quality of life or day to day functioning.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2025

open study

This study will address the following aims: Aim 1: Conduct an 8-week pilot RCT to examine the effects of a whole foods diet intervention on body adiposity in adolescents with obesity. Aim 1a (Primary): Evaluate intervention effectiveness on total fat mass following the 8-week intervention. Hypothesis 1a: Adolescents randomized to the whole foods intervention will have lower total fat mass (kg) at the 8-week follow-up than those in the control group. Aim 1b: Evaluate intervention effectiveness on anthropometric changes following the 8-week intervention. Hypothesis 1b: Adolescents randomized to the whole foods intervention will have lower weight, BMI-z scores and/or waist circumference at the 8-week follow-up than those in the control group. Secondary Aims: Aim 2: Conduct an 8-week pilot RCT to examine the effects of a whole foods diet intervention on diet quality in adolescent and parent pairs during the study period. Hypothesis 2: Adolescents and parents randomized to the whole foods intervention will have higher diet quality scores at the 8-week follow-up than those in the control group. Aim 3: Conduct post-intervention family focus groups to identify how individual/family needs and preferences and social determinants of health (SDOH) may be perceived barriers and/or facilitators of diet adherence to a whole foods diet pattern.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2025

open study

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) results in significant morbidity and healthcare utilization and is the main contributor to loss of life expectancy in people with diabetes mellitus type 1 (T1DM) <50 years old. This suggests the need to develop interventions to reduce DKA events. Innovative features of newer continuous glucose monitoring devices offer opportunities for novel strategies to reduce DKA. Designating a family member, friend, or caregiver as a Follower was associated with reduction in HbA1C, increased time in range, and improvement in quality of life metrics in people with T1DM. However, the previously published studies are limited as they were either retrospective, survey-based, or do not overlap with our proposed cohort involving adults ages 18-65 with T1DM (prior prospective studies involved either pregnant women with T1DM or adults ≥60 years of age with T1DM). This study is a randomized controlled trial pilot study to evaluate an intervention (FAM) using a Follower, Action Plan, and Remote Monitoring of glucose data to reduce severe hyperglycemia, a modifiable risk factor for DKA, in adults with T1DM at high risk for DKA. The intervention uses real-time glucose data sharing with a Follower (family member, friend, or caregiver) and personalized diabetes education provided to the dyad (person with T1DM and their chosen Follower). The overall hypothesis is that the FAM intervention will improve glycemia with the primary outcome studied in this preliminary pilot study being percentage of time spent with glucose ≥250 mg/dL.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2024

open study

The goal of this clinical trial is to see if 12 sessions of a Parent Management Training program can treat irritability in children aged 10-14 years old. The main question it aims to answer are: - Can a Parent Management Training for parents reduce anger outbursts and cranky moods in their children? - Can Parent Management Training be done in an outpatient clinic and do parents like it? Up to 18 families can join this study. This study will be used to set up a larger study in the Fall of 2025. Parent participants will complete 12 sessions of Parent Management Training for Irritability. Each session will be 45-55 minutes weekly. They will also participate in the assessments of their child before, during and after treatment. Child participants will do assessments before, during and after the Parent Management Training treatment.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2024

open study