Maryland Paid Clinical Trials

Prospective, randomized, open-label, international, multi-center clinical study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the AccuCinch Ventricular Restoration System in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Read Less

Background: The chemical messenger dopamine carries signals between brain cells. It may affect addiction. Heavy use of pain medicines called opioids may decrease the amount of dopamine available to the brain. Researchers want to study if decreased dopamine decreases self-control and increases impulsiveness. Objective: To learn more about how opiate use disorder affects dopamine in the brain. Eligibility: Adults 18-80 years old who are moderate or severe opiate users Healthy volunteers the same age Design: Participants will first be screened under another protocol. They will: * Have a physical exam * Answer questions about their medical, psychiatric, and alcohol and drug use history * Take an MRI screening questionnaire * Give blood and urine samples * Have their breath tested for alcohol Participants will have up to 3 study visits. They will have 2-3 positron emission tomography (PET) scans. A radioactive chemical will be injected for the scans. Participants will lie on a bed that slides in and out of the donut-shaped scanner. A cap or plastic mask may be placed on the head. Vital signs will be taken before and after the PET scans. Participants will get capsules of placebo or the study drug. They will rate how they feel before, during and after. Participants will have their breath and urine tested each day. Participants will have magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. They will lie on a table that slides into a cylinder in a strong magnetic field. They may do tasks on a computer screen while inside the scanner. Participants will have tests of memory, attention, and thinking. Participants will wear an activity monitor for one week.... Read Less

Background: There are many endocrine and metabolic-related conditions. Two well-known disorders include diabetes and thyroid disease. Some of these diseases are caused by a change in genes. Researchers want to identify the genes involved in these disorders. They hope this will help them learn more about these diseases. Objectives: To learn more about conditions that affect the hormone-secreting glands (endocrine glands) in adults. To train doctors to diagnose and treat people with endocrine or metabolic conditions. Eligibility: Adults age 18 years and older with a known or suspected endocrine disorder. Relatives ages 18 years and older. Doctors will review all requests and available medical records to determine final eligibility for the protocol. Design: Participants will have a medical history and physical exam. Most participants will have 1 visit, and may have follow up visits if necessary. They may have tests, surgery, or other procedures to help diagnose or treat their condition. These could include: * Blood, urine, and saliva tests * Imaging tests. These may include X-ray, ultrasound, or scans. * Sleep study * Medical photographs * Visits with other specialists at NIH Participants will provide blood, urine, saliva, or tissue samples. Some of these samples may be stored in the freezer for future studies. Participants may be asked to participate in genetic testing. They will give a blood or saliva sample for this. Read Less

The iCaRe2 is a multi-institutional resource created and maintained by the Fred \& Pamela Buffett Cancer Center to collect and manage standardized, multi-dimensional, longitudinal data and biospecimens on consented adult cancer patients, high-risk individuals, and normal controls. The distinct characteristic of the iCaRe2 is its geographical coverage, with a significant percentage of small and rural hospitals and cancer centers. The iCaRe2 advances comprehensive studies of risk factors of cancer development and progression and enables the design of novel strategies for prevention, screening, early detection and personalized treatment of cancer. Centers with expertise in cancer epidemiology, genetics, biology, early detection, and patient care can collaborate by using the iCaRe2 as a platform for cohort and population studies. Read Less

This study will collect blood and urine samples from patients undergoing radiation therapy for glioblastoma multiforme (a type of brain tumor) to investigate the effects of this treatment on blood cells and certain proteins. The information from this study may help scientists develop new tests to measure radiation exposure and find new ways to treat cancer with radiation, and help determine which kinds of patients or tumors respond better to radiation therapy. Two proteins of particular interest in this study and which may be involved in the recurrence of cancer are VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) and MMPs (matrix metalloproteinases). Patients 18 years of age and older with glioblastoma multiforme who are receiving or will receive radiation therapy as part of their medical treatment may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a history and physical examination, blood tests, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain. Participants will have blood and urine samples collected before, during and after completion of their radiation treatment. Urine samples are collected in a cup and about 2 tablespoons of blood are withdrawn through a needle in a vein. Additional samples may be requested at different times during treatment and in the 3-year follow-up period. Read Less

The primary objective of the study is to determine the relative efficacy of the investigational oral severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) vaccine tablet VXA-CoV2-3.3 compared to a currently recommended vaccine for the prevention of symptomatic Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). In order to represent a more recently circulating SARS-CoV-2 variant, the main study endpoints will now evaluate the VXA-CoV2-3.3 (KP.2 strain) vaccine, and not the VXA-CoV2-3.1 (XBB.1.5 strain) vaccine. Read Less

PRIZM is a Phase 2b randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 3-treatment, 2-period, crossover study evaluating the efficacy and safety of oral zagociguat 15 and 30 mg vs. placebo when administered daily for 12 weeks in participants with genetically and phenotypically defined MELAS. Read Less

Foralumab is a human anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody being developed for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The goal of this Phase 2a, randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled, multicenter dose-ranging study is to evaluate the use of nasal foralumab in patients with non-active secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). The primary objectives that this study aims to answer are: 1. To determine the safety and tolerability of 50 μg/dose and 100 μg/dose of foralumab nasal compared to placebo 2. To investigate the effect of foralumab relative to placebo on the change from baseline \[18F\]PBR06-positron emission tomography (PET) scans for microglial activation, after 12 weeks (3) months of study treatment. Read Less

