All Clinical Trials

This study aims to assess \[11C\]acetate positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) as a biomarker for renal angiomyolipomas and pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) and an early biomarker of response to rapamycin in LAM patients. \[11C\]Acetate is a radioactive form of acetate, a nutrient commonly processed in our body's cells to generate fat and energy. Preclinical studies support the hypothesis that TSC tumors enhance lipid synthesis compared to normal tissues, suggesting that quantification of \[11C\]acetate in these tumors by PET/CT may provide a metabolic biomarker of disease. Participants in the study will undergo 1 or 2 PET/CT scans over 3 to 6 months at the Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston, MA). \[11C\]acetate is administered through an intravenous catheter. This small amount of radioactivity is short-lived and eliminated from the body within a few hours. Read Less

The goal of this study is to compare two different ways of helping patients with a condition called sepsis who need help breathing using a machine called a ventilator. The investigators want to study which way of setting the ventilator is better for the lungs. Here are the main questions the investigators want to answer: 1. How does the amount of air in the lungs and the way it moves differ between the two ways? 2. How does the way air spreads out in different parts of the lungs differ between the two ways? In this study, the investigators will take special pictures of the lungs using a machine called a CT scan. The pictures will show us how much the lungs stretch and how much air is in different parts of the lungs. The investigators will compare two different ways of using the ventilator: one personalized for each patient based on their breathing, and another way that is commonly used. By comparing these two ways, the investigators hope to learn which one is better for helping patients with sepsis who need the ventilator. This information can help doctors make better decisions about how to care for these patients and improve their breathing. Read Less

The goal of this randomized, cross-over, single-site trial followed by an exploratory third intervention is to understand how indoor lighting affects different measures of brain health in older adults living in independent living residences. This is a community based study occurring in a local senior living facility. The main question this study aims to answer is: - How does the quality of ambient indoor lighting an older adult is exposed to affect measures of brain health, such as sleep quality, physical activity, cognitive function, and social engagement? Participants will be exposed to three different indoor lighting conditions for 4 weeks each while performing the following tasks: * Wear a smartwatch throughout the study to measure sleep quality and physical activity * Wear a small, wearable light sensor to measure light exposure during waking hours * Perform cognitive assessments throughout the study to detect any changes between each of the lighting conditions * Complete self-report of surveys to assess independence, social engagement, sleep quality, and mood Results from these tasks will be compared within and between subjects to assess whether the different lighting conditions affect these different measures of brain health. Read Less

Our nation is facing the COVID-19 pandemic during an ongoing opioid epidemic. Effective treatment for patients with opioid use problems involves a treatment method called Medication-Assisted Treatment, or MAT. In MAT, patients receive a medication that reduces cravings and withdrawal symptoms and can prevent overdose. Patients also receive counseling. Because the medications that are used in MAT are controlled substances, this treatment is subject to a number of federal regulations. The need for social-distancing during the pandemic would have made following these regulations very difficult for patients and their providers. Because of these difficulties, the federal government eased regulations in March 2020, making it easier for patients to receive MAT with fewer (if any) in-person visits for medication and counseling. Our team is studying the effects of these policy changes on the treatment that patients with opioid use disorder receive and on their outcomes. We are using both quantitative analyses of large, existing databases and qualitative analyses of interviews with patients, providers, and policy-makers to study these effects. Read Less

Vulvar cancer patients with SN-metastasis \> 2mm will receive chemoradiation instead of an inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy. Read Less

The purpose of this work is to conduct a comparative research-focused study to evaluate the effectiveness of how purposefully induced asymmetric walking protocols restore healthy, symmetric limb loading in individuals following post-anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) surgery. Additionally, computational modeling and machine learning to model knee loading in the clinic to determine the optimal asymmetric walking protocol to restore healthy gait in post-ACLR individuals. Read Less

This project aims to explore the feasibility and effects of a symptom-specific, brain-circuit-based, home-based neuromodulation therapy for addressing mood and memory symptoms in older adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) in the context of dementia. Read Less

Abdominal wall transplantation surgery is the transfer of abdominal wall tissues from a deceased human donor to a patient with a large abdominal wall defect. Abdominal wall transplantation is an innovative reconstructive procedure that has the potential to significantly improve the lives of patients with large abdominal wall defects. The purpose of this study is to develop the best practices for abdominal wall transplantation that will improve the outcomes of future abdominal wall transplant recipients. Read Less

This trial is being performed to evaluate the feasibility of the study protocol and to test the efficacy and safety of platelets stored at cold conditions (1-6°C) in 100% plasma for 10-14 days (CSP) in cardiac surgery patients who are actively bleeding and require platelet transfusion. Read Less

In this study, tumors of the pancreas are treated with a device placed around the abdomen that creates an electromagnetic field that generates heat in the tumor. Heating the tumor improves blood flow and the delivery of chemotherapy to the tumor as has been shown in numerous studies for various cancers with potential clinical benefits. Subjects will receive the thermal treatment on the same day and prior to receiving standard of care chemotherapy for a total of 4 treatments. This study is an early feasibility study that aims to demonstrate the safety and the performance of the device. Read Less

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of a moderately low blood sugar stress on the nervous system. The investigators hope that information obtained from completing this study will help to reveal information about how a non-psychological stress impacts the parts of the brain that react to stress and the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system is the part of the nervous system that provides the body with involuntary or automatic control of heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing. Read Less

This study is to evaluate the safety, the systemic exposure of halobetasol propionate (HP), and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis suppression potential for topically applied IDP-122 lotion in pediatric participants with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Read Less