Healthy Paid Clinical Trials in Pennsylvania

Background: During the first few decades of life, the brain changes dramatically in shape and function. Sleep lets researchers measure these changes. Researchers want to create a database of sleep and neurodevelopmental data in a group of infants and children to learn more. Objective: To address a knowledge and data gap in the field of sleep and neurodevelopment in infants and children. Eligibility: Children ages 6 months to 76 months who may or may not be at risk for neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. Also, children ages 6 months to 8 years who have a referral for a sleep study. Design: Participants will have neurodevelopmental testing. They will have a medical, psychiatric, and family history. They will have a physical and neurological exam. They will be interviewed and complete surveys. They will give a cheek swab and/or blood sample. Some participants will have 1 study visit that lasts 2 days. Other participants will have up to 4 study visits. Each visit will last 2 days. Visits occur every 8 months to 1 year, for a total participation time of 2 years. Participants will have a 20-minute daytime electroencephalogram (EEG), if possible. This EEG session will be used to calibrate the machine for the overnight study. Participants will take part in an inpatient overnight sleep study. Electrodes will be placed on the participants. For young children, parents will help place the EEG leads. Other sensors may also be placed. A gauze cap will be placed on participants head to protect the leads and keep the participants from moving them. 'Lights out' will occur as close to participants bedtime as possible. ... Read Less

The Self-care for Dementia Caregivers Study is a behavioral health intervention that uses digital monitoring tools and motivational health coaching to help caregivers of persons with dementia engage in a regular routine of self-care. Participants wear an apple watch for the objective collection of sleep-wake rhythms. They receive personalized feedback on their sleep-wake rhythms via a new app. Health coaches call participants weekly, for 6 weeks to help participants meet their health/sleep goals and promote self-knowledge of regular routines. Participants will help the study team improve the design elements and content of the mobile app. The goal of this intervention is to reduce psychological distress and caregiver burden. Read Less

This research study is being done to learn more about inflammation in the brain using Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) imaging in people with Alzheimer's Disease/Mild Cognitive Impairment or healthy controls. If the subject agrees to be in this study, she/ he will have a PET/CT scan using the investigational radiotracer [18F]NOS. A subject with a specific genetic polymorphism may also agree to be in the sub-study in which she/he will have another PET/CT scan using the investigational tracer [11C]PBR28 for comparison with the FNOS [18F]NOS scan. For subjects who agree to this sub-study they may undergo the brain PET/CT scan with [11C]PBR28 either on the same day as the [18F]NOS PET/CT or on another day. The subject may have a screening visit before the PET/CT scan visit if the investigator needs to confirm the subject is able to be in the study. A blood sample will be taken before the scans. Additional blood samples will be taken during the PET scans. Subjects must also agree to have an MRI scan for this research study if she/he has not had a recent scan that the study doctor decides can be used for this study. Read Less

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a procedure that uses a special type of machine to take pictures of the inside of the body after a radioactive drug is administered. The radioactive drug that is used for this study may be an FDA approved imaging drug or may be used as an investigational imaging drug as part of another study for which participants are taking part. PET using various radiotracers is useful for the diagnosis of various diseases, including cancer, brain diseases, infection, and heart or lung disease. The purpose of this study is to test a research PET machine called the PennPET Explorer long-axial field-of-view scanner. This research PET machine can image a larger section of the body than the current clinical PET scanners, allowing most of the body to be imaged at one time. This scanner is still an investigational device and is being tested in this study to collect more information about how best to use this type of whole body scanner. Read Less

Moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity is known to reduce the risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and other adverse pregnancy outcomes that increase future maternal cardiovascular disease risk (2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee, 2018; Davenport et al., 2018), yet less than 25% of pregnant women meet public health physical activity guidelines (Hesketh & Evenson, 2016). More than 95% of the 24-hour day is spent in sedentary behavior, sleep, or light-intensity activity; however, the impacts of these lower intensity activities on adverse pregnancy outcomes are unknown. This multi-site observational cohort study (N=500) will leverage state-of-the-art, 24-hour behavior assessment in each trimester of pregnancy and examine associations with adverse pregnancy outcomes to inform guidelines and future interventions designed to improve women's pregnancy and long-term cardiovascular health. 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