Background: Chronic heavy drinking can cause alcohol use disorder (AUD). AUD changes how the brain works. People with AUD may drink compulsively or feel like they cannot control their alcohol use. Acamprosate is an FDA-approved drug that reduces anxiety and craving in some, but not all, people with AUD. Objective: To learn more about how acamprosate affects brain function in people with AUD. Eligibility: People aged 21 to 65 years with moderate to severe AUD. Design: Participants will stay in the clinic for 21 days after a detoxification period of approximately 7 days. Acamprosate is a capsule taken by mouth. Half of participants will take this drug 3 times a day with meals. The other half will take a placebo. The placebo looks like the study drug but does not contain any medicine. Participants will not know which capsules they are taking. Participants will have a procedure called electroencephalography (EEG): A gel will be applied to certain locations on their scalp, and a snug cap will be placed on their head. The cap has sensors with wires. The sensors detect electrical activity in the brain. Participants will lie still and perform 2 tasks: they will look at different shapes and press a button when they see a specific one; and they will listen to tones and press dedicated buttons when they hear the corresponding tones. Participants will have 2 EEGs: 1 on day 2 and 1 on day 23 of their study participation. They may opt to have up to 4 more EEG studies (one on day 13 and one on each of the three follow-up visits) and 2 sleep studies, in which they would have sensors attached to their scalp while they sleep. Participants may have up to three follow-up visits for 6 months. Read Less

The goal of this free-choice parallel design clinical trial is to examine the potential beneficial effects of using open-label placebo (OLP) in improving chronic pain related outcomes and sleep quality in people with temporomandibular disorders. This study will enroll a cohort of participants with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) which lasts for more than 3 months. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Will participants with TMD be more likely to take open-label placebo pills if they are introduced to the effects of placebo (e.g., going through an expectation management session)? 2. Will taking open-label placebo plus expectation management improve chronic pain related outcomes, such as chronic pain intensity, interference, levels of anxiety and depression, in the cohort of TMD? 3. Will open-label placebo plus expectation management improve sleep quality in participants suffering from TMD? To answer the above questions, participants with TMD will be randomly assigned to three groups: 1. Open-label placebo plus expectation management group, where participants will complete a 1-hour discussion session about their expectations toward open-lable placebo intervention, and then take 1 open-labe placebo pill per day for a total of 45 days. 2. Open-label placebo only group where participants will be asked to take open-label placebo pills, one pill per day, for a total of 45 days. 3. standard of care group where participants will maintain their usual care without introducing open-label placebo to them during the 45 days monitoring. Researchers will compare the chronic pain intensity, interference, mood, anxiety, and sleep quality between the open-label placebo group and the wait-list group. Daily chronic pain will be measured using visual analog scale (VAS) ranging from 0=no pain at all to 100=maximum tolerable pain. Chronic pain interference using Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) pain interference and pain behavior. Anxiety and depression will be measured using PROMIS-anxiety, and PROMIS-depression scales respectively. Finally, sleep quality will be quantified using the objective measurement Motion Watch during the 45 days intervention and monitoring. In order to have a rigorous measurement of the baseline pain and sleep fluctuation, this study will include a 7-day phenotyping period before the starting of the 45-day intervention and monitoring. During the 7-day phenotyping period, participants will record their daily chronic pain and sleep quality using polysomnography. Read Less

Background: Men who are treated for prostate cancer often develop urinary leakage (incontinence). An experimental device that uses electrical impulses to stimulate pelvic floor muscles and surrounding tissues may help. Objective: To see if the Elidah device can reduce urinary incontinence after prostate treatment. Eligibility: Men aged 18 years and older who have had moderate urinary incontinence for at least 6 months after treatment for prostate cancer. Design: Participants will be in the study for about 9 weeks. They will be screened. They will have a physical exam with urine tests. The Elidah device consists of a Controller and a GelPad. The Controller sets the strength of electrical impulses. The GelPad is placed against the skin under the pelvis. Participants will be given an Elidah device and taught how to use it at home. They will use the device once a day for 20 minutes at a time; they will do this 5 days a week for 6 weeks. Participants will complete a daily log. They will record the strength of electrical impulses (0-35); the number of incontinence episodes; the type of incontinence episode; and the number of used pads. Participants will do a pad weight test. For 3 days before and 3 days after using the Elidah device, they will collect all of their used pads for each 24-hour period into a sealed plastic bag. They will also collect a second set of bags that contain dry versions of each product used. Participants will have clinic visits after using the device for 3 weeks and after finishing the 6 weeks of treatment. Participants will complete 15-minute questionnaires. Read Less

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a debilitating musculoskeletal disease that is characterized by localized death of bone cells and associated cellular elements within the subchondral bone. If it progresses, it results in the collapse of the femoral head (ball part of the hip) giving rise to secondary arthritis. This condition is associated with marked pain and loss of function, often necessitating a joint replacement. Due to the relatively young age of onset of ONFH (often in 20s and 30s), there is great interest in utilizing joint-preserving procedures prior to the need for joint replacement. Joint-preserving procedures include core decompression (CD) with and without bone grafts or cells, vascularized and non-vascularized bone grafting, as well as osteotomies. Inconsistent results for each of these procedures have been reported and there are no Clinical Practice Guidelines or medical community consensus opinions regarding the treatment of early-stage ONFH. The hypothesis to be tested is "Participants who have early-stage ONFH undergoing CD augmented with autogenous bone marrow aspirate concentrate will have better clinical and radiological outcomes than CD alone." This multi-center randomized controlled trial for early-stage ONFH is prospective and controlled for participant stage (only early-stage pre-collapse individuals) and surgical technique. Participants will be evaluated as per routine surgical follow-up, and at 6 months (telemedicine), 1- and 2- years using radiographs, MRIs, and questionnaires. This project will also explore the scientific basis for success vs. failure in individuals who have osteonecrosis, and have different demographics and bone marrow aspirate cell profiles. Read Less