Tuscaloosa, AL Paid Clinical Trials

This study aims to test whether aerobic exercise performed after fear extinction learning improves cognitive, physiological, and neural indices of extinction recall in a sample of trauma-exposed men and women with and without posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Participants will complete a clinical intake visit (Day 0), followed by a three-day fear conditioning (day 1), fear extinction + activity (day 2), and fear extinction recall (day 3) protocol. Read Less

The purpose of this study is to test the drug CORT108297, which blocks the hormone cortisol, for treatment of PTSD in Veterans, and establish a safety profile that will inform the design of future studies. Read Less

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is frequently accompanied by difficulty concentrating, poor memory, and inability to keep up with tasks, which negatively impacts a person's ability to function at work and in relationships. Currently available treatments do not fully relieve all symptoms. A published research report showed positive evidence that the stimulant medication methylphenidate was beneficial in treating these problems. This study will evaluate the ability of methylphenidate to treat PTSD and associated neurocognitive complaints in Veterans. An innovative feature is the study's N-of-1 design. In this design, every participant will move back and forth every 4-5 weeks between treatment with methylphenidate and treatment with placebo, in random order and under double-blind conditions, over a 20-week period. The investigators will compare the aggregated change in PTSD and neurocognitive symptoms between periods of treatment with methylphenidate versus placebo. Results will help clinicians to better choose the best treatment for Veterans living with PTSD. Read Less

Older adults have been disproportionately impacted and distressed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Social distancing and stay-at-home orders have increased older adults' risk of social isolation and loneliness that will has led to a pandemic-induced fear of being in close proximity to other people. These fears and avoidant behaviors will have lasting effects if not treated with effective, safe, and convenient psychological interventions. This study will evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of delivering a small group intervention, called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), through a telehealth modality to Veterans ages 65 and older who are experiencing pandemic-related emotional and physical distress. ACT helps decrease emotional suffering, improve well-being and promote positive behavior change by increasing one's psychological flexibility through the practice of mindfulness, acceptance, and values-based behaviors. The knowledge gained from this study will be used to better tailor the invention to meet the needs of older Veterans in an era of post-pandemic recovery. Read Less

This study will seek to generate the early data needed to understand the relationship between constructs and measures of patients' coping resources and psychological response and measures of patients' financial toxicity. To collect this early descriptive data, the overall goal of this study is to identify social, behavioral, and knowledge factors associated with financial toxicity outcomes. Identifying these factors will ultimately help elucidate targets for behavioral, psychosocial, and/or educational and coaching interventions. Read Less

Many Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have trouble sleeping or have frequent nightmares. So far, no medication has been approved for treatment of insomnia in PTSD. The purpose of this research study is to find out if taking medications called trazodone or eszopiclone can help decrease symptoms of insomnia in patients with PTSD. PTSD is a form of intense anxiety which sometimes results from severe trauma. Symptoms may include nightmares, flashbacks, troublesome memories, difficulty sleeping, poor concentration, irritability, anger, and emotional withdrawal. Insomnia is a disorder that can make it hard to fall sleep, stay asleep or cause a person to wake up too early and not be able to fall back to sleep. Read Less

The SCD-CARRE trial is a Phase 3, prospective, randomized, multicenter, controlled, parallel two-arm study aimed to determine if automated exchange blood transfusion and standard of care administered to high mortality risk adult SCD patients reduces the total number of episodes of clinical worsening of SCD requiring acute health care encounters (non-elective infusion center/ER/hospital visits) or resulting in death over 12 months as compared with standard of care. Read Less

Based on available literature and our own preliminary research, the researchers have concluded that persons with Down syndrome (DS) exhibit difficulties in utilizing the specific spatial abilities of mental rotation and perspective taking and performing complex spatial tasks such as wayfinding and environmental learning. A weakness in spatial abilities may have many direct applications to daily life, ranging from activities such as tying shoes to using hand tools and navigating the environment. Spatial abilities also serve as a cognitive foundation for many other complex skills such as solving mathematical problems and using spatial language for giving and receiving directions. Moreover, spatial abilities are used in a variety of specialty jobs such as grocery stocking, packaging, and assembling, which are among the most commonly reported jobs for adults with DS. Hence, a new focus on spatial ability and its modifiability in persons with DS is clearly warranted. The primary goal of the research proposed in this application is to evaluate the malleability of mental rotation and perspective taking in people with DS through providing intentional experience with numerous spatial activities. Two groups of participants will be tested over the course of the project: adolescents and young adults with DS and typically developing (TD) children. Following an initial evaluation of performance on the two abilities, participants will receive up to eight sessions of spatial activity experience utilizing puzzle construction, block building, and computer search tasks. Following the experience sessions, spatial abilities of participants will be re-evaluated. These data will be used to investigate two specific aims. First, the researchers investigate whether spatial abilities of persons with DS can be modified by experience with spatial activities. Second, the researchers investigate whether the degree of modification observed for persons with DS can reduce performance differences between them and TD children. The researchers also consider whether performance on the PPVT, Raven's matrices, and Chronological Age are associated with any benefits from spatial ability experience. Read Less

This is a pilot/feasibility, multicenter, randomized, open label, clinical trial to test that hypothesis that plasmapheresis plus rituximab prior to or at the time of kidney transplantation can prevent recurrent FSGS in children and adults. Read Less

The goal of this study is to conduct the first community-based implementation of the STEPS program and test feasibility and preliminary impact. After first working with stakeholders to refine and optimize the program we will launch a Hybrid Type 1 open trial, targeting 25 transition-age youth (TAY) with ASD. Read Less

The overarching goal of this proposal is to test the impact of a comprehensive reading intervention program (Visualizing and Verbalizing) on changing the neurobiological mechanisms underlying reading comprehension deficits in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). To this end, the investigators will test a group of children with ASD and NT control participants who share common characteristic of average level decoding along with below average reading comprehension. Inclusion of an additional NT group that does not have any reading comprehension deficit will provide another control for additional comparisons. Read Less

The goal of this clinical trial is to find out if a 9 week group therapy using video from home will help veterans with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). The main questions it aims to answer are: is the video therapy user-friendly for veterans? does it improve veterans well-being and quality-of-life? Veterans will be asked to attend nine 1 hour small group video sessions and will complete questionnaires before and after the sessions. Researchers will compare the group of veterans that starts the video sessions right away with a group that waits before starting the video sessions. Read Less