The Velocity Percutaneous Arterio-Venous System is a minimally invasive method of creating hemodialysis vascular access. The study aims to understand clinical efficacy and initial clinical safety data of the device.
The goal of the DDRCC Biorepository is to collect human samples and health information to store for future research. Samples to be collected are blood, tissue (intestinal, liver, pancreas and/or lymph nodes), stool, and cheek swabs. Participants may be eligible to enroll if scheduled for a clinical visit or surgical procedure during which these samples could be collected.
This study is designed to explore a new treatment option for motor symptoms in people with Parkinson's disease. Motor symptoms and gait disturbance for Parkinson's are often disabling and can increase risk of falls and requce quality of life. We are testing whether a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is tolerable, acceptable and can be administered at-home and used to improve symptoms of Parkinson's disease. TaVNS delivers electrical impulses through the skin of the ear to the vagus nerve which research has shown modulates brain activity. The purpose of this research is to see whether this treatment approach is feasible, tolerable and and potentially effective at treating the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. If successful, this research study will hopefully lead to a larger study in the future where the efficacy of the treatments can be studied.
In the current study, we will recruit individuals using addictive drugs (cocaine, cannabis, opioids, or methamphetamine) and non-drug use control individuals. The study participants will fill out questionnaires, consent, and donate samples (urine, saliva, nasal swab, and blood). These samples will be used to study the causes of unhealthy conditions during drug uses. Our goal is to prevent or treat the drug-associated unhealthy conditions (i.e., anxiety, memory impairment).
The overall objective of this proposal is to identify patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis-Interstitial Lung Disease (RA-ILD) that are at the highest risk for progressive disease at the time of diagnosis. Our central hypothesis is that novel quantitative imaging and specific blood markers will be associated with progressive RA-ILD. Approximately 80 subjects will be enrolled from MUSC and participation with last up to 2 years.
This study examines how parents and adolescents communicate about alcohol and marijuana during mid-to-late adolescence, a period marked by rising substance use risk. Although many parents want to reduce harm, they often receive unclear guidance, and what parents intend to convey may not align with what adolescents perceive. Building on prior work showing that alcohol-specific communication is multidimensional and meaningfully linked to youth drinking outcomes, this study surveys parent–adolescent dyads (ages 15–18) to assess the content, frequency, and perception of substance-related conversations. The study also extends prior research by directly comparing parent and youth reports to identify alignment and discrepancies in communication. In addition, it addresses a major gap by characterizing marijuana-specific parental communication, which remains understudied despite increasing adolescent use. Finally, the study tests whether parents' trauma histories, particularly trauma involving substance use, shape how and what parents communicate to their children about alcohol and marijuana.
This study aims to better understand the experiences and perspectives of people with opioid use disorder (OUD) who have recently been hospitalized for a medical condition. Participants will complete a brief, confidential survey about their views on medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), including barriers to starting treatment, factors that support treatment decisions, and what information they find most helpful. Individuals who meet eligibility criteria will be invited to participate. The information collected will help identify what patients need and prefer when making decisions about MOUD during a hospital stay. Findings from this study will guide the design of a future intervention that reflects patient identified needs and priorities.
LiveWell mBC is a group-based skills training program for women with metastatic breast cancer (mBC). The program teaches skills from dialectical behavioral therapy, an evidence-based psychotherapy, that have been adapted specifically to help women live as well as possible, with metastatic breast cancer. LiveWell mBC involves meeting with a small group of women with mBC plus two skills trainers 9 times total via telemedicine. Meetings include orientation plus 8 sessions learning and practicing skills including mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance and interpersonal effectiveness and they last 90 minutes each. We are interested in seeing whether the program can help women to balance their emotions and better manage distress (e.g., anxiety, sadness) and symptoms (e.g., fatigue, breathlessness, pain) that can be common when living with mBC.
Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. They will have a 2 in 3 chance of being assigned to LiveWell mBC (experimental group) and a 1 in 3 chance of being assigned to Usual Care (control group). Women in the usual care group will continue to receive their standard oncology care. Participants in both groups will complete questionnaires four times total. Participants may be invited to participate in an exit interview about their experience. Participants will be compensated for completing questionnaires and the interview. For most people, participation will last approximately 4 months.
This research study aims to better understand how the brain and body change during physical or occupational therapy after a neurologic injury or condition. Adults who are already receiving outpatient neurorehabilitation will be invited to participate while they complete their regular therapy sessions. During therapy, participants will wear a lightweight cap that measures brain activity and will be video recorded so researchers can analyze movement patterns using computer software. These recordings do not change therapy activities and are for research purposes only. The study does not involve new treatments, medications, or procedures beyond standard care. Information collected may help researchers understand why recovery differs between individuals and improve future rehabilitation approaches.
This study is testing a new therapy called GRIEF Approach (Grief Recovery with Individualized Evidence-Based Formulation) to help adults who have lost a loved one to a sudden or violent death, such as suicide, homicide, drug overdose, or car crash. Many people who experience this type of loss develop depression, post-traumatic stress, and/or prolonged grief, and current treatments often fail to address all of these symptoms together. GRIEF Approach is a flexible, individualized therapy that combines evidence-based strategies to address traumatic stress, grief, and depression within a single treatment. The primary goal of this study is not to test whether the therapy works, but to evaluate whether it is feasible and acceptable to patients and therapists. Participants will complete mood and symptom questionnaires at the start of the study, weekly during treatment, and one month after treatment ends. Participants will also provide feedback on their experience with the therapy through questionnaires and brief interviews. Findings from this study will be used to refine the treatment and study procedures in preparation for a larger clinical trial.