In a 2x2 design, current menthol smokers (N=240) will complete a baseline period before being assigned to a cigarette (menthol or non-menthol) and e-cigarette condition (menthol or tobacco-flavored e-liquid) and receiving a 7-week supply of cigarettes and e-cigarettes. The study builds upon our well-established methodology for simulating tobacco regulatory policies. To model a ban, smokers will be instructed to only use their assigned products. Primary outcomes include cigarette smoking and e-cigarette use during Week 6. However, because a menthol ban may impact the ability to abstain from smoking, we will incentivize participants to abstain from smoking during Week 7 (continued e-cigarette use allowed) and assess the time to first lapse. Participants will complete daily electronic diaries assessing tobacco product use throughout, which will be corroborated by biomarkers for menthol, nicotine, and smoke. Finally, to maximize the utility of these data for FDA regulation, we will assess whether any demographic or baseline smoking characteristics moderate the observed treatment effects, calibrate the treatment effects to the US adult menthol smoking population, and model the effects of menthol regulation in cigarettes and e-cigarettes on smoking and vaping-attributable deaths and life-years lost.
In a 2x2 design, current menthol smokers (N=240) will complete a baseline period before being assigned to a cigarette (menthol or non-menthol) and e-cigarette condition (menthol or tobacco-flavored e-liquid) and receiving a 7-week supply of cigarettes and e-cigarettes. The study builds upon our well-established methodology for simulating tobacco regulatory policies. To model a ban, smokers will be instructed to only use their assigned products. Primary outcomes include cigarette smoking and e-cigarette use during Week 6. However, because a menthol ban may impact the ability to abstain from smoking, we will incentivize participants to abstain from smoking during Week 7 (continued e-cigarette use allowed) and assess the time to first lapse. Participants will complete daily electronic diaries assessing tobacco product use throughout, which will be corroborated by biomarkers for menthol, nicotine, and smoke. Finally, to maximize the utility of these data for FDA regulation, we will assess whether any demographic or baseline smoking characteristics moderate the observed treatment effects, calibrate the treatment effects to the US adult menthol smoking population, and model the effects of menthol regulation in cigarettes and e-cigarettes on smoking and vaping-attributable deaths and life-years lost.
Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide and is more commonly seen in individuals post-spinal cord injury (SCI) than in the general population. Depression post-SCI impacts an individual's quality of life and recovery. It has been reported that among people with an SCI, those without depression live longer than those with depression. Thus, depression must be treated appropriately. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an FDA-approved treatment for depression, but dosing is based on a motor response in the thumb. Over half of individuals with SCI have some degree of arm or hand impairment, so these individuals might not be eligible for rTMS, or they may receive the wrong dose. This study proposes a pilot clinical trial in individuals with depression post-SCI to assess the anti-depressant effect of a novel way to dose rTMS that does not require a motor response. By gaining a better understanding of the application of rTMS for depression post-SCI, we aim to advance the rehabilitative care of those with SCI.
Approximately 50% of people who have had a stroke report feelings of tiredness and/or a lack of energy that is not reduced with rest and sleep. This phenomenon is known as post-stroke fatigue. Post-stroke fatigue negatively affects an individual's quality of life and participation in rehabilitation, social, and physical activities. There are currently no known effective treatment options for people with post-stroke fatigue. This study will investigate the use of a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to treat post-stroke fatigue. This method has proven useful in other conditions such as depression and we will measure the effects of TMS on reducing fatigue in individuals more than six months post-stroke.
The purpose of this study is to learn how well a new mobile app helps families manage their child's nephrotic syndrome. We will be asking what parents think of the new app and how we can improve the design of the app. We will look for 60 parents to participate in the study, from 4 children's kidney clinics in the United States. The study will last 12 months. Participants will be asked to check their child's urine protein levels at home daily and answer surveys. If participants are randomly assigned to the mobile app study arm, they will be asked to use the app. The risks associated with participating in this study include loss of privacy and breach of confidentiality. There are no anticipated benefits to your child from participating in the study, but we hope that in the future the app will help families manage nephrotic syndrome. The alternative is to not participate in this study. Participants will be compensated for their participation in the study.
This study is for participants who have tricuspid regurgitation, a condition in which your heart's tricuspid valve does not close tightly which causes blood to flow backwards in the incorrect direction. This condition increases the workload on the heart and if left untreated, it can increase the risk of worsening heart failure. In this study, a device called the PASCAL Transcatheter Valve Repair System will be used to treat the tricuspid regurgitation. The PASCAL Transcatheter Valve Repair System is an investigational device meaning it has not been approved for commercial use by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In this study participants will be randomized, meaning randomly assigned like drawing straws, in a 2:1 fashion to either receive the PASCAL Transcatheter Valve Repair System (treatment group) or optimal medical therapy (OMT) (control group). OMT means your medications will be adjusted as needed to provide the most benefit possible. Participants randomized to the OMT group may be eligible to receive the device after completing 2 years of follow up. Participants not eligible for randomization may be eligible for the registry portion of the study if approved by the sponsor. The registry arm participants will not be randomized but will undergo the procedure to place the device.
Participation in this study will last about 5 years and involve up to 15 visits for those in the treatment or registry group and 11 visit for those in the control group. Study related procedures include a right heart catheterization (test to measure the pressures in the heart), echocardiograms (ultrasound test of heart), electrocardiogram or ECG (test of the heart's electrical system) blood work, questionnaires, hall walk test, and physical exam.
This study is attempting to understand whether 30-minutes of a new ear stimulation technology can reduce pain in healthy individuals. Participants in this trial will attend two experimental visits, during which they will receive ear stimulation during the intravenous administration (I.V.) of either saline or naloxone. During each visit, the amount of thermal pain participants can tolerate will be determined before and after ear stimulation. Brain scans will also be collected before and after ear stimulation. Each visit should last about 3 hours.
In this research study, healthy participants will receive ear stimulation during brain imaging. Ear stimulation will involve the study team applying small electrodes to the outer part of your left ear and administering small amounts of electrical stimulation that may cause you to feel a "tickling" sensation on your ear. Participants will receive four, 8-min ear stimulation sessions in the scanner, and the order of the sessions is randomly assigned to you.
Knowledge gained from this study will help us better understand how stimulation of nerves in your ear turns on different parts of the brain.
Improving alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment among Veterans is a national public health problem. The rate of AUD among Veterans is twice that of civilians, with up to 50% of Veterans having AUD. Family-based AUD programs are rarely undertaken in busy treatment clinics, and Veterans with problem drinking behavior or AUD are commonly excluded from couple therapies. As a result, there is a need to develop effective family AUD treatments that are both brief and highly accessible to Veterans.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate a new treatment add-on called Brief Family-Involved Treatment (B-FIT), which will be delivered via telehealth among Veterans engaged in alcohol-based treatment/therapy.
This study is an 12-week, Stage-II, open randomized controlled trial examining B-FIT in combination with treatment as usual, TAU (i.e., B-FIT + CBT treatment) as compared to TAU alone (i.e., CBT treatment). Veterans and their treatment companion (family member, partner, friend) will complete weekly assessments during the treatment phase in addition to 3 & 6 month follow-up assessments, all via telehealth.
This study is for patients with melanoma. This study is being done to answer if a 1-centimeter margin as good as a 2-centimeter margin at reducing the risk of melanoma returning.