Older adults typically have trouble identifying the speech they hear, especially in noisy environments. Fortunately, compared to younger adults, older adults are better able to compensate for difficulties identifying the speech they hear by recruiting the visual system. However, the extent to which older adults can benefit from visual input, and how this influence relates to age-related changes in brain structure and function, have not been thoroughly investigated. The general purpose of this study is to determine how age-related changes in brain structure and function affect how well people hear and see. This study seeks participants with normal hearing to mild hearing loss, who also have normal or corrected-to-normal vision.
We recently published results from a NIDA-funded study of a brief behavioral treatment that was designed to reduce the troublesome cravings that smokers encounter when they attempt to quit smoking. This intervention was based on a growing body of neuroscience studies showing that memories for prior learning can be retrieved by the presentation of cues involved in that learning. Once retrieved, the memories enter into a brief period of vulnerability, during which they can be modified, but after which they are reconsolidated (restabilized) back into long-term storage. The treatment potential of this phenomenon was initially demonstrated in a Science report in which inpatient heroin addicts were briefly exposed to cues associated with heroin use in order to prompt the heroin use memories into a vulnerable state. Once the memories were in this state, the heroin addicts received extinction training consisting of protracted exposure to heroin associated cues. It was argued that extinction would change the memories such that the cues would no longer be associated with heroin administration and reward. Remarkably, after just two sessions of retrieval-extinction training (RET), the investigators found that craving in response to heroin cues was substantially reduced for up to 6-months post-treatment. This effect was observed relative to a control group that received retrieval involving non-heroin cues, followed by extinction. These impressive initial findings led us to replicate and extend the study in cigarette smokers. In our study, one group of smokers received two sessions of RET with smoking cues whereas a control group received the same training except that retrieval consisted of brief exposure to neutral, smoking-unrelated cues. Craving and other reactions to familiar and novel smoking cues were assessed in test sessions performed 24-hrs, 2-weeks and 1-month after intervention; smoking behavior was also assessed over 1-month follow-up. Remarkably, at 1-month follow-up, craving to both familiar and novel smoking cues was significantly lower in the group receiving R-E training vs. control. Even more striking was the 25% reduction in the number of cigarettes smoked per day in the RET group vs. control. [Also of significance was suggestive evidence that, relative to control participants, more participants in the RET group achieved a 60% reduction in smoking (from pretreatment levels)]. The proposed project will replicate and extend these findings by 1) increasing the dose of intervention so as to bolster the observed treatment effects, 2) employing brain imaging methods to identify patterns of brain activity uniquely associated with the intervention and potentially predictive of treatment outcome, 3) adding a control group that will enhance understanding of the effects of RET, and 4) extending follow-up period to more completely document the long-term effects of RET. Positive findings from this study could lead to the development of a brief, effective behavioral intervention to reduce the burden levied against society by smoking. Importantly, this intervention could be easily adapted to treat other forms of addiction and co-occurring anxiety disorders, such as PTSD.
This is a study that looks at the use of anti-platelet therapy and chemotherapy in patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC). Anti-platelet therapy is the use of drugs that reduce the blood's ability to form clots. The overall goal of this study is to see if this therapy combination can increase the body's ability to fight the disease.
This study aims to create a database of people and families with hereditary retinal dystrophy in South Carolina. Patients with hereditary retinal dystrophy will be offered genetic analysis and counseling with the MUSC Center for Genomic Medicine and may donate cell samples for basic science research at the Department of Ophthalmology. This study will add to the research knowledge base of disease phenotype and epidemiology, and allow expansion of research to determine mechanism and potential therapy for inherited retinal disease
This study has two parts and will assess your hearing and the potential effects of antibiotic-induced ototoxicity. Ototoxicity is a potential effect of drugs used to treat your lung infections, and its effect on your ears (oto=ears), particularly structures in your inner ear that enable hearing and balance. Part One of the study will assess your inner ear function that may be associated with hearing loss and / or loss of balance in cystic fibrosis patients taking tobramycin. Part Two is looking to determine if SPI-1005, an investigational drug, influences hearing loss, due to mediations (tobramycin).
You are being asked to take part in this research study because you have been diagnosed with pulmonary sarcoidosis. Sarcoidosis is a disease that can affect the lungs, skin and other organs of the body. Sarcoidosis also involves immune cells which fight bacteria. The purpose of this study is to see if using specific antibiotics will help these immune fighting cells get rid of bacterial proteins and how the antibiotics affect respiratory (breathing) function. The antibiotics used in this study are Levaquin, Ethambutol, Azithromycin, and either Rifampin or Rifabutin. You will by chance be assigned either these medicines or a placebo (an inactive substance).
This study is being conducted to assess safety and efficacy of bone marrow transplant in severe and less severely affected children. In this study, we will transplant bone marrow or cord blood from a HLA-matched brother or sister instead of the currently more common method with a HLA-identical sibling donor. This is a multicenter, single arm trial for patients between 2 and 10 years of age who have less severe HbSS or sickle beta zero thalassemia. Patient must have an HLA identical sibling donor who is less than 10 years old and who does not have HbSS, SC or sickle beta zero thalassemia.
Lamprene®/Clofazimine, is a product of the pharmaceutical company named Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation. Lamprene®/Clofazimine is approved by FDA (the U.S Food and Drug Administration) for the treatment of leprosy. It is being tested in non-Novartis clinical studies for drug resistant tuberculosis and non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM).
If you have been diagnosed with NTM, then your doctor may decide that this infection can be treated with Lamprene®/Clofazimine. This medicine is provided to you in an expanded access program. This means that this medicine is not registered for the treatment of NTM, but it can be used in special situations where there are no other possible treatments. For example, this may be because you have a type of Mycobacterial infection that is resistant or failed to respond optimally to other drugs, or because you have had side effects that prevent the use of other drugs.
A device called the "Liposorber LA-15 System" has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for treating kids with focal segmental
glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). The "Liposorber LA-15 System" can only be used if other treatment options, like drugs, don't work or can't be used, but the kidneys are still working okay. It can also be used if the subject has had a kidney transplant and the FSGS comes back after the transplant. Although the Liposorber System can be used for FSGS, we are not sure how well the Liposorber System works. So, we are doing this study to find out how well the treatment works.
In this research study, there will be up to 5 children who have FSGS enrolled at MUSC. Subjects will come back for up to 12 treatments over 9 weeks and then 5 visits to their study doctor over the next 2 years.
The purpose of this study is to identify a safe pharmaceutical agent that can reduce the AGE levels in subjects with advanced cancer. The term "AGE" (advanced glycation endpoints) refers to sugar-derived metabolites that are linked to lifestyle choices and can contribute to cancer.