Maryland Paid Clinical Trials

This prospective longitudinal study will compare incidence rates of Medicare beneficiary surgical and minimally invasive intervention post index procedure, as well as harms associated with the MILD procedure, at 24 months post-treatment with MILD, tested against a control group of similar patients that have had a comparable procedure. This study will start with patients treated with a study procedure having an index date on or after January 1, 2017, and enrollment will continue until stopped by the sponsor. Read Less

Background: Most medications that treat depression take weeks or months to work. Researchers want to develop fast-acting treatments. One dose of ketamine has a rapid antidepressant effect. For most people, this lasts a week or less. Repeated doses of ketamine may help maintain this effect. Objective: Main Study: To study the effects of ketamine in treating depression. Ketamine Metabolites Substudy: To study how ketamine effects brain chemistry. To study how ketamine effects the brain. This is done by looking at metabolites, which are created when a drug is broken down. Eligibility: Main Study: People ages 18-65 with major depressive disorder and healthy volunteers Ketamine Metabolites Substudy: Healthy volunteers ages 18-65 Design: Main Study: Participants will be screened in another study, with: * Medical and psychiatric history * Psychiatric and physical exam * Blood, urine, and heart tests Participants will be inpatients at NIH for 4 phases totaling 14-20 weeks. Phase I (2-7 weeks): * Gradually stop current medications * MRI: Participants lie and perform tasks in a machine that takes pictures of the body. * Mood and thinking tests * Blood and urine tests * Sleep test: Monitors on the skin record brain waves, breathing, heart rate, and movement during sleep. * Transcranial magnetic stimulation: A coil on the scalp gives an electrical current that affects brain activity. * Stress tests: Electrodes on the skin measure reactions to loud noises or electric shocks. Phase I tests are repeated in Phases II and III and in the final visit. Phase II (4-5 weeks): * 4 weekly IV infusions of ketamine or a placebo during an MRI or MEG. For the MEG, a cone over the head records brain activity. Phase III (optional): * 8 infusions of ketamine over 4 weeks Phase IV (optional): * Symptoms monitoring for 4 weeks * Participants will have a final visit. They will be offered standard treatment at NIH for up to 2 months. Ketamine Metabolites Substudy: Participants will be screened in another study, with: * Medical and psychiatric history * Psychiatric and physical exam * Blood, urine, and heart tests Participants will be inpatients at NIH for 4 days. Study Procedures: Mood and thinking tests Blood and urine tests 1 infusion of ketamine Spinal tap and spinal catheter: Used to get samples of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). This is a fluid that moves around and within the brain and spinal cord. Studying CSF will help us learn how ketamine effects brain chemistry Read Less

Background: The National Eye Institute (NEI) wants to evaluate and provide standard treatment to people with eye diseases. Objective: To examine and treat people with eye diseases and learn more about eye diseases and how they are inherited. Eligibility: People with eye diseases who can give consent or have a guardian who can consent for them. Asymptomatic first-degree relatives willing to provide a blood sample may also be enrolled for the purpose of genetic testing. Design: Participants will be screened with an eye exam. Participants will have 1-12 visits per year depending on their eye disease for up to 5 years. Visits last about 4 hours and could include: Medical and family history Physical exam Eye exam and photography. Oculography: They put on contact lenses or goggles. They watch spots on a computer screen for 20-30 minutes. Electrooculography: Small metal disks are placed on the skin next to both eyes. They look left and right in the dark and light for about 30 minutes. Electroretinography: They sit in the dark with their eyes patched. A small metal disk is taped to the forehead. After 30 minutes, the patches are removed and contact lenses put in. They watch flashing lights. Fluorescein angiography: A needle guides a thin plastic tube into an arm vein. A dye is injected through the tube and travels up the blood vessels in the eyes. Pictures are taken of the eyes. Immunosuppressive treatment Eye cell sample: Samples are obtained from swabbing, pressing paper on, or taking a small biopsy sample from the surface of the eye. Blood tests Skin, tear, urine, saliva, stool, or hair sample Exam under anesthesia for some children At each visit participants could get medications, eye drops, eye injections, laser treatments, or surgery. Read Less

Background: Genes are the basic units of heredity. When genes are changed, certain cells don t work like they should. Researchers want to try to better understand the genetic conditions that are linked with inherited eye diseases. Objective: To try to identify the genes linked to the development of inherited eye diseases. Eligibility: People ages 4 and older who have or have a family member with an inherited eye disease Design: Participants will be screened with medical history and medical records. Participants will have one visit that will take 3-4 hours. This will include: Medical and family history Eye exam: This includes the pupil being dilated. Electroretinography: A small electrode is taped to the forehead. Participants sit in the dark with their eyes patched for 30 minutes. Then numbing drops and contact lenses are put in the eyes. They will watch flashing lights. Blood tests Saliva sample: They will spit into a container or have the inside of their cheek swabbed. Genetic testing will be done on participants blood or saliva. Participants may meet with the researchers to discuss their genetic tests. ... Read Less

