Cardiac rehabilitation is the standard-of-care treatment option for patients with cardiovascular disease and has been shown to improve many aspects critical to patient recovery. We believe that individuals who have had a stroke need to be treated similarly. We will study the effects of a comprehensive modified cardiac rehabilitation program to determine if it can improve some of the physical and psychosocial problems common in survivors of stroke with and without depression.
In this pilot study we will assemble a portable TMS(transcranial magnetic stimulation) unit, in a van, and then test out delivering TMS in Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC)-affiliated facilities in South Carolina, all within 90 minutes of driving from Charleston, SC. This work will hopefully open up access to TMS for millions of patients with treatment-resistant depression who cannot be treated in the current model.
We will recruit up to 30 treatment-resistant depression patients who live near one of the MUSC-affiliated clinics. We will treat these patients, open-label, with FDA-approved accelerated TMS (6 sessions each day, over 2 hours, for 5 days, spread over one or two weeks). We will measure TMS effectiveness using standard depression rating scales.
In this pilot study we will assemble a portable TMS(transcranial magnetic stimulation) unit, in a van, and then test out delivering TMS in Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC)-affiliated facilities in South Carolina, all within 90 minutes of driving from Charleston, SC. This work will hopefully open up access to TMS for millions of patients with treatment-resistant depression who cannot be treated in the current model.
We will recruit up to 30 treatment-resistant depression patients who live near one of the MUSC-affiliated clinics. We will treat these patients, open-label, with FDA-approved accelerated TMS (6 sessions each day, over 2 hours, for 5 days, spread over one or two weeks). We will measure TMS effectiveness using standard depression rating scales.
The aim of this study is to use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to capture images of participants' brains and apply an image processing method called INSCAPE to assess brain states. This study will recruit participants who are scheduled to receive accelerated Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) therapy for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Participation in this study involves two visits, each including a 30-minute MRI scan. The interval between each visit is about one week. Depressed participants will also complete mood assessments at various intervals while they are receiving accelerated TMS for depression.
We will determine if aerobic exercise (AEx) and/or repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) are effective in treating symptoms of depression following stroke. This project is based on the idea that depression negatively affects the brain so that it doesn't change in the same way following treatment, the result being less effective recovery. We believe that effective treatment for depression will help improve how the brain in people with depression responds to other types of treatment. That is, effectively treating depression will enable individuals to better recover other forms of function following their stroke.
This is an NIH sponsored trial across the US where patients who have been or will be implanted with cervical vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) are then tested in a variety of ways to determine the activity of the VNS on different organs in their body. This will involve implantation for those who qualify, and then two trips to the University of Minnesota for more extensive testing. The device, implantation and travel are all at no cost.
The purpose of this pilot study is to evaluate safety and efficacy of a novel treatment, low intensity focused ultrasound pulsation (LIFUP) for treatment resistant depression (TRD). The initial visit will involve consent and an MRI scan, followed by two more treatment visits over the course of one week. During the first treatment day, participants will receive either focused ultrasound or sham stimulation. On the second treatment day, all participants will receive focused ultrasound. Response and potential side effects will be monitored pre- and post- each treatment along with one week and one month follow-up assessments. Follow-up assessments will also involve an MRI scan.
Apathy is a common set of symptoms seen in many people following a stroke. Apathy occurs when a person has lost motivation, becomes withdrawn, and stops doing things that used to be important to them. Apathy has a large negative impact on a person's quality of life, and can also have a large impact the people who take care of individuals with apathy. There are currently no FDA-approved treatments to help with apathy, and other services like therapy may be difficult to access for people who have had a stroke. To address this problem, we are conducting a study to find out if a form of treatment called repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can be safe and helpful for people struggling with apathy after a stroke. Our study will apply a new form of rTMS which can be delivered quickly to a part of the brain called the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Our study will help establish whether this treatment is safe, comfortable, and effective for people with apathy after a stroke, and will help researchers develop new forms of treatment.
This is a Phase II research study to determine dosing of non-invasive brain stimulation for patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and depression. The brain stimulation treatment used in this study is called repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). rTMS is a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatment for depression. The goal of the study is to see if brain stimulation can be used for MCI patients to improve memory, thinking, and mood, and what dose of stimulation works best.
The study uses a form of rTMS called intermittent theta burst rTMS (accelerated iTBS). This treatment has not been FDA-approved for MCI patients. This double-blind study requires 11 study visits over the course of six months.
The purpose of the research is to test out a combined treatment for depression where we stimulate a nerve in the ear while at the same time stimulating the brain with magnets. These treatments are called transcutaneous (through the skin) auricular (ear) vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) and transcranial (through the skull) magnetic stimulation (TMS). For patients who already have a cervical VNS device, we will not change their treatment and will use this in place of the taVNS. We think this combined method might treat depressive symptoms better than either alone. This study is in person at the Institute of Psychiatry in downtown Charleston on the MUSC campus. First, patients will have a screening session and then will have 6 treatment days total where they will receive either VNS treatment alone, TMS treatment alone, or both at the same time. The treatment they start with will be randomized, and they will have 2 treatment days of each combination.