Pittsburgh, PA Paid Clinical Trials

This a Phase 3, prospective, open-label, multicenter study of \[15-O\]-H2O injection for PET imaging of subjects with suspected CAD. Approximately 182 evaluable participants with suspected CAD referred for testing will be included in the study at approximately 10 study sites in the United States and Europe. Approximately 215 participants will be enrolled to account for an estimated 15% drop-out rate. Screening assessments will occur prior to enrollment to confirm eligibility. All participants will receive two doses of \[15-O\]-H2O as part of a single PET imaging session (one dose at rest and one during pharmacological stress with adenosine). A safety follow-up phone call will occur 24 ± 8 hrs after completion of the \[15-O\]-H2O scan. Read Less

The purpose of this research study is to see how well a new type of myoelectric prosthesis works. A myoelectric prosthesis is a robotic limb for amputees that is controlled by sensing the activity of muscles in the body above the amputation level. This study involves a medical procedure to implant the Myoelectric Implantable Recording Array (MIRA) in the residual limb. The procedure will be performed under sedation by a physician. When muscles contract, they generate an electrical signal that can be sensed by MIRA and used to control the prosthetic limb. Myoelectric prosthetic limbs normally use electrodes that are placed on the surface of the skin to control different movements. However, MIRA is implanted under the skin, which could improve the ability to control the myoelectric prosthesis. After the MIRA is implanted, training will occur to learn how to control the prosthesis using the muscles in the residual limb. The device can stay implanted for up to one year. The device will be removed (explanted) by a physician. Read Less

The purpose of this retrospective and prospective project is to understand the molecular and genetic basis of liver cancer of childhood. Understanding the molecular and genetic bases of liver cancers can offer a better classification based on tumor biology, mechanisms and predisposition. Read Less

The goal of this study is to learn about fertility preservation in the gender-diverse community. The main objectives it aims to understand are to: 1. Optimize techniques for processing and cryopreserving testicular tissue. 2. Determine presence and number of germ cells (sperm precursors) in the patients' testicular tissue. 3. Develop next generation cell- and tissue-based therapies for preserving fertility and treating infertility. Read Less

The investigators will test the following: 1) the extent of locomotor adaptation improvement in individuals aged 65 years and older; 2) the association between initial walking automaticity (i.e. less PFC activity while walking with a cognitive load) and prefrontal-subcortical function (measured via neuropsychological testing); and 3) whether improvements in locomotor adaptability result in improvements in the Functional Gait Assessment (FGA), a clinically relevant indicator of dynamic balance and mobility in older adults. To answer these questions, the investigators will combine innovative techniques from multiple laboratories at the University of Pittsburgh. Automatic motor control (Dr. Rosso's expertise) will be assessed by wireless functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) of the PFC during challenged walking conditions (walking on an uneven surface and walking while reciting every other letter of the alphabet). fNIRS allows for real-time assessment of cortical activity while a participant is upright and moving by way of light-based measurements of changes in oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin. Locomotor adaptation (Dr. Torres-Oviedo's expertise) will be evaluated with a split-belt walking protocol (i.e., legs moving at different speeds) that the investigators and others have used to robustly quantify motor adaptation capacity in older individuals and have shown to be reliant on cerebellar and basal ganglia function. The investigators will focus on two important aspects of locomotor adaptation that the investigators have quantified before: (Aim 1) rate at which individuals adapt to the new (split) walking environment and (Aim 2) capacity to transition between distinct walking patterns (i.e., the split-belt and the overground walking patterns), defined as motor switching. Adaptation rate and motor switching are quantified using step length asymmetry, which is the difference between a step length taken with one leg vs. the other. The investigators will focus on this gait parameter because it robustly characterizes gait adaptation evoked by split-belt walking protocols. Finally, the investigators will quantify participant's cognitive function (Dr. Weinstein's expertise) through neuropsychological battery sensitive to prefrontal-subcortical function. The investigators will mainly focus on evaluating 1) learning capacity reliant on cerebellar structures and 2) assessing executive function heavily reliant on PFC and, to a lesser extent, the basal ganglia. Read Less