Background: Spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7) is a disease in which people have problems with coordination, balance, speech and vision. It is caused by a change in the ATXN7 gene. A mutation in this ATXN7 gene causes changes in eye cells, which can lead to vision loss. There is no cure for SCA7 but researchers are looking for possible treatments. Researchers need more information about SCA7. They want to collect vision and neurology related data from people with SCA7. They want to learn how and what changes in the eye and brain when the ATXN7 gene isn t working properly. Objective: To learn more about SCA7 and its progression. Eligibility: People ages 12 and older with SCA7. Design: Participants will be screened with medical history and genetic testing from a previous National Eye Institute study or their personal physician. Participants will have at least 7 visits over 5 years. They will have 2 visits during the first week of the study. Then they will be asked to come back every year for the next 5 years. Each visit will last several days and will include: * Medical and eye history * Several eye tests: some will include dilating the pupil with eye drops and taking photos or scans of the eyes. * Electroretinography (ERG): Participants will sit in the dark with their eyes patched for 30 minutes. After this, the patches will be removed and contact lenses put into the eyes. They will watch flashing lights and information will be recorded. * Neurological exams: Sensation, strength, coordination, reflexes, attention, memory, language, and other cognitive functions will be tested. * Brain MRI: They will lie in a machine that takes pictures of the brain. * Blood and urine tests * Optional skin biopsy: About 3 millimeters of skin will be removed for more research testing; this is half the size of a pencil eraser. Read Less

Background: Malaria is a serious infection caused by a parasite. People get malaria when an infected mosquito bites them. Malaria can cause major health and social problems in places were malaria is common, such as Africa but can also affect travelers who have never been exposed to malaria. Researchers at the NIH want to find a safe and effective malaria vaccine, antimalarial drugs, or prevention regimen. To do this, healthy volunteers are recruited under a general screening study in order to see if are qualified to join a future malaria study. Objective: To screen healthy volunteers to see if they are eligible to join investigational malaria studies. The studies will be trials of investigational antimalarial drugs, malaria vaccines, or prevention regimens. They may also involve controlled human malaria infection trials. Eligibility: Healthy people ages 18 50 Design: Participants will first be prescreened by phone. Participants will be screened with: Medical history Physical exam Blood and urine tests Participants may go more than 1 year without joining a clinical trial. If this happens, they may be re-contacted to see if they still want to be part of this screening protocol. Those who still want to participate and have had relevant medical changes will be rescreened. ... Read Less

Background: Retinal diseases cause the loss of rod and cone photoreceptors. Symptoms include vision loss and night blindness. Researchers want to learn about rod and cone function in healthy people and people with retinal disease. They want to know if how well a person sees in the dark can test the severity of retinal disease. Objectives: To find out if how well a person sees in the dark can test the severity of retinal disease. To find out if this can help detect retinal disease and track its changes. Eligibility: People ages 5 and older with: Retinal disease OR 20/20 vision or better with or without correction in at least one eye Design: Participants will be screened with medical and eye history and eye exam. Those with retinal disease will also have: Eye imaging: Drops dilate the eye and pictures are taken of it. Visual field testing: Participants look into a bowl and press a button when they see light. Electroretinogram (ERG): An electrode is taped to the forehead. Participants sit in the dark with their eyes patched for 30 minutes. Then they get numbing drops and contact lenses. Participants watch lights while retina signals are recorded. Visit 1 will be 3-8 hours. Participants will have up to 6 more visits over 6-12 months. Visits include: Eye exam and imaging Time course of dark adaptation: Participants view a background light for 5 minutes then push a button when they see colored light. Dark adapted sensitivity: Participants sit in the dark for 45 minutes. They push a button when they see colored light. For participants with retinal disease, ERG and visual field testing ... Read Less

Background: Genes are the instructions a person s body uses to function. Genome sequencing reads through all of a person s genes. Everyone has many gene variants, and most do not cause disease. Some gene variants called secondary findings may be important for a person s health even if they are not related to the reason why a person had genome sequencing done. Researchers want to learn more about what it means to have a secondary finding. Objectives: To learn about how gene variants may affect a person s health. To learn about how people understand their genetic test results. Eligibility: People with secondary findings from genetic testing done as part of a research study, clinical care, or other methods. Design: Participants may be asked to do an online survey and phone interview to ask what they think about their results, their healthcare, and if they talk with their family about the result. Eligible participants may be offered a visit to the NIH Clinical Center where they will be evaluated for health problems related to the secondary finding. DNA samples that were already collected may be studied. Participants may be asked to send in a second DNA sample (blood or saliva). These will be used to verify any findings. Participants who have a secondary finding can get genetic counseling.... Read Less

