The goal of this clinical trial is to compare the efficacy of two related, but different ABM (Attention Biased Modification) treatments for depression in adults with elevated symptoms of depression. The main aims are: - Aim 1:examine whether gamified ABM leads to greater change in the primary and secondary outcomes than sham ABM - Aim 1: establish that gamified ABM is at least as effective as traditional ABM. - Aim 2: identify moderators of ABM efficacy and mechanisms responsible for its efficacy. - Aim 3: Identify the durability of ABM on depression symptoms during short-term follow-up Participants will complete self-report questionnaires, complete eye-tracking tasks, and be clinically assessed through interviews by clinician researchers. If there is a comparison group: Researchers will compare sham, traditional, and gamified treatment groups to see if they moderate symptoms of depression.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2024

open study

The objective of this proposed study is to compare Regulation of Cues (ROC), Family-Based Treatment (FBT), ROC+ nutrition education and reducing energy intake (ROC+) and a health education comparator (HE) for children with overweight or obesity who are high on food responsiveness (FR).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2024

open study

This research study is investigating whether completing breathing exercises before surgery helps heart transplant patients recover after surgery. Previous studies have shown that breathing exercises can improve breathing, cough, and swallow function in patients with other diseases/conditions. The current study will investigate the impact of a preoperative respiratory muscle strength training program on breathing and cough function, swallow function, patient-reported eating and swallowing fatigue, and health outcomes in individuals undergoing heart transplantation. Participants will: - undergo tests of breathing, cough, and swallow function - complete questionnaires about the treatment, their swallow function - complete breathing exercises daily

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2024

open study

This outcome of this study will elucidate how the phenotype of the individual modulates the KE metabolic effect. Most studies of KE have been in homogenous populations, usually young, male athletes. However, two striking experiments using identical, body weight adjusted KE doses in healthy and obese individuals found that BHB area under the curve (AUC) and removal was reduced by obesity and poor metabolic health. Similarly, ketone infusion experiments found that diabetes, obesity, and insulin resistance alter BHB metabolism. It is important to determine how obesity affects KE 'sensitivity' (i.e., breakdown and oxidation) because the increasing prevalence of obesity as a function of age. Age may be another important source of variation in ketone metabolism. The genes that control the ketone system are regulated by a cascade of transcription factors and hormones including PPARα and FGF21, which are themselves known to be affected by aging and dietary status, and the cellular protein sensor target of rapamycin (TOR). Aberrant hyperactivation of TOR with aging may reduce ketogenesis, while it was observed that a long-term ketogenic diet specifically up-regulated PPARα activity. Preliminary work revealed substantial changes across mouse lifespan in the expression of ketone-related genes in the liver such as Hmgcs2 (rate limiting for ketone production) and Bdh1 (rate limiting for BHB oxidation) between young, middle-aged, and old mice, with a nadir of gene expression in middle age before increasing again late in life. Substantial age differences were found in response to matched doses of oral KE in mice and in rats. These data may have important implications for treating people of different ages and for translating KE technologies into the Department of VA. Therefore, this project plans to study individual responses to KE ingestion across the lifespan, against the background of varying metabolic health

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2023

open study

Anxiety and anxiety-related disorders frequently co-occur with alcohol use problems resulting in an enormous humanitarian and economic cost to society. The proposed research will use digital technology to examine person-specific risk factors predicting problematic alcohol use in individuals vulnerable to anxiety and anxiety-related disorders and will use this information to design a personalized intervention for individuals seeking psychological treatment. Results from this research will integrate output from novel and innovative digital technology methods into psychotherapy, advancing research on personalized treatment and prevention efforts.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2024

open study

A Randomized Control Trial (RCT) with 1:1 randomization of adults newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (T2D) to Routine Care (RC) and RC + Glycemic Excursion Minimization (RC+GEM); a program that provides RC in addition to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) within a structured, self-directed, and personalized lifestyle program called GEM. Our hypothesis is that RC+GEM will: 1) reduce hemoglobin A1c as much or more, 2) require less diabetes medication, 3) cost less, and 4) have more secondary benefits, (e.g. greater reduction in cardiovascular risk, weight, diabetes distress, depression symptoms), compared to RC alone.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2023

open study

The purpose of this study is to learn whether a mobile health application (mHealth App) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with brief support can help individuals who are in treatment for alcohol problems.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2023