The NSS-2 BRIDGE® device (NSS stands for Neuro-Stimulation System) is a disposable device that stimulates the branches of cranial nerves and of the superficial cervical plexus innervating the ear. Because the stimulation of the nerves of the ear by the NSS-2 BRIDGE® device (NBD®) has been shown to modulate pain pathways in rodents, decrease abdominal pain in adolescents with inflammatory bile syndrome and due to the results of our preliminary pilot study, the investigators hypothesized that this technique may also be effective in reducing the requirement for postoperative opioids and provide a non-pharmacological alternative to perioperative opioid use. To establish the role that the stimulation of the nerves of the ear may have in reducing postoperative opioid requirement, the investigators are proposing to conduct a randomized, placebo controlled study in patients undergoing open abdominal or pelvic surgery requiring at least 5 days of hospitalization. Subjects who have signed an informed consent will be randomized in 2 groups (active NBD® group or inactive NBD® group). Furthermore, since preoperative and postoperative mood disorders have been shown to increase postoperative pain levels and opioid requirement by up to 50%, the investigators further hypothesize that the stimulation of the ear nerves by the NSS-2 BRIDGE® effects may be in part mediated by a reduction of the level of anxiety, depression and catastrophizing as assessed using validated questionnaires. Read Less

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is mortal disease affecting the blood vessels of the lung. Despite its morbid prognosis, PAH is often misdiagnosed or ignored, with an average time of 44 months between onset of symptoms to diagnosis and substantial progression of disease severity. Therefore, a pressing need exists to develop non-invasive diagnostic imaging tools, particularly that can detect early disease stages. Efforts have been made to develop such imaging capabilities through platform development of echocardiography, cardiac MRI, chest computed tomography (CT), and positron emission tomography (PET), among others. While some have demonstrated promise, few have shown a precise ability to offer disease quantifications of the diseased lung and vasculature itself, to detect early stages of disease, and to reflect alterations of the lung, vasculature, and right ventricle that reflect the molecular origins of this disease. \[F-18\]FGln has been previously utilized in oncology studies as a non-invasive in vivo imaging biomarker of tumor glutamine flux and metabolism. Our preliminary in vivo pre-clinical rodent studies demonstrated that \[F-18\]FGln demonstrated increased uptake in diseased pulmonary vessels and the right ventricle in a rodent model of PAH. The proposed research study will provide preliminary evidence of the potential to utilize \[F-18\]FGln as a non-invasive imaging biomarker of glutamine flux and metabolism across a range of PAH subjects. Read Less

The study will develop and test a behavioral program for pregnant individuals with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This behavioral program will include skills for managing ADHD and related symptoms during pregnancy and after delivery and will be taught by a behavioral therapist in OB care settings. Read Less

The purpose of this study it to test the efficacy of a wearable device to improve symptom management and maximize qualify of life in systemic Sclerosis (SSc) patients in a randomized trial. Specifically, we will evaluate if the Apollo Neuro device may improve the two specific symptoms highest ranked by patients as affecting qualify of life (fatigue, Raynaud phenomenon) as co-primary outcomes. Read Less

Investigators developed a brief, scalable, behavioral Sleep Promotion Program (SPP) for adolescents with short sleep duration and sleep-wake irregularity, which relies on two individual sessions and smart phone technology to deliver evidence-based strategies. This R34 will test the feasibility and initial effectiveness of the SPP program and provider training via pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT, n=50) comparing SPP to Sleep Psychoeducation, a brief session on healthy sleep habits. Participants will be adolescents (12-18 years) with short sleep duration, sleep-wake irregularity, and depression. Read Less

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of acute pain on long-term memory and conditioned physiologic responses in the presence and absence of low dose nitrous oxide. Functional magnetic resonance imaging will be used to identify the neural correlates of these phenomena. The study will occur over 2 visits and involves no long-term follow up. Read Less

Apimostinel shows initial promise as a novel rapid-acting antidepressant medication with minimal side effects or safety concerns. Cognitive Training (CT) is a digital intervention that has shown promise in extending the durability of another similar drug (ketamine). This randomized controlled trial will test the efficacy and safety of apimostinel (vs. placebo) for the acute treatment of depression, and will test the potential of CT to enhance and/or extend the durability of apimostinel's antidepressant effect. Read Less