PREVENTABLE is a multi-center, randomized, parallel group, placebo-controlled superiority study. Participants will be randomized 1:1 to atorvastatin 40 mg or placebo. This large study conducted in community-dwelling older adults without cardiovascular disease (CVD) or dementia will demonstrate the benefit of statins for reducing the primary composite of death, dementia, and persistent disability and secondary composites including mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and cardiovascular events.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2020

open study

This current translational project, funded by NIH, aims to better understand the impact of various signal modification strategies for older adults with Alzheimer's dementia and its potential precursor, known as amnestic mild cognitive impairment. The investigators hypothesize that adults with Alzheimer's dementia represent an extreme case of restricted cognitive ability, such that very low working memory capacity and overall reduced cognitive capacity will limit benefit from advanced signal processing. Thus, the investigators hypothesize that adults with Alzheimer's dementia will receive greater benefit from acoustically simple, high-fidelity hearing aid processing that minimally alters the acoustic signal.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2021

open study

Placebo effects held an ambivalent place in health care for at least two centuries. On the one hand, placebos are traditionally used as controls in clinical trials to correct for biases and the placebo response is viewed as an effect to be factored out in order to isolate and accurately measure the effects of the treatment. On the other hand, there is scientific evidence that placebo effects represent fascinating psychoneurobiological events involving the contribution of distinct central nervous as well as peripheral physiological mechanisms that influence pain perception and clinical pain symptoms and substantially modulate the response to pain therapeutics. Therefore, placebo effects have shifted from being a challenge for clinical trials to a resource to trigger the reduction of pain based on endogenous mechanisms that can be activated in the brain to promote hypolagesia, self-healing, and well-being. This is relevant in acute pain settings given that chronic opioid users die within approximately 2.5 years of being prescribed their first opioid medication to treat acute pain. The overall hypothesis is that observational learning influences neural pain modulation and cognition systems, including processes associated with mentalizing (the ability to cognitively understand mental states of others), empathy (the ability to share an emotional experience), and expectancy (the anticipation of a benefit). The objective is to determine the brain mechanisms of observationally-induced analgesia using brain mapping approaches that target changes in blood oxygenation and oscillatory activity in the brain, thus enabling investigators to draw inferences about the localization and extent of neurobiological activation underlying hypoalgesia driven by observation. Therefore, the investigators designed innovative experiments using pharmacological fMRI, EEG, and combined EEG-fMRI measurements.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2021

open study

The overall objective of the investigators is to assess the therapeutic efficacy and tolerability of Allogeneic Bone Marrow Derived Multipotent Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs) isolated from hematogenous bone marrow for treatment of treatment-resistant bipolar depression patient (TRBD).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2022

open study

We propose a clinical study of medial forebrain bundle DBS as a treatment in 20 patients with treatment refractory depression (TRD). Data from the University of Bonn indicates that surgical lesions of the medical forebrain bundle can produce therapeutic benefits in patients with depressive disorders, and suggest that DBS at the same site may also reduce symptomatology in these TRD patients (Schaepfer, 2013). Depression affects up to 10% of the US population and of those at least 10-15% do not benefit from therapies hence why we must explore new treatments. The Percept™ PC system manufactured by Medtronic Neurological will be used in this study. Study subjects will be between the ages of 22 and 70 years of age and suffer from TRD, have failed multiple treatment regimens, including ECT, and remain symptomatic. Those identified as TRD patients will then be enrolled in a clinical pilot study investigating DBS, targeting the MFB.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Dec 2013

open study

The goal of this study is to learn if manipulating the brain using magnets works to treat balance impairment, a major cause of falls, in older adults with balance problems. The technique to manipulate the brain using magnets is known as transcranial magnetic stimulation or TMS. The main questions this study aims to answer are: - How does TMS change communication between brain areas? - Does TMS improve balance ability in older adults with balance problems? Researchers will compare the TMS group to a placebo group to see if manipulating the brain using magnets works to treat balance impairment. Participants will: - Receive TMS or placebo stimulation for 4 weeks. - Visit the laboratory for checkups and tests 3 times.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2025

open study

This research study is being done to compare a mindfulness-based intervention for tics (MBIT) to psychoeducation with relaxation and supportive therapy (PRST) for individuals with Tourette's syndrome or Persistent Tic Disorders (collectively TS). It is the investigator's hope that this information cam be used to improve current treatments for individuals with TS.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2024

open study

The investigator's long-term goal is to mitigate pregnancy-related mortality (PRM) risk by systematically delivering integrated clinical and supportive care that is effective, equitable, and scalable. The investigator's central hypothesis is that the Multi-modal Maternal Infant Perinatal Outpatient Delivery System (MOMI PODS) will mitigate postpartum (PP) risk and reduce disparities in PP risk by improving biopsychosocial profiles and facilitating access to evidence-based clinical and supportive care. To test this hypothesis, the investigators will conduct a hybrid type 1 randomized controlled trial (RCT) of MOMI PODS versus enhanced usual care (EUC, which we will term MOMI CARE) among a total sample of 384 mother-infant dyads (192/group) following pregnancy affected by a cardiometabolic and/or mental health condition. The investigators will enroll participants on PP day 1 and collect data at baseline and 6 months and 1 year PP. The investigators will collect implementation and service data across sites.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2024

