Mass General - Division of Clinical Research

The overarching goal of this research is to use machine learning analysis of high-resolution data-collected by wearable technology-of cardiothoracic surgical patients to assess recovery and detect complications at their earliest stage

Type: Observational

Start Date: Jul 2021

open study

The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of tDCS in combination with TUS for the treatment of pain in subjects with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. The investigators hypothesize that there will be a decrease in pain levels with active stimulation, when compared to sham stimulation.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2021

open study

Calciphylaxis, a vascular calcification disorder, is a rare and serious disorder characterized by calcification of dermal arterioles. There are significant gaps in the understanding of the pathophysiology and risk factors for calciphylaxis. At present, there is no effective treatment. Uncertain pathobiology, rare incidence and lack of collaborative approach have been some of the major limiting factors towards treating calciphylaxis. The Partners Calciphylaxis Biorepository (PCB) aims to address these gaps within calciphylaxis research by utilizing existing and, when necessary, developing new infrastructure to support the consent of patients and the collection of dedicated samples for a calciphylaxis repository.

Type: Observational [Patient Registry]

Start Date: Jan 2017

open study

The goal of this project is to conduct a randomized, hybrid type 1 effectiveness-implementation trial (N=200) to evaluate the effectiveness and implementation of a 10-week mind-body and walking program (GetActive+) vs treatment as usual (TAU). The investigators will test for improvements in self-reported, performance-based (i.e., six-minute walk test), and objective (i.e., step-count) physical function, emotional function, as well as feasibility, acceptability and implementation markers. Participants will complete measures at baseline (0 weeks), post-intervention (1 week after intervention completion), and 6-month follow-up. This study will receive support from and inclusion in the HEAL Initiative (https://heal.nih.gov/).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2024

open study

We are doing this research to identify biomarkers in individuals who are at-risk for familial prion disease. We hope to use these biomarkers to predict timing of disease onset in pre-symptomatic individuals and to guide the direction of future clinical trials.

Type: Observational [Patient Registry]

Start Date: Dec 2017

open study

Prospective, randomized, open-label, international, multi-center clinical study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the AccuCinch Ventricular Restoration System in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Dec 2020

open study

The purpose of this study is to compare treatment with olorofim versus treatment with AmBisome® followed by standard of care (SOC) in patients with IFD caused by proven IA or probable lower respiratory tract disease Aspergillus species (invasive aspergillosis, IA).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2022

open study

This research study is being done to monitor common symptoms and behavior, and to provide supportive care information and peer support, as well as research opportunities for young women ages of 18-39 years old who have been diagnosed with stage 0-IV stage breast cancer using a web-based portal (YES), built for smartphones, tablets, and computers.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2020

open study

The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of a prehabilitation program for participants diagnosed with rectal cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy and/or radiation, followed by surgical resection. The names of the groups in this research study are: - Group A: Prehabilitation program - Group B: Usual Care

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Dec 2024

open study

This collaborative screening protocol, developed by the Lung Cancer Mutation Consortium (LCMC) and supported by the Thoracic Surgery Oncology Group (TSOG), is designed to determine the feasibility of comprehensive molecular profiling to detect actionable oncogenic drivers in patients with suspected early stage lung cancers scheduled to undergo biopsies to establish the diagnosis of lung cancer. The primary purpose of this testing is to determine the presence of 12 oncogenic drivers (mutations in EGFR, BRAFV600E , MET exon 14, KRAS G12C and HER2, rearrangements in ALK, RET, NTRK, EGFR exon 20 insertion and ROS1, and amplification of MET and HER2) that can serve as targets making patients eligible for upcoming targeted neoadjuvant therapy trials. The ultimate goal is to use this information from the screening process to select the optimal neoadjuvant therapy and wherever possible enroll patients onto separate neoadjuvant therapy trials with genomically matched treatments or other appropriate trials if no actionable driver mutation is detected. Thoracic Surgery Oncology Group (TSOG) is a network of surgeons within North American Thoracic Surgery Academic Centers aligned with the goal of enhancing patient care through administration of multi-site trials focused on recent advances in lung cancer. TSOG has aligned with the LCMC4 sites to enroll the LCRF-LEADER screening trial. TSOG's involvement will be essential in trial enrollment and ultimate interpretation of the multimodal clinical and translational data collected as part of this study. We estimate we will detect an actionable oncogenic driver in 33% of cases. The remaining 66% of patients will represent a cohort identified by their care teams as candidates for other potential neoadjuvant therapies which may include checkpoint inhibitors such as atezolizumab, durvalumab, nivolumab, and pembrolizumab or other novel agents. The targeted therapy treatment trials will be conducted independently of the LCRF-LEADER screening trial, evaluating for efficacy. If none of the 10 oncogenic drivers are detected, the patient will be offered participation in any clinical trial of neoadjuvant therapy available at their treating institution or standard of care therapy. For patients not enrolled on a targeted treatment trial, circulating tumor DNA in blood (ctDNA) will be collected at 3 time points: before neoadjuvant treatment, after neoadjuvant treatment but before surgery, and after surgery. This initiative will be correlated with various clinical outcomes. Prespecified clinical data will be collected for correlation with these circulating biomarkers.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Jun 2022

