Healthy Clinical Trials in Houston, TX

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

Young children rely on their foods and drinks for the nutrients they need to grow, like energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals. In addition to nutrients, there are substances in fruits, vegetables, milk and formula, called phytochemicals, that can support health. While researchers know more about the role of phytochemicals in adult health, researchers know surprisingly little about how phytochemicals can support health in young children. One group of phytochemicals are called the carotenoids. Carotenoids are responsible for the red, orange, and yellow colors in some fruits and vegetables. In adults, carotenoids can support visual function. Researchers also know that measuring levels of carotenoids in the blood or optically in the skin, can serve as an indirect measurement of what child and adults eat. The purpose of this study is to determine how a child's usual intake of carotenoids is related to their visual development and their blood and skin levels of carotenoids. The study involves 6 visits. For each visit, we will ask about the child's recent diet, will measure their body size, collect a blood sample, collect optical measurements of their skin, and will test how sharp their vision is. Read Less

The goal of this clinical trial is to identify any differences in elbow ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) relative thickness and joint space laxity in the dominant arm following an 8-week course of low intensity resistance exercises with blood flow restriction (BFR) exercises in healthy volunteers. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Do BFR exercises contribute to a change in the relative ligament thickness of the UCL, and changes in the ulnohumeral joint space? 2. Are there changes in arm strength following the 8-week strengthening protocol with/without BFR? Participants will: * Complete two BFR sessions a week for a total of eight weeks. * Complete an exercise session with both arms (dominant arm will receive BFR) at each study visit. * Have sonographs taken of the UCL at the first and last study visit. * Complete strength assessments at the first and last study visit. Read Less

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn how fructose ingestion affects metabolic factors in healthy adults aged 18-64, with a BMI between 19 and 30 kg/m², of any sex or gender. Specifically, the study aims to examine the impact of fructose compared to glucose on circulating metabolic factors including the soluble leptin receptor. The main questions it aims to answer are: How does fructose ingestion influence levels of circulating metabolic markers, including the soluble leptin receptor? Does fructose consumption have different metabolic effects compared to glucose? Participants will: Complete a screening phone call to review their health history and eligibility. Attend two in-person visits at least two weeks apart, where they will: Fast for 8 hours beforehand. Consume a beverage containing either 75g of fructose or glucose. Have blood drawn at regular intervals for up to 5 hours after consumption to measure circulating levels of metabolic markers. Read Less

This study will randomly assign 2,300 older adults on waiting lists at thirteen Meals on Wheels programs in Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, and California into two groups who will receive: (a) daily delivery of meals, five days a week or (b) a shipment of 10 frozen meals, every two weeks. Researchers will examine participants' Medicare claims to understand if differences in healthcare utilization occur between the two groups within six months after they start receiving meals. Researchers will also ask participants questions prior to receiving meals, and again at three months, to understand how meals impact their ability to obtain food, their feelings of loneliness, and their overall quality of life. The primary study outcome will be the ratio of days spent in institutional settings (i.e., hospital, nursing home) in the six months after participants begin receiving meals. The secondary outcomes include the ratio of days spent in institutional settings in the three months after participants begin receiving meals, food insecurity, subjective isolation/loneliness, and health-related quality of life. The team will also examine differences in dietary intake between the two groups as an exploratory outcome. Read Less

A subset of young adults participating in the American Lung Association (ALA) Lung Health Cohort (LHC) will be imaged using Hyperpolarized 129Xe MRI to assess lung structure and function. Images will be used to improve the understanding of lung health and early lung abnormalities that may lead to chronic lung disease. Read Less

This study is researching an experimental drug called ALN-PNP (called "study drug"). This is a first in human study. The study drug is not approved by any public health agency such as the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for any kind of treatment. Part A is focused on healthy participants. Part B of the study is focused on participants who are known to have NAFLD and a specific variant of the PNPLA3 gene. The aim of the study is to see how safe, tolerable and effective the study drug is. Part A is looking at several other research questions, including: * What side effects may happen from taking the study drug * How much study drug is in the blood at different times * Whether the body makes antibodies against the study drug (which could make the study drug less effective or could lead to side effects) * Explore impact of Japanese ethnicity on safety and PK (pharmacokinetics, or study of what the body does to the drug) of single doses of ALN-PNP over time Part B is looking at several other research questions, including: * What side effects may happen from taking the study drug * How the study drug works to change liver fat content in NAFLD * How much study drug and study drug metabolites (byproduct of the body breaking down the study drug) are in your blood at different times * Whether the body makes antibodies against the study drug (which could make the drug less effective or could lead to side effects) * Better understanding of the study drug and NAFLD 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

To learn if an 8-week, phone-based texting intervention program will reduce sedentary (non-mobile) behavior. Read Less

The purpose of Lunar OI (Orthostatic Intolerance) is to determine if there are differences between males and females in tolerance to and cardiovascular responses during different angles of head-up tilt simulating gravity levels less than or equal to Earth's gravity. Also, this study will determine if a gradient compression garment affects tolerance to tilting and the cardiovascular stress at different tilt angles. Males and females are being identified by biological sex. This will be a two-phased study design. In Phase I we will determine whether there are differences in the development of signs or symptoms of orthostatic intolerance between males and females when tilted head up on a table to different angles to simulate gravity levels that astronauts may experience when landing on or launching from the surface of the Moon. In Phase II, the tilt tests simulating the same gravity levels from Phase I will be repeated, but a custom-made lower-body compression garment will be worn to see if wearing the garment affects the development of orthostatic intolerance. For both study phases, before tilting, a drug will be administered to reduce the amount fluid in the blood (plasma) to levels similar to that experienced by astronauts during spaceflight. Read Less

Venoconstrictive Thigh Cuffs (VTC) are being evaluated to determine the effectiveness at reversing the headward fluid shift that occurs during weightlessness. If successful, future studies may be done to implement these as a CM to SANS. To support this effort, participants will participate in 2 preflight study sessions consisting of a VTC fit check and a baseline data collection without and with the VTC donned. Participants will also participate in 3 inflight study sessions: a VTC fit check on flight day 30 (FD30) and two separate data collection sessions on flight day 45 (FD45) and 45 days before landing (R-45). During the two in-flight data collection days, participants will be studied before and for up to 6 hours after donning the VTC. Read Less

The purpose of Fluid Loading Countermeasures is to determine how the volume of blood and of plasma (liquid part of blood) change during a normal day, how these are affected by drinking an additional amount of fluid either as water and salt tablets (as astronauts do) or an electrolyte beverage (similar to but tastes saltier than Gatorade®), and how altering the timing at which the additional fluid is consumed affects blood and plasma volume. This study observes how blood volume changes over \~9 hours of the day during 4 separate visits in healthy participants. During 1 visit participants will drink a small amount of water throughout the visit. During the other 3 study visits participants will drink the small amount of water plus either more water with salt tablets or an electrolyte solution. Consuming the additional fluids is called "fluid loading". This study is meant to simulate the food and fluid consumption of astronauts on landing day. The goal of this study is to determine the magnitude of plasma volume change that occurs with each condition of the protocol. (ICF 1.1, 3.1) Read Less