open study

The goal of this randomized clinical trial is to evaluate two different non-drug, virtual treatment options designed to improve the lives of patients with migraine. Both interventions involve 8 weekly sessions and an online platform with additional content and learning. Participants can stay on all their medications during this study. Information from this study may help determine how to better treat migraine.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2024

open study

The purpose of this project is to examine key mechanisms contributing to sex-differences in hypoxic vasodilation and the impact of obesity, with particular emphasis on the sympathetic nervous system.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2023

open study

The field of pharmacogenetics has progressed from the discovery of genetic variants that cause variable function of drug metabolism enzymes to a cornerstone of clinical precision medicine. However, there are limited data supporting drug-gene associations for children and for women during and after pregnancy. The unique physiology of childhood and pregnancy demand validation of pharmacogenetic signals prior to clinical implementation. These knowledge gaps are compounded for individuals from minority populations, who have been underrepresented and thus underserved by genomic research and specifically pharmacogenetic studies. The primary objective of this project is to advance research and support clinical implementation in pharmacogenetics for children and pregnant women. This work will illuminate knowledge of, attitudes about, and priorities for pharmacogenetics, and will assess the impact of a brief educational video on knowledge and attitudes around pharmacogenetic testing. The investigators will assess the knowledge and attitudes regarding pharmacogenetic testing among diverse cohorts of children with chronic conditions and pregnant women, before and after receiving pharmacogenetic test results. Participants will be randomized to view an educational video about pharmacogenetic testing either at the time of receiving their pharmacogenetic test results, or at a later time. The investigators will perform surveys before and after pharmacogenomic testing and return of results, and before and after watching the educational video.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2022

open study

Future Self-BD is a 6-session virtual intervention that encourages participants to vividly generate personal and positive future events that they anticipate may be benefited by smoking cessation. Each session will be conducted on HIPAA-compliant Zoom and led by the PI (Dr. Gold).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Dec 2024

open study

This study will focus on examining the potential impact of menthol flavoring in cigarettes on biomarkers of systemic inflammation as a subclinical indicator of cardiovascular disease risk.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2024

open study

The aim of this protocol is to assess the presence and severity of primary aldosteronism pathophysiology in patients with type 2 diabetes who have, or are at-risk for developing, chronic kidney disease.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2024

open study

Chronic musculoskeletal pain (CP) is a major public health concern. Psychosocial treatments have been shown to be efficacious when compared to largely inert control conditions, but they are characterized by modest effects on primary outcomes. One strategy to boost efficacy is to increase our understanding of treatment mediators. Studies of mediators that directly compare different treatments with each other are needed to determine which mediators are treatment-specific, which are shared across treatments, and which contribute the most to clinical outcomes. Another strategy is to identify the patient characteristics that moderate treatment responses. Research is needed that is guided by theoretical models and that tests moderators across multiple treatments. Identifying subgroups of patients more likely to respond to one or another treatment can advance precision medicine by informing a priori patient-treatment matches that can optimize treatment effects. To accomplish these goals, the authors will conduct a randomized clinical trial to compare the mediators and moderators of the clinical effects of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET) on adults with chronic spinal (axial) pain. Following baseline assessment of outcome variables as well as potential mediators and moderators, 460 participants will be randomized to CBT, ACT, EAET, or treatment-as-usual control (TAU). The three treatments will be conducted as individual therapy provided weekly for 8 weeks via telehealth. The researchers will conduct weekly assessments of both potential mediators and outcomes, as well as post-treatment and 6-month follow-up assessments. The goal of the study is to identify the most powerful treatment mechanisms - specific and shared -- and reveal for whom the mediator-outcome pathways are strongest.This project can increase the effects of our psychosocial chronic pain treatments by identifying the most effective treatment mechanisms and by informing patient-treatment matches that can optimize treatment effects.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2023

open study

The goal of this project is to investigate how to enhance the effects of an online-only (mHealth) couples weight loss program. This study will use an innovative methodological framework, the Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST), to test four different strategies for weight loss and partner support in addition to a core intervention (i.e., dyadic action planning, joint feedback on goal progress, autonomy support training, and home environment modifications).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2024

open study

This study aims to compare the effectiveness of a standard mobile iPhone cognitive behavioral therapy program to a personalized mobile iPhone cognitive behavioral therapy program that introduces new skills over a shorter period of time. Participants will use the Maya app for two days per week, at least 20 minutes per day, for six weeks. Assessments will include a weekly check in with a member of the research team, questionnaires, and optional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings at the beginning and end of the 6-week intervention. The investigators think that that the less burdensome personalized program will be just as effective at improving symptoms of anxiety and depression as the general program.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2024

