All Clinical Trials in Canada

Infants born preterm can spend months in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) where they experience stressful but essential procedures. Untreated stress is associated with altered brain development. Skin-to-skin care (SSC) is one of the most effective behavioral strategies for mitigating preterm infant stress and improving brain maturation. However, parents may not be always available to provide SSC; some infants cannot be held for long periods for medical reasons. To address this problem, investigators designed Calmer, a patented, prototype therapy bed, for reducing stress in preterm infants. Calmer fits into NICU incubators and provides simultaneously an artificial skin surface, heartbeat sounds and breathing motion, mimicking aspects of SSC; the latter 2 features are individualized for each infant based on their parents' recordings. The 1st randomized controlled trial (RCT) in 58 preterm babies showed that during a routine blood test: Calmer lowered infant behavioral and heart stress responses and stabilized brain blood flow no differently than facilitated tucking; infants could be cared for safely on Calmer up to 6 hours in 1 day; Calmer was well accepted by mothers and staff. The goal now is to determine the efficacy of Calmer use over 3 weeks to support optimal physical growth and brain development in preterm infants. A 2-group (treatment, control) pilot RCT to test the implementation of an increased "dose" of Calmer exposure over 2-3 continuous weeks is proposed. 30 infants born between 26-30 weeks gestational age in the NICU will be randomized to receive either Calmer, for a minimum of 3 hours in total/day for 2-3 continuous weeks, or to 2-3 weeks of standard NICU care (minimum of 2 and maximum of 3 weeks). Research questions: Trial feasibility Q1. Is it feasible to enrol 30 infants, complete a 2-3-week treatment period (minimum of 2 and maximum of 3 weeks), and measure growth outcomes in preterm infants (26-30 weeks GA) in the NICU in a pilot RCT of daily Calmer treatment versus standard NICU care to inform a larger, definitive RCT? Infant outcomes Q2a. Are there differences in physical growth markers (daily weight gain, head circumference, body length) between preterm infants who receive Calmer and those who receive standard NICU care measured before (baseline) and after 2-3 weeks of daily Calmer exposure? Q2b. Are there differences in brain activity markers, as measured by cerebral electrical (EEG) signalling, between preterm infants who receive Calmer and those who receive standard NICU care, measured during a resting/sleeping state and routine diaper change session at the end of the trial (post 2-3 weeks of daily Calmer exposure)? Read Less

Physical activity and dairy consumption during growth and development are each known to improve peak bone mass in young adults. Peak bone mass, the maximum amount of bone a person will have in their lifetime, is typically reached in the early 20's in females and late 20's in males. However, evidence suggests that young people do not consume enough dairy to maximize their bone mass. The resulting effect in peak bone mass can be troublesome, particularly for athletes, such as volleyball players. This study aims to determine whether increased dairy consumption combined with training can have an additive effect on the physiology of young competitive athletes. Specifically, we will examine whether Greek yogurt consumption will lead to beneficial changes in bone metabolism and inflammation, in adolescent and young adult, male and female athletes, similar to those observed with whey protein supplementation. Many athletes choose exclusively protein supplementation and miss out on other nutrients vital for healthy growth and development. By examining the benefits of Greek yogurt across different athlete age groups and sexes, this work will help reshape the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours surrounding diet of young athletes. Read Less

The clinic visits (intervention) will continue for 90 days, which represents the follow-up period for the primary medication and health status outcomes. The co-primary clinical outcomes will be obtained at 180 days. Read Less

Patients with ovarian cancer with defective DNA repair mechanisms derive substantial benefit from PARP inhibitor (PARPi) maintenance therapy. Both niraparib and olaparib are effective inhibitors of PARP, which exploit already defective DNA repair mechanisms (e.g., via BRCA mutations), particularly those with homologous recombination deficiency (HRD). These two PARPis have notably different toxicity profiles, with niraparib showing many more severe side effects. In this Ovarian Cancer Canada funded study, we will implement perform HRD testing for ovarian cancer patients in Saskatchewan with response to platinum-based chemotherapy. This information will provide personalized and precision estimates about the amount of benefit that can be expected from taking a PARPi. We will evaluate both treatment outcomes and quality of life in a real-world study setting, to inform future decision-making regarding efficacy, quality of life and cost-effectiveness of PARPi therapy, specifically for niraparib. We hypothesize that for patients who are homologous recombinant proficient (HRP), the median 32.7-month incremental benefit (in delaying cancer progression) from taking a PARPi (niraparib is the only PARPi approved in this setting) will not be seen as being value-add when balanced by the decreased quality of life that accompanies the first 6-12 weeks of therapy. We also hypothesize that for women who are HRP, that PARPi therapy will not be cost-efficient. Read Less