open study

Lack of perceived control, particularly during stress, has been critically implicated in major depressive disorder (MDD) and anhedonic symptoms, especially among female adolescents; yet the neural underpinnings of perceived control disruptions in MDD remain poorly understood. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging with a novel "value of control task" in conjunction with a prospective design, this study will provide a comprehensive understanding of stress and perceived control related mechanisms in female adolescents with MDD and will examine stress-induced disruptions in perceived control as a predictor of "real world" expressions of maladaptive coping and anhedonia.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2021

open study

The overall purpose of this study is to learn more about the metabolic effects of angiotensin-(1-7) in the insulin resistant state associated with obesity. Pharmacologic approaches to increase angiotensin-(1-7) levels or its actions are currently in development for treatment of metabolic-related diseases such as obesity and type II diabetes, based on findings from animal studies. It is unclear if this peptide contributes to the regulation of metabolism in humans. The investigators will test if angiotensin-(1-7) infusion can improve insulin sensitivity measured by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp methods in individuals with obesity and insulin resistance. The investigators will also examine for changes in blood pressure and related hemodynamic and hormonal changes following angiotensin-(1-7) infusion.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2016

open study

The investigators are testing treatment with low-dose naltrexone (LDN) for symptom relief of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Study participants will be randomly assigned to receive either LDN or placebo for a period of several weeks. During this period participants will be asked to attend either in-person or virtual study visits and complete questionnaires.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2015

open study

The goal of this project is to test if a new behavioral treatment for people who smoke nondaily and wish to quit works. The new treatment is a smartphone app that engages users in positive psychology exercises and gives them tested tools for quitting smoking. The positive psychology exercises help users maintain their positive emotions while they quit smoking. This app has been developed with and for people who smoke nondaily through several steps of development. The main questions it aims to answer are: - Does the smoking cessation app (SiS4) help people who smoke nondaily quit smoking? - How do people's attitudes towards smoking, their smoking urges, and their mental well-being shift when using the SiS4 app? Researchers will compare the new app to an existing app that was developed for people who smoke daily to see if the new app works better to help people who smoke nondaily quit smoking. Participants will: 1. Use a smartphone app every day for 7 weeks 2. Complete online surveys about their smoking, attitudes about smoking, withdrawal symptoms and smoking urges, app use, and mental well-being at enrollment as well as 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months after the initially chosen quit date. If the SiS4 app works well, it would be the first evidence-based quit-smoking treatment for people who smoke nondaily.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Dec 2024

open study

A prior open label study has shown that transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation [tVNS] can improve the health of some patients with postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), severely affected enough to also fulfill criteria for myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). The purpose of this study is to compare two sets of stimulus parameters to determine the one that best improves the health-related quality of life of these patients over a period of 6-weeks. Patients using their assigned device for at least 30 of the 42 possible opportunities will receive the best device for an additional 6-week period.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2024

open study

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked disorder that causes muscle wasting, cardiopulmonary failure, and premature death. Heart failure is a leading cause of death in DMD, but substantial knowledge gaps exist regarding predisposing risk factors. In the general population, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and decreased heart rate variability (HRV; reflecting autonomic dysfunction) are associated with cardiomyopathy (CM). It is unclear whether these factors are associated with DMD-CM. Closing this knowledge gap may lead to novel screening and therapeutic strategies to delay progression of DMD-CM, now the leading cause of death in patients with DMD. Despite risk factors for hyperglycemia, including the use of glucocorticoids (GCs), sarcopenia, obesity, and reduced ambulation, little is known regarding glucose abnormalities in DMD. Some of these same risk factors, along with the distance needed to travel for specialty care, present significant barriers to research participation and clinical care for individuals with DMD. Remote wearable technology may improve research participation in this vulnerable population. Therefore, this study will leverage remote wearable technologies to overcome these barriers and define the relationship between dysglycemia and DMD-CM. The goal of this remote study is to evaluate rates of hyperglycemia in individuals with DMD compared to control participants using continuous glucose monitors, and to determine the relationship between hyperglycemia and heart rate variability. Participants will utilize continuous glucose monitors, cardiac monitors, and activity monitors to evaluate glucose levels, heart rate, activity, and sleep.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Mar 2024