Background: Prostate cancer is the most common noncutaneous cancer among men in the U.S. Researchers want to study blood, tissue, and fluid samples of people with prostate cancer. This will help them understand any changes in cells and genes. These changes might lead to the development and progression of prostate cancer. Researchers think the study could lead to new treatments. Objective: To understand the changes in cells and genes that lead to the development and progression of prostate cancer. This could lead to new treatments. Eligibility: Men ages 18 and older who have or are suspected to have prostate cancer Design: Participants will be screened with physical exam and medical history. Participants will send tissue blocks of their tumor, if possible. If not, they will provide unstained slides of tumor tissue. Participants may provide samples of blood, urine, saliva, and prostate secretions. Participants may have imaging tests. They will lie in a machine that takes pictures of their body. These tests include: MRI of the prostate CT of the abdomen and pelvis Chest x-ray Participants may need a biopsy or surgery for treatment of their cancer. If so, researchers will collect tissue. Participants may answer questions about their prostate cancer and quality of life. Participants may have follow-up visits or other treatments. They may have follow-up phone calls every few months. Read Less

Background: People with neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) who have plexiform neurofibromas (pNFs) can have pain that affects their daily lives. This study aims to improve questionnaires that measure their pain, daily living, and physical functioning. Objectives: To examine and improve questionnaires about daily living for people with NF1 and pNFs. Eligibility: People ages 5 and older with NF1 and a pNF Design: Participants will be screened with medical history. This study will have 2 phases. Phase 1 participants will talk about existing pain assessment questionnaires and how pNFs affect their life. They will have group discussions of up to 8 people of a similar age with NF1 and pNFs, or the parents of children with it. These will last about 90 minutes. Children ages 5 to 7 and their parents will have one-on-one meetings instead. These will last about 45 minutes. Discussions will be audiotaped. After the questionnaires have been changed, individual interviews will discuss the new wording, instructions, questions, and electronic format of the new forms. Phase 2 is now complete. Phase 1 participants may be invited to Phase 2. Phase 2 participants will complete the new questionnaires. These may be pen-and-paper or electronic. The questionnaires will take about 30 minutes for adults and teens. Children will work one-on-one with a staff member and may need up to 45 minutes. A small group of participants will be complete the forms twice-in clinic and 1 month later at home. Also, a small group who start a new pain treatment or have a dose increase in their treatment will complete the forms twice-before the treatment change and 1 month later. ... Read Less

Background: Research has identified some of the genes involved in inherited eye diseases. But for many of these diseases, the genes are not yet known. Researchers want to try to find these genes. They also hope to learn more about how symptoms differ in people with similar gene changes. Objective: To learn more about genes involved in eye diseases. Eligibility: People who have a known or suspected inherited eye disease, and their relatives. Design: * All participants will have a medical history, physical exam, and eye exam. They will have blood taken. * Participants with an eye disease may have eye cell samples taken using a swab or biopsy procedure. * Participants may have a skin biopsy. A 3mm piece of skin will be removed. * Participants may provide samples of tears, urine, saliva, stool, hair, or inner cheek cells. * Participants may have a retina test. They may also have a test that uses light to measure retina thickness. * Participants may have an eye movement test. Electrodes will be placed on the skin next to both eyes. * Participants may have a fluorescein angiography. A dye will be given through an intravenous line in the arm. A camera will take pictures of the dye as it flows through the eyes blood vessels. * Participants may have microperimetry. They will sit at a computer screen and press a button when they see a light. * Participants may have an eye movement test. They will wear contact lenses or goggles and watch a series of spots on a computer screen. * Participants may complete a color vision test. * Participants will provide a specimen for genetic testing. * Participants may have a MRI. * Participants may complete questionnaires. Read Less

Background: - Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. It causes more than one million deaths every year. Researchers want to gather tissue samples from people with lung and thymic cancers to understand the disease better. This may lead to new ways to diagnose and treat it. Objective: - To collect tissue samples for use in the study of lung cancers. Eligibility: - Adults over age 18 with non-small cell lung cancer, small cell lung cancer, extra pulmonary small cell cancer, pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors, and thymic epithelial tumors. Design: * Participants will be screened with a medical history, physical exam, and blood tests. They will be asked about how they perform their daily tasks. * Participants may be asked to give urine and blood samples. They may give a saliva sample if they cannot give blood. They will also give a sample of their tumor from a biopsy they had. They may also be given the option to undergo a biopsy. * Participants may have MRI, CT, and/or PET scans of the body. They will lie in a machine that takes pictures of the body. * After visits to the Clinical Center end, researchers will contact participants by phone every year to check on their health. Read Less