The standard or usual workup for cognitive impairment, including Alzheimer's Disease, may include brain amyloid PET with PET/CT or PET/MR imaging. Amyloid PET is the standard imaging that was requested for you by your referring physician. This imaging can visualize your brain. With the development of new therapies for Alzheimer's disease which require amyloid PET imaging, there will be a significant increase in the number of PET scans needed to provide care to all patients. There are likely not enough PET scanners in Canada to meet this demand. Therefore, we are searching for comparable alternatives. One of the imaging devices that was introduced in the clinic is the Radialis PET imager (or RPI). Health Canada, the regulatory body that oversees the use of devices in Canada, has not approved the sale or use of the Radialis PET imager. Health Canada has allowed the Radialis PET imager to be used in this study. We would like to see whether the images obtained for the brain are comparable to those obtained from a PET/CT or PET/MRI scanner. It is a new type of PET imaging device for patients undergoing a PET scan and has been used in Canada for research. RPI is experimental, meaning that this PET scan is not used routinely in patients' care. In comparison to the standard PET devices, RPI is smaller and mobile, meaning it can be moved around easily for use. Also, it can be installed in imaging centers at a lower cost. These advantages make RPI an interesting alternative to the standard PET. However, the performance of this new imaging device has not been tested in Amyloid PET imaging in particular. As you may know, in a PET scan, we inject a radioactive material (called tracer) which can circulate in your body and visualize specific areas in your body. In amyloid PET we inject an amyloid tracer that goes to the brain and lights up certain regions of the brain. RPI was previously tested for other PET tracers and was shown to be comparable to standard PET devices. Thus, by changing the PET material (to Amyloid), we are pursuing the same aim: comparison of RPI with standard PET devices and see whether it can provide comparable images of the brain. Read Less

The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to compare the short-term effects of a virtual, community-based, task-oriented group exercise program (TIME™ at Home) with a waitlist control in community-dwelling adults with balance and mobility limitations. The main questions the trial aims to answer are: 1. Will there be improvements in physical and mental health outcomes, and caregiver mood and assistance, following participation in the TIME™ at Home exercise program that are greater than in the waitlist control group? 2. Will level of mobility limitation, sex, or gender influence the experiences of people in the exercise program? 3. What will be the costs of the TIME™ at Home exercise program for the organization delivering the program, and the people who are in the exercise program? Participants and their caregivers will be asked to complete 3 evaluations using Zoom at study entry and 2 and 5 months later. * Participants will complete tests of balance and walking and questionnaires. * Caregivers will only complete questionnaires. After the first evaluation, participants will be randomly assigned to either participate in: * the 8-week TIME™ at Home exercise program from their homes using Zoom, or * to wait 5 months (waitlist control group) before beginning the 8-week TIME™ at Home exercise program Read Less

The goal of this intervention study is to test the effects of a nurse-led mobility intervention (known as the OASIS Walking Intervention (Older Adults performing Sit to Stands and Walking Intervention)) in older adults with cognitive impairment, such as dementia, in transitional care programs. The main questions this study aims to answer are: * Is the study doable and are older adults satisfied with the intervention? * Does the intervention improve older adults' muscle strength, mobility, functional status and quality of life? Participants will be asked to do the following: 1. Be interviewed once so that a patient-centred communication care plan can be made 2. Do sit to stand activity 3. Walk as part of a walking program. Read Less