open study

The goal of this early Phase 1 clinical trial is to assess if the social content of a story impacts autistic children's listening comprehension of stories. The main questions this study aims to answer are: - Does removing social content from a story improve listening comprehension in autistic children? - Does listening comprehension of more social versus less social stories differentially predict performance on a standardized reading comprehension measure? Participants will listen to more social and less social stories while viewing accompanying pictures and answer comprehension questions about the stories and complete a standardized assessment of reading comprehension. In addition, participants complete measures of their nonverbal cognition, hearing status, autism severity, language abilities, and social communication abilities to help characterize individual differences in participants.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2023

open study

This is a hybrid type III implementation-effectiveness trial; this study design blends elements of implementation and clinical effectiveness research, with the primary aim of determining the utility of an implementation strategy and a secondary aim of assessing clinical outcomes associated with the implementation trial. Consistent with best practices for this type of design, the study team will conduct a randomized test of the effect of implementation strategy on effective delivery of the Online EmReg intervention in clinical practice. Specifically, the study team will compare Standard Training (a 3-hour on-demand training workshop) to Extended Training, (a 3-hour on-demand training workshop with 3 months of bi-weekly consultation). The research team's primary aim is to determine the optimal strategy to train clinicians in effectively delivering Online EmReg, and secondary aim is to assess patient improvement per clinician-administered DERS. Outcome measures will be assessed via self-report surveys, performance evaluations (via role-plays), and tracked clinician participation and fidelity. Study participation is expected to last up to 18 months.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2023

open study

This is a Phase 1/2 study to evaluate the safety and tolerability of 18F-OP-801 in subjects with ALS, AD, MS, PD and age-matched HVs. 18F-OP-801 is intended as a biomarker for PET imaging of activated microglia and macrophages in regions of neuroinflammation.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2023

open study

This study aims to explore the mechanisms of how transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) impacts fear circuits. The overarching objectives are to understand how varying TMS parameters affect targeted brain regions in order to optimize its impact on enhancing fear extinction memory consolidation in a population with known fear extinction deficiencies: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 250 subjects will take part in this research study across UTHealth Houston. The study will include preliminary screenings, baseline visits, and experimental visits across four days

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2022

open study

The purpose of this research study is to study how the brain learns to avoid certain stimuli or situations using an experimental paradigm. The big goal is to measure brain responses and subject's feelings and expectations when they are learning to actively avoid experimental stimuli, and how fear extinction learning and monetary cost can change how and when subjects are to avoid.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2021

open study

The purpose of this study is to identify which supplemental intervention components added to an online exercise program contribute to the greatest increases in physical activity (total MVPA and percent meeting guidelines [≥150 min/week of MVPA]) in adults with knee replacement at 6 and 12 months. Secondary outcomes will examine changes in pain and physical function.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2025

open study

The purpose of this study is to find out how the language of people with Primary Progressive Aphasia is affected by Propranolol. Propranolol is not FDA approved for the treatment of Primary Progressive Aphasia. Propranolol is FDA approved for the treatment of heart conditions such as blood pressure. This research is being done because there are currently no drug treatment options for language impairments and anxiety often experienced by people with Primary Progressive Aphasia.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2025

open study

The goal of this clinical trial is to test the feasibility & acceptability of an integrated CM-PST intervention (in K99 phase) and preliminary efficacy (in R00 phase), vs. CM alone, to improve treatment efficacy and inform about neural mechanisms of treatment effects in young adults with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). The aims are as follows: K99 Aim: Test feasibility & acceptability of a developed CM-PST, by meeting these benchmarks: 2a Feasibility: enroll 20 participants in the new CM-PST in a single-arm pre- and post-study, and retain ≥85% at wk 12. 2b Deliver CM-PST at ≥90% fidelity to intervention protocol. 2c Acceptability to participants: Achieve mean score ≥3 on Client Satisfaction Scale Questionnaire and satisfaction from semi-structured interviews. R00 Aim 1) Test preliminary efficacy of CM-PST in a 2-arm pilot RCT: Male/female young adults (aged18-24) who meet AUD criteria will be randomized to CM-PST or CM-only control, and assessed at baseline (0), 3, and 6 months. Primary study endpoint will be 3 months. R00 Aim 2 (Exploratory) Explore potential neural mechanisms of CM-PST effects, by fMRI scanning & analyses of core regions of the brain circuits regulating positive affect (ventral striatum), negative affect (amygdala), and cognitive control (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex), and connectivity between these core regions.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2023