The purpose of this research is to measure the extent of lung inflammation between different groups of participants using a radioactive tracer called [18F]NOS. A radioactive tracer is a type of imaging drug that is labeled with a radioactive tag and injected into the body. Read Less

This is a single-blind, sham-controlled, clinical trial that aims to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and feasibility of delivering audiovisual stimulation via a Virtual Reality (VR) headset to people with mild Alzheimer's disease and age-matched healthy participants. Read Less

This is a Phase 1, open-label, single center, dose escalation study to evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetic profile of mAb AZD5396 and mAb AZD8076 following delivery of optimized dMAb AZD5396 and dMAb AZD8076 with Hylenex® Recombinant, administered by intramuscular injection (IM) followed immediately by electroporation (EP) using the CELLECTRA® 2000 with Side Port needle device, in a 2-dose regimen (Days 0 and 3) or a 4-dose regimen (Days 0, 3, 28 and 31) in healthy adults. The hypothesis is that the administration of dMAb AZD5396 and dMAb AZD8076 will be safe and associated with expression of mAb AZD5396 and mAb AZD8076 in serum. Read Less

High food motivation among children is trait-like and increases risks of unhealthy dietary intake and obesity. Scientific knowledge of how parenting can best support healthy eating habits and growth among children who are predisposed to overeating is surprisingly limited. This investigation will identify supportive food parenting approaches for obesity prevention that address the needs of highly food motivated children. Read Less

Within few years the peritoneal membrane of adult peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients undergoes substantial morphological transformation, including progressive fibrosis, vasculopathy and neoangiogenesis. Ultrafiltration capacity steadily declines and ultimately results in PD failure. In children, peritoneal biopsies demonstrating PD associated alterations have not yet been obtained. They, however, should be particularly informative, since secondary tissue and vascular pathology related to ageing or diabetes is absent. An international, prospective peritoneal membrane biopsy study in children on PD will therefore be performed. Biopsies will be obtained at time of PD catheter insertion, on occasion of intercurrent abdominal surgery (e.g. hernia repair, catheter exchange) and at time of renal transplantation. Quantitative histomorphometry and tissue protein expression analyses will be correlated with time integrated PD treatment modalities and functional characteristics as well as inflammatory and cardiovascular comorbidity surrogate parameter. Blood will be obtained during clinical routine sampling. Biopsies will be obtained during clinically indicated operations, without substantially increasing operation time and associated surgical risks. The detailed histomorphometry of the PD membrane will give additional information, potentially impacting on the individual PD regime. 3/2018: The analyses of the pediatric PD biopsy demonstrated early and major transformation of the peritoneal membrane with neutral pH low GDP fluids, and significant vasculopathy already in children with CKD stage 5, further progressing with PD. The underlying mechanisms are partly understood, only. In view of these major findings and the numerous open questions, collection of biosamples will be continued in children and also in adult PD patients. The following questions will be addressed: Molecular counterparts of peritoneal semi-permeability, solute and water transport (beyond AQP1), pathomechanisms and molecular and functional impact of peritoneal transformation with low and high GDP fluids, and the respective pathomechanisms and molecular and functional impact of vascular disease in CKD and with different PD fluids. The impact of renal transplantation following PD will be assessed in a subgroup of patients with tenckhoff catheter removal several weeks after transplantation and a functioning graft. Read Less

The goal of this clinical trial is to examine the effects of a nutrition education program on preschool children's food literacy and food acceptance, and to examine the added influence of a healthy eating curriculum and parent education on children's food knowledge and healthful food choices. The project will be evaluated with 450 children ages 3 to 5 years in center-based childcare programs serving predominantly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)-eligible families in Pennsylvania. Outcomes for children who receive the added healthy eating curriculum will be compared to children in classrooms that only receive the nutrition education program. Read Less