The protocol aims to improve standard of care, by ensuring an agile research infrastructure, with an ability to rapidly assess interventions during epidemic transmission of one or more respiratory pathogens adversely affecting public health.

Trials within this protocol can be adaptive, will be randomized, and will have superiority as the primary objective. Comparisons in the trials may be between an unlicensed agent to a blinded placebo plus standard of care (SOC), between an approved off-label agent to a blinded placebo plus SOC, among several active interventions (blinded or non-blinded; i.e., a comparative effectiveness study), or among different treatment strategies.

This project is a pilot study to determine if use of the J-Tip Needle-Free Injection System, used to administer local anesthesia, has any effects on the appearance of skin samples when viewed under a microscope compared with skin samples that have been injected with local anesthesia using a needle. If use of the J-Tip device for local anesthesia delivery is shown not to alter the microscopic appearance of skin, anesthesia for skin biopsies in the future may potentially be performed without a needle, allowing for less fear and pain.

Persistent smell loss that can include diminished or distorted smell function is a common symptom of long COVID syndrome. There are limited treatment options for long COVID-related smell loss. Our study aims to determine the efficacy of two at-home treatments, smell training and non-invasive trigeminal nerve stimulation. This study requires participants to conduct daily at-home treatment sessions, attend three in-person study visits at the MUSC Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and complete electronic questionnaires over the 12-week trial, and again at the six-month timepoint. Participants in this trial may benefit directly with an improvement in sense of smell. However, participation may also help society more generally, as this study will provide new information about long COVID-related smell loss and its treatment.

Substudy

Long COVID syndrome has been associated with cognitive impairment and may be related to affected emotional regulation. This study will use a electroencephalography (EEG) to examine how the body and brain responses to emotional cues in participants who are currently undergoing treatment for COVID-related smell loss. Participation will aid in the understanding of how emotional processing in long COVID is impacted by treatment for related smell loss.

Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit substance among pregnant and postpartum women, with the postpartum period being a common time for relapse to cannabis. Currently there are no interventions for preventing return to cannabis use during this vulnerable time. The goal of this research is to better understand risk factors such as stress, craving, anxiety, mood, sleep, and hormone levels that may contribute to return to cannabis use during the postpartum period in order to help develop targeted prevention and treatment interventions in the future.

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 research is being done to assess whether it is safe and effective to stop oral anticoagulation medications (a blood-thinning medication) during prolonged periods of normal heart rhythm in participants with infrequent episodes of atrial fibrillation (AF).

You may qualify for this study if you have a history of atrial fibrillation (AF) and are currently taking an oral anticoagulant (a blood-thinning medication). You will be randomized to one of two groups: Control Group or Study Intervention Group.

If you are randomized to the Control group, you will be asked to stay on your previously prescribed oral anticoagulant. If you are randomized to the Study Intervention group, you will be asked to take the oral anticoagulant for 30 days only if a prolonged episode of AF is detected on an AF-sensing Apple smartwatch you will be provided.

The main purpose of the study is to find out if patients treated with remibrutinib may experience fewer Multiple Sclerosis relapses (also called clinical attacks, exacerbations or flare ups) than patients treated with teriflunomide (also known as Aubagio). Teriflunomide is an approved medication for the treatment of relapsing MS. This clinical study will have two parts. The first part is the masked part in which neither you nor your doctor know if you receive remibrutinib or teriflunomide and will last up for a maximum of up to 30 months (~2.5 years). This is followed by an Extension Part which will have treatment and safety follow up periods; during the treatment period remibrutinib treatment is provided to all participants who had completed core part of study for a maximum of up to 5 years.

This study is being done to understand whether a different type of electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring that permits longer monitoring is able to capture more seizures than regular EEG monitoring, and whether this new type of monitoring will improve clinical care. This type of EEG monitoring (REMI) is currently cleared by the United States Government Food and Drug Administration (or FDA) for use in hospitals but not yet cleared to be used at home.
Eligible subjects who have EEG monitoring scheduled with either a 3-day EEG monitoring performed at home or with a 3-day EEG monitoring schedule at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). Subjects are in the study for approximately 4 weeks and will need to come to the study center for one or two visits. They will be asked to wear 4 of Epitel's REMI Sensors on their head, in addition to the regular EEG electrodes, for two 2-week REMI EEG monitoring periods. A 2nd visit (clinic visit) at MUSC may be needed if the recording is at MUSC, in order to start the second REMI EEG monitoring session.
At the end of the study, three independent epileptologists will review the REMI EEG recordings and compile a report of any findings. They will then provide this report to the subject's neurologist who will assess the value of the additional EEG information, and save the report within the MUSC medical record.

This research study is being conducted to gather information about patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to better understand their knowledge and preferences about self-help resources and learn how to help patients better manage their disease. Participation in this study will involve signing a research consent form, completing questionnaires, and the opportunity to participate in self-help resources. Some participants may be offered the opportunity to participate in a virtual focus group, as well. Participation in the study will last approximately 3 months.

Hypermobile EDS and hypermobile spectrum disorder (collectively referred to as hEDS) are estimated to affect 1 in 500 individuals worldwide. hEDS patients have limited treatment options for their numerous symptoms that impact the quality of life. This clinical trial tests a new ear stimulation method in hEDS patients to determine if it may improve quality of life.