open study

More than 84 million - or 1 out of every 3 U.S. adults - have prediabetes, a condition that if not treated often leads to type 2 diabetes within five years. Average medical expenditures among diabetics are about 2.3 times higher than expenditures for people without diabetes. Physical inactivity and elevated body mass index (BMI) are major risk factors for the disease. Sedentary behavior is becoming increasingly prevalent with the growth of a 'work from home' culture, most recently driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. Cross-sectional epidemiologic data report significant associations between high amounts of sedentary (sitting) time and prevalent cardiovascular disease and diabetes. In our pilot study of 15 subjects with sedentary office jobs, 6 months of sit-stand desk use resulted in a 23% improvement in insulin resistance, most substantial in those who decreased daily sitting by over 90 minutes/day. Additional improvements in vascular endothelial function and triglyceride levels were seen without any change in exercise activity, step counts, or body weight. These findings not only corroborate epidemiologic findings on this topic but suggest causality and warrant a randomized control trial. The investigators hypothesize that adult subjects at-risk for diabetes will improve insulin sensitivity, metabolic and vascular (endothelial) health with a sit-stand desk intervention at work (whether in the office or at home), in the context of a randomized, controlled trial. The investigators will randomize 198 sedentary office workers with a BMI≥25 at risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus in a 1:1:1 ratio of three groups: (a) sit-stand desk intervention targeting 2 hours standing per day; (b) sit-stand desk intervention targeting 3 hours standing per day; or (c) control arm over 6 months. The block randomization design will allow for important dose-response analyses. The investigators will objectively quantify standing time, sedentary time, sedentary bouts, daily steps, and exercise activity times using a compact and re-usable accelerometer that adheres to the subject's thigh. This will provide objective assessments of activity levels and sedentary times for 7 full days each at baseline, 3 and 6 months. The device is equipped with an inclinometer to classify posture (sitting verses standing).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2023

open study

Ecological momentary interventions (EMI), which use phones to deliver messages to reduce alcohol use and related risk behaviors during or prior to drinking events, can help to address triggers in real-time. GPS tracking can determine when individuals visit places they have previously reported drinking or triggers to drink and then EMI messages can be delivered upon arrival to prevent risky alcohol use. A mobile app has been developed that uses GPS tracking to determine when individuals visit "risky" places and then delivers a survey asking what behaviors they engaged in while at the location. The goal of the proposed study is to use this app to enhance the Tracking and Reducing Alcohol Consumption (TRAC) intervention by delivering messages that encourage participants to employ strategies discussed during TRAC sessions when arriving at risky places. When they leave these places, they will complete a survey and breathalyzer reading in order to collect event-level self-report and biological data on alcohol use and HIV risk. If their breathalyzer result indicates alcohol use, they will receive harm reduction messaging. It is expected that combining TRAC with EMI ("TRAC-ER") will increase effectiveness by reinforcing topics discussed during these sessions, providing in-the-moment messaging to address triggers, and collecting real-time alcohol use data.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Dec 2024

open study

Often when people with asthma get a virus caused by the common cold (rhinovirus), they also experience an increase or worsening of their asthma symptoms. The purpose of this study is to see if the study medication dupilumab helps prevent those with mild to moderate asthma from having increased asthma symptoms, after being exposed to an experimental rhinovirus inoculation. This is a study about dupilumab which is a drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of moderate to severe asthma. Dupilumab is a medication that blocks pathways that cause asthmatic inflammation in the lungs, leading to symptoms and worsening lung function. During this study, subjects will be given either dupilumab or placebo and will subsequently be exposed to the the "common" cold virus (rhinovirus). The virus that the investigators are using has been safely used before in many studies like this involving thousands of volunteers, and the safe use of the virus in this research study has been reviewed by the FDA. The investigators will track asthma symptoms during the study with lung function tests, questionnaires, specimen collection, biomarkers, and physical exams. For data analysis the investigators will assess the samples collected to determine changes in the treatment groups. The investigators will also asses the symptom scores and deviations from baseline measures for lung function.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2022

open study

This research study is comparing the effectiveness of a weight loss medication called Tirzepatide in young adults with Prader-Willi Syndrome and/or hypothalamic obesity, as compared to young adults with obesity that is unrelated to a genetic syndrome or underlying medical cause. These groups will be given medication for 1 year to see how weight and other health factors are effected by the medication.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2025

open study