This study is being conducted to investigate how a mother's nutritional status and her gut microbiome during pregnancy contribute to the birth outcomes and health of her baby. The gut microbiome is the totality of microorganisms (e.g. bacteria, viruses, fungi) living in the gastrointestinal tract. This study will focus on pregnant women, 28 years and younger living in the Toronto and greater Toronto area. The focus is on younger women due to their vulnerability to undernutrition. Pregnant participants, and upon delivery, their newborns will be followed throughout pregnancy and for a year afterwards. Throughout this period, the investigators will collect stool samples, rectal swabs, blood samples, health assessments, nutritional and dietary assessments and birth/ labour details. The goal is to define the relationship between a mother's nutritional status and her microbiome dynamics during pregnancy and how they contribute to the birth outcomes and growth of her newborn. With the hypothesis that alterations of the microbiota in the maternal gut (dysbiosis) exacerbated by nutritional status or pathogen exposure during pregnancy, impacts weight gain because of impaired nutrient absorption, leading to corresponding negative birth outcomes. Read Less

This is a Phase 3, multi-center, randomized withdrawal study to evaluate the efficacy and durability of ampreloxetine in participants with MSA and symptomatic nOH after 20 weeks of treatment. This study includes 4 periods: Screening, open label, randomized withdrawal, and long-term treatment extension (LTE). Read Less

The purposes of this study are 1) to determine if CBD modulates THC-induced acute psychoactive effects at different CBD:THC ratios, compared with the control product (0:20, 20:20, 40:20, 80:20, 120:20) and 2) to determine if different doses of CBD modulate other THC induced behavioral effects, compared with the control product and 3)To explore qualitatively whether CBD modulates THC effects by mechanisms that are not detected with standard clinical research tools. Read Less

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the body attacks the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. In the absence of insulin, the body is unable to effectively use glucose for energy, resulting in high blood sugar levels. This leads to a lifelong need for intensive insulin therapy to manage blood sugar and prevent complications arising from elevated blood glucose levels. When insulin is low, the body produces ketone bodies. If ketone levels rise too high, they can lead to the dangerous condition known as diabetic ketoacidosis. Diabetic ketoacidosis remains a leading cause of mortality in children and young adults with type 1 diabetes. Sodium/glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors, such as empagliflozin, are effective in lowering blood sugar but can also increase ketone levels, raising the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis. Empagliflozin is approved for type 2 diabetes and has demonstrated benefits in type 1 diabetes, including improved blood sugar control at lower doses and reduced risks of chronic kidney disease and mortality at higher doses. However, its use in type 1 diabetes is still off-label due to the heightened risk of diabetic ketoacidosis. Using empagliflozin at a commercial dose safely is desirable to maximize its potential renal benefits in type 1 diabetes. While there are measures to monitor ketone levels, current methods, such as finger prick tests, often detect issues too late to prevent diabetic ketoacidosis. Continuous ketone monitoring offers real-time tracking of ketone levels, which could enable timely interventions to maintain safe levels. Moreover, there is currently no data on continuous ketone metrics in individuals with type 1 diabetes using sodium/glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors. We aim to understand the dynamics of ketone levels in people with type 1 diabetes using empagliflozin, including in challenging situations such as during exercise and low-carbohydrate diets while on sodium/glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors. To this end, we will conduct an open- label, single-arm, outpatient study where 24 participants with type 1 diabetes will use continuous ketone monitoring for a 4-week run-in, followed by empagliflozin 2.5 mg for four weeks and then empagliflozin 10 mg for nine weeks. Participants will perform an exercise sub-study during the fourth week of the continuous ketone monitoring run-in and during the eighth week of empagliflozin 10 mg use. Certain participants will be invited to undergo a low-carbohydrate diet during the last week of empagliflozin 10 mg use. The results, if positive, may lead to i) novel long-term (6 months) data on ketone levels in those with type 1 diabetes using empagliflozin, including individuals on multiple daily injections and closed-loop therapy across a wide range of body mass index, ii) data on the relationship between empagliflozin, exercise, low-carbohydrate diets, and type 1 diabetes, and iii) the creation of important metrics for ketone thresholds that have not yet been characterized. Furthermore, we hope this preliminary study will inform future research to investigate the use of continuous ketone monitoring to allow for the safe use of higher doses of sodium/glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors in people with type 1 diabetes. Read Less

This multisite prospective study seeks to determine if HLA-identical sibling donor transplantation using alemtuzumab, low dose total-body irradiation, and sirolimus (Sickle transplant Using a Nonmyeloablative approach, "SUN") can decrease the toxicity of transplant while achieving a high cure rate for children with sickle cell disease (SCD). Read Less