Healthy Clinical Trials in Providence, RI

The goal of this basic experimental clinical trial is to understand the effect of multitasking practice on the structure of neural representations of tasks in the human lateral prefrontal cortex and control brain regions. The main question it aims to answer is: What changes in neural representational structure predict improvements in multitasking behavior due to multitasking practice? Healthy human participants will learn two independent tasks, each mapping a set of stimuli to motor responses based on different rules. Participants will be randomized to one of two interventions. Participants assigned to the multitask practice intervention (MPI) will practice multitasking the two tasks over multiple days. Those assigned to the single-task practice intervention (SPI) will instead practice each task separately while controlling for the total number of practice opportunities associated with each task across the interventions. Both before and after the practice, the ability of all participants to perform both tasks simultaneously will be behaviorally measured using a well-established psychological refractory period (PRP) paradigm, and their neural representations will be measured using functional MRI while they perform the two tasks. Researchers will then compare improvements in multitasking behavior across the two groups, as well as changes in neural representational geometry of the tasks in the lateral prefrontal cortex and control brain regions, and test whether multitasking training is associated with specific changes in neural representations in the lateral prefrontal cortex. Read Less

The goal of this clinical trial is to test the ability of a home-based parental nutrition intervention to improve diet quality in preschool aged children within low-income, Latinx/Hispanic families. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does this enhanced intervention change children's diet quality? Does this enhanced intervention change parental feeding practices? Does this enhanced intervention change the availability of healthy foods in the home? Participants will: Work with a support coach Have a home visit with a support coach once a month, for three months Have a phone call with a support coach once a month, for three months Receive written materials and text messages over the six months Researchers will compare a control group receiving different written materials and messages to see if the enhanced intervention changes diet quality in children. Read Less

The purpose of this pilot study is to examine the feasibility and acceptability of brief lifestyle intervention modules designed to promote healthy eating, activity, and weight control for pregnant and postpartum clients receiving care as part of evidence-based home visiting. Read Less