Boston, MA Paid Clinical Trials

Chronic widespread pain (CWP) is a common chronic pain condition in youth and often associated with significant pain-related and psychosocial impairment. Understanding the neurobiological mechanisms that may underlie pediatric chronic pain and pain-related impairment can inform future treatments to ameliorate patients' suffering, making it a critical area of empirical investigation. Read Less

The investigators will test the hypothesis that inhaled xenon will produce a rapid improvement in depressive symptoms in patients suffering from treatment-resistant depression. Specifically, the investigators will conduct a parallel randomized, double-blind crossover study that will compare the effects of xenon-oxygen (35:65 ratio by volume) added to treatment as usual (X-TAU group) to the effects of nitrogen-oxygen (35:65 ratio by volume) added to treatment as usual (N-TAU group). A total of 20 severely depressed patients, 10 with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 10 with Bipolar Depression (BP), will be exposed in random order to N-TAU and X-TAU in a double-blind protocol. Read Less

The goal of this study is to assess response to kisspeptin as well as the baseline patterns of luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion in individuals with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Read Less

In this research study the investigators want to learn more about an alternate, local treatment for skin schwannomas. Specifically, local doxycycline intra-tumoral injection will be performed as a potential treatment for NF2-related skin schwannomas, ultimately reducing the risks and costs associated with standard surgical removal of such skin tumors if successful. Read Less

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare late preterm newborn lung physiology when supported with different continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices. The main questions it aims to answer are: Which CPAP modality provides better breathing support in newborns with respiratory distress syndrome who are greater than 32 weeks gestational age? Does the lung physiology data predict the CPAP modality that will result in a shorter CPAP treatment duration? Participants will wear a belt of electrodes on their chest (electrical impedance tomography) and have an esophageal balloon manometry measure lung physiology data for 2.5 hours while switching CPAP devices. Participants will then be randomly assigned to a CPAP device to support their breathing until they recover from respiratory distress syndrome. Read Less

Older people with HIV (OPWH) are disproportionately impacted by cardiovascular disease (CVD) attributable to behavioral risk factors, and chronic HIV immune dysregulation resulting inflammation. Systemic inflammation is exacerbated by psychological distress via activating the immune response and driving pro-inflammatory CVD risk behaviors. There is promising evidence to suggest that mindfulness could be an effective intervention to reduce psychological distress and support behaviorally- and inflammatory-mediated CVD risk reduction. This project aims to refine and synthesize mindfulness and behavior change content from evidence-based protocols (mindfulness-based stress reduction and diabetes prevention program) to develop and pilot test a new text message-enhanced intervention called "One Mind One Heart" (OM-OH) using feedback from semi-structured interviews with OPWH in psychological distress (N=20), and my multidisciplinary mentorship team (Aim 1). An open pilot (N=5) with exit interviews and pre-post self-report assessments, will inform the initial acceptability of OM-OH and further refine OM-OH as needed (Aim 2). Finally, a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT; N=50) will be conducted to a.) evaluate benchmarks of feasibility and acceptability of study methods and refined OM-OH compared to enhanced usual care, and b.) investigate potential for effects on psychological distress, inflammation, and behavioral CVD risk (Aim 3). Findings will provide the foundation for an R01 application to conduct an efficacy trial of OM-OH to reduce inflammatory-mediated CVD risk among OPWH. Read Less

This is an exploratory pilot open-label study to identify the signal changes on fMRI of patients with tinnitus and with temporary suppression of the tinnitus with IV lidocaine. Patients will include those with hearing loss (both unilateral and bilateral) and tinnitus, subjects with normal hearing and tinnitus, and control subjects with normal hearing and no tinnitus. Eligible subjects will have functional and subjective data collected at baseline, receive an IV lidocaine infusion, and have functional and subjective data collected post-infusion for comparison and identification of involved neural networks. Read Less

This goal of this study is to test an information and support intervention for patients with malignant (or "high-grade") brain tumors. This study was developed to help patients cope after a brain tumor diagnosis. The main question this study aims to answer is whether this intervention (which includes access to an information guide and one-on-one coaching sessions) is feasible (i.e., possible to carry out) and acceptable (i.e., considered helpful) to patients. Participants will be asked to take part in the coaching sessions, use the guide as desired, and complete a small group of short surveys at three different points in time; some participants will be asked to share feedback via exit interviews. Read Less

The overall objective of this study is to compare knowledge, decisional conflict, preferences, and caregiver burden over time caregivers of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) patients by comparing the effectiveness of a video decision aid intervention and enhanced usual care. Read Less

This is a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study of the effects of intranasal oxytocin on bone health in children with autism spectrum disorder, ages 6-18 years old. Subjects will be randomized to receive intranasal oxytocin or placebo (30 IU, 2 times daily) for 12 months in the double-blind phase, followed by a 6-month open label phase during which all study subjects will receive intranasal oxytocin (30 IU, 2 times daily). Study visits include screening to determine eligibility, followed by study visits at baseline, week 2, and months 6, 12, 18 and phone calls every two weeks for the first two months and monthly thereafter for the duration of the study. Study assessments include history and physical examinations, anthropometric measurements, electrocardiogram (EKG), adverse event monitoring, laboratory tests for chemistries, hormones and biomarkers for bone metabolism, questionnaires regarding diet and exercise, and imaging to assess body composition, bone density and structure. Read Less

Calciphylaxis, a vascular calcification disorder, is a rare and serious disorder characterized by calcification of dermal arterioles. There are significant gaps in the understanding of the pathophysiology and risk factors for calciphylaxis. At present, there is no effective treatment. Uncertain pathobiology, rare incidence and lack of collaborative approach have been some of the major limiting factors towards treating calciphylaxis. The Partners Calciphylaxis Biorepository (PCB) aims to address these gaps within calciphylaxis research by utilizing existing and, when necessary, developing new infrastructure to support the consent of patients and the collection of dedicated samples for a calciphylaxis repository. Read Less

A study of how supplemental oxygen helps patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE). Hypothesis: Oxygen affects right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) primarily by relieving hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction and reducing pulmonary pressure (PA) pressure, and that this process is metabolically driven. Read Less