open study

This research study is evaluating the impact a collaborative palliative care and oncology team will have on end-of-life outcomes, quality of end-of-life care, and the quality of life, symptoms, and mood of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) receiving non-intensive therapy

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2017

open study

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are common. Post-TBI depression is associated with anxiety, aggression, fatigue, distractibility, anger, irritability, and rumination. The current research group conducted a pilot clinical trial, which investigated the novel treatment combination of buspirone and melatonin (B+MEL) in outpatients with clinical depression. Compared to placebo, B+MEL was associated with a significant improvement in depressive symptoms. Depression following TBI may be different from clinical depression. The B+MEL combination has never been studied in patients with post-TBI depression. The B+MEL has shown promise in ameliorating cognitive difficulties in people with depression. Because cognitive problems are typical in people with post-TBI depression, we plan to measure the effect of the B+MEL combination on cognitive ability in post-TBI depression. Additionally, we are interested in measuring functional magnetic resonance imaging changes before and after treatment with B+MEL in order to gain insight into the brain mechanisms of our hypothesized clinical symptom changes. The goals of the proposed pilot research project are to assess changes in symptoms in patients with post-TBI depression following Buspirone + Melatonin combination (B+MEL), and the corresponding brain mechanisms underlying these hypothesized changes by measuring: 1) depressive symptoms; 2) cognitive symptoms; 3) functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2020

open study

This research is being done to assess the quality of life and symptom burden in participants who receive (normal tissue sparing whole brain radiation therapy (NTS-WBRT). This research study involves: - NTS-WBRT (normal tissue sparing whole brain radiation therapy) - Memantine standard of care drug

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2022

open study

NAFLD is a growing threat to public health. Currently, there is a significant need for highly effective treatments for NAFLD. Non-obese NAFLD (BMI<30kg/m2) is an increasingly recognized condition, sometimes described as "lean NAFLD". Intermittent Fasting (IF) may be uniquely beneficial in non-obese NAFLD. The purpose of this study is to identify non-pharmacologic, lifestyle-based methods of NAFLD treatment within non-obese adults.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2022

open study

The goal of this observational study is to evaluate the feasibility of using wearable sensor and digital technologies to measure motor and speech function in adults with autoimmune Myasthenia Gravis (MG). The main question[s] it aims to answer are: - To measure the correlation of sensor-based measures of motor function with existing outcome measures including the MG-ADL, MGQOL15r, QMG, MGComposite, and Neuro-QOL Fatigue scales. - To develop and validate tablet-based digital assessments of speech and facial expression and to compare with existing outcome measures. Participants will wear a pendant sensor for 7 days and then participate in tablet-based and in-person myasthenia-specific physical examinations. This will be performed in concert with routine care in the Massachusetts General Hospital MG clinic.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Feb 2024

open study

This study will evaluate the effectiveness of skin cooling in increasing tolerability of four treatments in Neurofibromatosis Type 1 Cutaneous Neurofibromas. These treatments are: a 980nm laser, a 755nm laser, radio-frequency injection, and a Kybella injection. Each patient will have a treatment and a control site..

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2024

open study

A greater extent of resection of the contrast-enhancing (CE) tumor part has been associated with improved outcomes in high-grade glioma patients. Recent results suggest that resection of the non-contrast-enhancing (NCE) part might yield even better survival outcomes (supramaximal resection, SMR). Therefore, this study evaluates the efficacy and safety of SMR with and without mapping techniques in HGG patients in terms of survival, functional, neurological, cognitive, and quality of life outcomes. Furthermore, it evaluates which patients benefit the most from SMR, and how they could be identified preoperatively. This study is an international, multicenter, prospective, 2-arm cohort study of observational nature. Consecutive HGG patients will be operated with supramaximal resection or maximal resection at a 1:3 ratio. Primary endpoints are: 1) overall survival and 2) proportion of patients with NIHSS (National Institute of Health Stroke Scale) deterioration at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months postoperatively. Secondary endpoints are 1) residual CE and NCE tumor volume on postoperative T1-contrast and FLAIR MRI scans 2) progression-free survival; 3) onco-functional outcome, and 4) quality of life at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months postoperatively. The study will be carried out by the centers affiliated with the European and North American Consortium and Registry for Intraoperative Mapping (ENCRAM).

