Illinois Paid Clinical Trials

The aim of this study is to describe the effect of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) in the form of functional electrical stimulation (FES) applied to different lower limb muscles on reactive balance and gait performance in stroke participants. Methods: Twenty individuals with chronic stroke will be asked to perform an experimental protocol that includes a postural disturbance in the form of a slip- or trip-like perturbation and a standardized walking test in both laboratory and outdoor environments with and without FES applied to different lower limb muscles of the paretic leg. FES will be applied using an advanced software that is able to synchronize muscle activation with the time of perturbation onset and according to the phases of gait. This project design aims to examine whether a specific pattern of lower limb muscle stimulation could improve the kinematic and behavioral responses during reactive balance following slip- and trip-like perturbations. Additionally, the project aims to see if the kinematic and spatio-temporal gait parameters can be modified during a standardized walking test under different sensory and environmental conditions. Read Less

Studies have determined that compared to cognitively intact older adults (CIOA), older adults with mild cognitive impairment (OAwMCI) exhibit more pronounced balance and gait impairments which lead to an increased risk of falls and mobility decline. Such impairments are evident during dual-tasking (i.e., simultaneous performance of cognitive and motor task) and OAwMCI have demonstrated an increased cognitive-motor interference (deteriorated performance of either or both cognitive/motor task). Furthermore, our preliminary laboratory findings indicate that compared to CIOA, OAwMCI in response to large-magnitude treadmill perturbations exhibits poor reactive responses (first line of defense against balance loss) and are unable to modulate their responses as the magnitude of perturbation increases. Despite that conventional exercise methods offer beneficial effects; they comprise of self-initiated task-specific exercises and may not focus on training reactive responses. Additionally, due to the presence of subtle balance and gait deficits, clinical measures used may not be sensitive enough to determine the risk of fall post-training. Furthermore, these training methods incorporate multiple sessions due to which adherence to exercise training is difficult with only a fraction of the older adults benefiting from it. Therefore, it is essential to incorporate a task-specific strategy that promotes factors associated with falling like balance control, muscular responses, coordination of limbs, and cognition through which OAwMCI may acquire maximum benefits to prevent a balance loss. One feasible method, which harnesses technology that can be used to deliver balance disturbances either while standing or walking in a consistent and controlled manner, is via a custom-based motorized treadmill. The scientific rigor from preliminary studies has reported a successful reduction of falls through a single session exposing CIOA to multiple treadmill-induced perturbations during gait and has shown significant improvement in reactive responses. For that reason, this stage 1 pilot study will examine the feasibility, applicability, and tolerability of a combined cognitive, and perturbation training on biomechanical determinants associated with falls and promote physical activity: kinematic variables, muscular responses, and cognitive function. Read Less

The overall goal of the DISCOVERY study is to better understand what factors contribute to changes in cognitive (i.e., thinking and memory) abilities in patients who experienced a stroke. The purpose of the study is to help doctors identify patients at risk for dementia (decline in memory, thinking and other mental abilities that significantly affects daily functioning) after their stroke so that future treatments may be developed to improve outcomes in stroke patients. For this study, a "stroke" is defined as either (1) an acute ischemic stroke (AIS, or blood clot in the brain), (2) an intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH, or bleeding in the brain), (3) or an aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH, or bleeding around the brain caused by an abnormal bulge in a blood vessel that bursts). The investigators hypothesize that: 1. The size, type and location of the stroke play an important role in recovery of thinking and memory abilities after stroke, and pre-existing indicators of brain health further determine the extent of this recovery. 2. Specific stroke events occurring in individuals with underlying genetic or biological risk factors can cause further declines in brain heath, leading to changes in thinking and memory abilities after stroke. 3. Studying thinking and memory alongside brain imaging and blood samples in patients who have had a stroke allows for earlier identification of declining brain health and development of individualized treatment plans to improve patient outcomes in the future. Read Less

The purpose of this study is to develop biocompatible wireless electronic devices that will allow continuous, non-invasive hemodynamic and physiology measurements in the ICU. Read Less

Patients with a primary invasive melanoma are recommended to undergo excision of the primary lesion with a wide margin. There is evidence that less radical margins of excision may be just as safe. This is a randomised controlled trial of 1 cm versus 2 cm margin of excision of the primary lesion for adult patients with stage II primary invasive cutaneous melanomas (AJCC 8th edition) to determine differences in disease-free survival. A reduction in margins is expected to improve patient quality of life. Read Less

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most commonly diagnosed non-cutaneous cancer of men in the world. In 2023 alone, it is estimated that 288,300 US men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 34,700 will die from the disease despite the approval of multiple systemic agents. Due to advances in screening and imaging technology, PCa is now detected much earlier in its disease course. Prostate gland ablation for prostate cancer might provide the option for a "middle" ground between active surveillance (AS) and radical therapy by destroying prostate cancer in a minimally invasive or non-invasive fashion and thus limiting the morbidity. This treatment strategy is increasingly being offered to patients due to low morbidity but the data on long term oncologic efficacy and side effect profile is lacking for such a treatment strategy. The purpose of this study is to create a database and prospective registry for data collection on patients with prostate cancer undergoing prostate ablation for the management of prostate cancer. Patients with biopsy-proven prostate cancer of any Gleason Grade will be entered into the registry as long as prostate ablation is used as the prostate cancer management modality. Historical data from 2017 to the present time will be added through chart review. Current and future patient data will be collected through chart review during the subject's clinical care. Only data available in the electronic medical record will be collected and no additional data will be collected for research purposes. No biospecimens will be collected, and there are no physical risks from study participation. Read Less

Our objective is to assess the effect of duration of ureteral rest, defined as time from conversion of ureteral stent to percutaneous nephrostomy, on stricture length prior to ureteral reconstruction surgery. Read Less

The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of Caption LungAI. Read Less

The purpose of this study is to learn about the safety of islet transplantation when performed after kidney transplantation, which may provide more normal control of blood sugar without the need for insulin shots. Islets are special clusters of cells within the pancreas that produce insulin. These cells will be obtained from cadaver (non-living) donors and given to subjects by vein. Read Less

More than one million Americans present with foot drop after stroke. As the aging population grows in the United States and across the world, incidence of stroke will grow as age is a key risk factor, thus there will be a need for low-cost, easy-to-use, and scalable solutions to administer proper therapy to promote recovery. This study will evaluate a Variable Friction shoe (VF shoe), a new low-cost medical device, for foot drop in an at-home setting. Read Less

The proposed Conventional Cohort Expansion Study involves the use of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs) are derived from the bone marrow. We previously studied the safety of subconjunctival injection of allogeneic bone marrow-derived MSCs in patients with nonhealing epitheliopathy (IRB Protocol 2020-0334). In the present study, we want to study the efficacy of this treatment on chronic epitheliopathies. Read Less

Despite strong consensus that early, specialized intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can have a dramatic impact on outcomes, the public health system's capacity to provide such services is severely challenged by the rapid rise in ASD prevalence. The goal of this research project is to increase timely and equitable access to ASD-specialized early intervention during the critical first three years of life by capitalizing on the existing infrastructure of the Part C Early Intervention (EI) system, which is publicly funded and available in all states in the United States. This project will train EI providers to use an evidence-based, parent-mediated intervention that can improve child and family outcomes as well as mitigate the long-term substantial economic costs associated with ASD. Read Less