All Clinical Trials

The Georgetown University Memory Disorders Program, part of the Department of Neurology, is conducting pilot studies of the feasibility of various diagnostic tests for Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment and other neurodegenerative diseases. Further, this study is assessing longitudinal changes in biological, lifestyle, and cognitive assessment collection. The primary goal of this study is to examine the feasibility of biochemical assays, genetic testing, and cognitive and lifestyle assessments in the ante-mortem diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment and other neurodegenerative diseases. This research involves genetic and cognitive status testing but the findings will not be shared with research subjects. This will be accomplished ex vivo using blood, and/or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens from patients with a diagnosis of probable Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment, or other neurodegenerative diseases and from normal controls. Read Less

This project addresses the role of lab markers around the time of central line placement in predicting risk of thrombosis in pediatric patients with central venous lines being placed. The project proposes an innovative way to predict higher risk of thrombosis in the pediatric population to give clinicians a valid tool to guide clinical practice for these patients. Read Less

The purpose of this study is to develop a multi-modal protocol for pain management after TURP that minimizes opioid use. The investigators hypothesize this approach will provide non-inferior pain control to the current standard of care which includes opioids as the primary agent. The investigators believe this is an important step in reducing the opioid epidemic in surgical patients. Read Less

In this study, the TearCare System will be compared with the LipiFlow Thermal Pulsation System in patients with dry eye disease. The objective is to demonstrate that the TearCare System is safe and effective in relieving the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. NOTE: All sites have been selected for this study. We are not seeking additional sites at this time. Read Less

The goal of this data review study is to collect data to learn more about thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal disease. Read Less

A number of drugs used in the perioperative period may cause prolongation of the QT interval on the electrocardiogram (EKG). These drugs include inhalational agents, antiemetic agents, pain medications, and drugs used to reverse the effects of muscle relaxants. Approximately 80% of patients undergoing a general anesthetic will demonstrate significant prolongation of the QT interval on the EKG in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) following surgery. The concern with QT interval prolongation is that it can result in a potentially lethal ventricular arrhythmia termed torsade des pointes. Despite the concurrent use of several of these medications in a typical general anesthetic, torsade des pointes is a rare event in the perioperative period. In the past decade, the use of intravenous methadone as part of a balanced anesthetic technique has increased significantly. A single dose provided at induction of anesthesia can provide prolonged (24-48 hours) relief from pain. Studies in patients receiving long-term treatment with methadone for addiction therapy or chronic pain have revealed that these patients are at risk for QT prolongation, torsade des pointe, and cardiac death. However, the effect of a single intravenous dose of methadone used in the operating room on the QT interval is uncertain. The aim of this randomized clinical trial is to compare the impact of methadone, when compared to the more commonly-used opioid hydromorphone, on QT prolongation measured with a 12-lead EKG in the PACU and on postoperative day 1. We hypothesize that methadone will not result in significant QT prolongation when used as part of a standardized general anesthetic. Read Less

The histologic hallmarks of lung inflammation include accumulation of inflammatory cells in the airspaces and interstitium, injury to alveolar epithelial and endothelial cells, loss of epithelial-capillary integrity and accumulation of edema fluid in the interstitium and airspaces. Accordingly, for alveolar repair to occur inflammation must be halted, debris and inflammatory cells removed, injured tissue cells replaced, and capillary barrier function re-established. Macrophages are key players in all of these. Here the investigators hypothesize that resident alveolar macrophages and recruited macrophages serve completely different functions, acting independently (i.e. division of labor) yet cooperatively (synergism). Read Less

Current American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines recommend that patients with severe degenerative mitral regurgitation be considered for mitral valve surgery. There remains a debate within the cardiology community regarding the appropriate management of patients who remain asymptomatic. In this study the investigators will perform longitudinal follow-up data with cardiac MRI to inform the prophylactic surgery vs. close follow-up debate and to better define the natural history of this condition. The investigators hypothesize, that in the majority of patients mitral regurgitation will not worsen overtime, left ventricular hemodynamics will remain stable, exercise capacity will not decline, and symptoms will not worsen during follow-up. This finding would have a significant impact on the current recommendations for treatment in patients with mitral regurgitation by supporting a conservative management approach. Read Less

The goal of this pilot study is to explore the efficacy of chloroquine in terminating persistent AF and assess its potential role as a pharmacological cardioversion agent for the management of AF. Read Less

Patients with traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI) often suffer from spinal cord swelling inside the thecal sac, which contains the spinal cord and surrounding fluid, leading to increased pressure on the spinal cord tissue and decreased spinal cord blood flow at the site of injury. The combination of increased pressure and decreased blood flow causes vascular hypo-perfusion of the spinal cord and exacerbates the severity of injury. This is also referred to as secondary injury. Thus, knowledge of spinal cord hypo-perfusion would allow the treating physician to optimize the hemodynamic condition of patient with acute spinal cord injury and potentially improve functional outcome. We plan to use contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) to determine decrease of blood flow in the spinal cord at the site of injury, during the routine surgery that these patients require to decompress and stabilize their injured spine. This may help us to determine the efficacy of certain treatments in improving blood flow and patients suffering from tSCI. Read Less

The Primary objective of this study is to determine whether patients who receive sugammadex immediately after tracheal extubation will exhibit a decrease in the incidence of postoperative residual paralysis and an associated decrease in the incidence of postoperative respiratory depression (which can precede critical respiratory events, CRE). The Secondary objectives are to: a) determine whether patients receiving sugammadex will have a normal TOF ratio (>0.90) indicative of full neuromuscular recovery in the PACU; and b) to improve patient safety by documenting whether postoperative respiratory depression (decreased MV below 80% and 40% of predicted MV as assessed by a Respiratory Volume Monitor) is due to opioid administration vs. postoperative residual neuromuscular block (by comparing postoperative VAS scores and total opioid administered). Read Less

This is a 52 week, 20-patient open-label pilot study on the safety and efficacy of Next Science Wound gel in the treatment of mild to moderate Distal Subungual Onychomycosis. Read Less