Type: Observational

Start Date: Jan 2022

open study

This study is being done to see if losartan affects the chances of developing radiation-induced heart failure in patients who are receiving radiation therapy as part of standard of care treatment for breast cancer. The interventions involved in this study are: - Losartan - Radiation Therapy (standard of care)

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2024

open study

This is a single-center pilot study to be conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital. The purpose of this study is to examine the non-pharmacological impact of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) on gastroparesis symptoms and other clinical co-comorbidities such as pain, depression, anxiety, and catastrophizing. CBT trial patients will undergo careful phenotyping pre- and post- intervention with brain MRI, autonomic function test (AFT), gastric emptying scintigraphy (GES), and nutrient drink test (NDT) to determine the impact of CBT on these metrics in patients with gastroparesis. Characterization of these relationships or lack thereof can help guide future development of more targeted approaches and optimize treatment strategies for gastroparesis.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Dec 2018

open study

We propose to study approach/avoidance behavior as measured by the Approach Avoidance task in 20 epilepsy patients undergoing implementation of depth electrodes for seizure monitoring in the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit at MGH. We will also study the effects of VC/VS electrical stimulation on approach-avoidance conflict in 20 adult patients who have undergone DBS implantation for severe MDD and/or OCD. There are 100-200 patients in the world with DBS electrodes in the VC/VS, and our research team cares for more than any other institution. Both participant groups will be assessed with respect to reward-aversion decision conflict using the task. The task will be performed with concurrent EEG recordings in DBS patients, and with continuous recording through our invasive neurophysiology rig in EMU subjects.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2021

open study

The goal of this research study is to determine whether a self-administered, psychosocial mobile application (CARE app) is effective at improving the quality of life and experience of caregivers of patients receiving hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2023

open study

This study will perform magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements of hemodynamics and cerebrospinal fluid flow across breathing tasks and during breath-locked neuromodulation.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2022

open study

The goal of this study is to investigate the efficacy of [68Ga]CBP8 to detect collagen deposition in radiation induced tissue injury.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2020

open study

The investigators aim to conduct a fully powered randomized controlled trial to compare the efficacy of two symptom management programs for older adults with early cognitive decline (either self-reported or confirmed by testing) and chronic pain, Active Brains 1 and Active Brains 2. The investigators will assess how each program may help in improving multimodal physical, cognitive and emotional function. The investigators will also assess whether improvements in outcomes from the two programs are maintained through 6-months follow-up. The investigators will also explore whether improvements in outcomes are mediated by nonadaptive pain reactions, adaptive coping, social factors and compensatory strategies and modified by demographic and clinical predictors. Both programs will be delivered virtually (Zoom).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2022

open study

The main purpose of this study is to examine the outcome of a combined bone marrow and kidney transplant from a partially matched related (haploidentical or "haplo") donor. This is a pilot study, you are being asked to participate because you have a blood disorder and kidney disease. The aim of the combined transplant is to treat both your underlying blood disorder and kidney disease. We expect to have about 10 people participate in this study. Additionally, because the same person who is donating the kidney will also be donating the bone marrow, there may be a smaller chance of kidney rejection and less need for long-term use of anti-rejection drugs. Traditionally, very strong cancer treatment drugs (chemotherapy) and radiation are used to prepare a subject's body for bone marrow transplant. This is associated with a high risk for serious complications, even in subjects without kidney disease. This therapy can be toxic to the liver, lungs, mucous membranes, and intestines. Additionally, it is believed that standard therapy may be associated with a higher risk of a complication called graft versus host disease (GVHD) where the new donor cells attack the recipient's normal body. Recently, less intense chemotherapy and radiation regimens have been employed (these are called reduced intensity regimens) which cause less injury and GVHD to patients, and thus, have allowed older and less healthy patients to undergo bone marrow transplant. In this study, a reduced intensity regimen of chemotherapy and radiation will be used with the intent of producing fewer toxicities than standard therapy. Typical therapy following a standard kidney transplant includes multiple lifelong medications that aim to prevent the recipient's body from attacking or rejecting the donated kidney. These are called immunosuppressant drugs and they work by "quieting" the recipient's immune system to allow the donated kidney to function properly. One goal in our study is to decrease the duration you will need to be on immunosuppressant drugs following your kidney transplant as the bone marrow transplant will provide you with the donor's immune system which should not attack the donor kidney.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2012

open study