open study

Obese individuals have a higher prevalence of nocturnal hypertension and non-dipping blood pressure (BP). These conditions are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) events and death. Natriuretic Peptides (NPs) are hormones produced by the heart which directly regulate BP by causing dilation of blood vessels and by removing sodium and water from the body. NPs have a 24-hour day-night rhythm and this controls the day-night rhythm of BP as well. The NP-BP rhythm relationship is broken down in obese individuals. Obese individuals also have lower circulating NP levels. Lower circulating levels of NPs and elevated renin hormone (a part of the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System [RAAS]) at nighttime may contribute to the high nocturnal blood pressure in obese individuals which puts them at a higher risk of developing CV events. This current study seeks to determine the biological implications of chronopharmacology for synchronizing NP-RAAS-based blood pressure therapy with the physiological diurnal rhythms to restore the normal diurnal rhythm of blood pressure in obese individuals.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2022

open study

This study is being done to answer the question: what is the effect of Vagal Nerve Stimulation (VNS) dosing on opioid withdrawal responses in individuals with a history of Opioid Use Disorders (OUDs)? Eligible participants will be in the study for one week in an inpatient research hospital stay, have an MRI scan, and have a follow-up call 1-3 months after their inpatient stay. Participants will complete several psychiatric questionnaires/interviews, physiological monitoring with several devices, brain imaging, and VNS testing.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2024

open study

The primary goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the unique neural and behavioral effects of a one-session training combining emotion regulation skills training, with excitatory repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). The secondary aim is to identify key changes in the emotion regulation neural network following the combined intervention versus each of the components alone. The third aim is to explore personalized biomarkers for response to emotion regulation training. Participants will undergo brain imaging while engaging in an emotional regulation task. Participants will be randomly assigned to learn one of two emotion regulation skills. Participants will be reminded of recent stressors and will undergo different types of neurostimulation, targeted using fMRI (functional MRI) results. Participants who may practice their emotion regulation skills during neurostimulation in a one-time session. Following this training, participants will undergo another fMRI and an exit interview to assess for immediate neural and behavioral changes. Measures of emotion regulation will be assessed at a one week and a one month follow up visit.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2023

open study

There is still no cure for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). While combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) is effective in decreasing deaths from HIV, infected individuals face a lifetime of treatment and many potential complications including end organ diseases such as HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders. HIV infection is controllable with antiretroviral therapy (ART), but ART cannot eliminate HIV reservoirs. Thus, there is no available cure for HIV. There is a large and growing body of evidence that the central nervous system (CNS) is an HIV reservoir site and a barrier to HIV eradication. Our group has done extensive pre-clinical work with janus-kinase (JAK 1/2) inhibitors. This includes baricitinib, which is an orally available, FDA-approved drug for rheumatoid arthritis. Evidence suggests that this drug has activity against HIV in the central nervous system (CNS). In our recently completed pilot study, we showed that baricitinib crosses the blood brain barrier (BBB) and decreases HIV CNS persistence in the brain. Using bloodwork, neurocognitive testing, MRIs and lumbar punctures, we plan to evaluate the change in central nervous system HIV after treatment with baricitinib versus placebo. We will also evaluate changes in neuroimaging, inflammation in blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and neuropsychological performance after treatment with baricitinib versus placebo. Evidence shows that the central nervous system is one of the reservoir sites that enables the HIV virus to persist in the body even after years of treatment. In order to attack this reservoir and eventually find a cure, it is vital to learn if certain medications can suppress HIV in the CNS.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2023

open study

This is a randomized controlled trial over 5 years, using Stage II of the NIH-defined stage model for behavioral intervention development. We will evaluate the efficacy of the sleep intervention program (Care2Sleep) on sleep, health status measures, and quality of life (for dyads), and inflammation (for caregivers only). Eligible participants will be randomly assigned to in-person Care2Sleep, telehealth Care2Sleep, or to an in-person education control group. The Care2Sleep programs and the control education program will consist of five sessions. The intervention and control programs will begin after baseline assessment and randomization. Posttreatment assessments will be performed immediately after the last session and at 6-month follow-up.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2022

open study

The purpose of this study is to see whether programs that include both a patient and their spouse or a patient and family caregiver (known as a dyad) are helpful for families in which one member of the dyad has cancer and mild memory difficulties and/or concerns. Participant and their spouse or participant and their family caregiver will have six, 60-minute video-conference sessions which will be scheduled at their convenience. The investigator will loan participants a tablet computer (iPad) to use for videoconferencing and train the participant in its use. Participant and their spouse or participant and their family caregiver will complete three assessments - one before starting the sessions, one after the sixth session, and one after 1 month. Each assessment will include surveys, which the participant will complete separately from their spouse or family caregiver. For most people, it will take upwards of 2 - 4 months to complete this study

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2024

open study

The treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in an accessible manner represents an unmet need for those with cardiovascular disease (CVD), given that patients with CVD experience numerous barriers for in-person treatment engagement. The research plan for the proposed pilot project will entail: (1) open study of the acceptability of the digital intervention (N=5), followed by (2) recruitment and randomization of 90 individuals with a history of acute CVD events and clinical levels of GAD symptoms to dCBT or a waitlist (Control) condition, using a 1.5:1 allocation (dCBT:Control).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2022

open study

This is a large randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to determine the efficacy of testosterone replacement on cancer-related fatigue in older men with solid or hematologic (blood) cancer who report fatigue and have low testosterone levels.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2021

open study