Mass General - Division of Clinical Research

The goal of this prospective cohort study is to assess potential differences in sleep biomarkers in older adult patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. To define sleep/circadian biomarkers of delirium (sleep duration, regularity, stability and timing of rhythm) in a prospective observational study. 2. To determine if plasma Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology/inflammatory burden interacts with or moderates the relationship between a sleep/circadian biomarker and post-operative delirium (POD) risk. 3. To determine whether sleep/circadian regulation interacts with the genetic risk of AD to influence POD/cognitive decline. Participants will be asked to: 1. Donate several blood samples both intraoperatively and postoperatively 2. Complete baseline and postoperative neurocognitive assessments 3. Wear an actigraphy data collection watch for the two weeks prior to their surgery

Type: Observational

Start Date: Oct 2023

open study

The goal of this clinical trial is to assess the effect of PRP/PPP/BMAC application on functional outcomes after hip arthroscopy to address acetabular labral pathologies. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Does PRP/PPP/BMAC application improve functional outcomes after hip arthroscopy to address acetabular labral pathologies? 2. Does PRP/PPP/BMAC application reduce the arthritic burden as measured by functional outcomes following hip arthroscopy to address labral pathologies with concomitant PRP/PPP/BMAC application?

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2023

open study

This goal of this study is to test an information and support intervention for patients with malignant (or "high-grade") brain tumors. This study was developed to help patients cope after a brain tumor diagnosis. The main question this study aims to answer is whether this intervention (which includes access to an information guide and one-on-one coaching sessions) is feasible (i.e., possible to carry out) and acceptable (i.e., considered helpful) to patients. Participants will be asked to take part in the coaching sessions, use the guide as desired, and complete a small group of short surveys at three different points in time; some participants will be asked to share feedback via exit interviews.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2023

open study

This is a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study of the effects of intranasal oxytocin on bone health in children with autism spectrum disorder, ages 6-18 years old. Subjects will be randomized to receive intranasal oxytocin or placebo (30 IU, 2 times daily) for 12 months in the double-blind phase, followed by a 6-month open label phase during which all study subjects will receive intranasal oxytocin (30 IU, 2 times daily). Study visits include screening to determine eligibility, followed by study visits at baseline, week 2, and months 6, 12, 18 and phone calls every two weeks for the first two months and monthly thereafter for the duration of the study. Study assessments include history and physical examinations, anthropometric measurements, electrocardiogram (EKG), adverse event monitoring, laboratory tests for chemistries, hormones and biomarkers for bone metabolism, questionnaires regarding diet and exercise, and imaging to assess body composition, bone density and structure.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2023

open study

The overall objective of this study is to compare knowledge, decisional conflict, preferences, and caregiver burden over time caregivers of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) patients by comparing the effectiveness of a video decision aid intervention and enhanced usual care.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2022

open study

Current methods of measuring the response to new treatments for muscular dystrophies involve the examination of small pieces of muscle tissue called biopsies. The investigators are interested in finding less invasive methods that reduce the need for muscle biopsies. The purpose of this research is to learn about the possibility of detecting and measuring the activity and severity of muscular dystrophies by examining a urine sample and a blood sample, and some muscles in the arms and legs using tests called ultrasound and electrical impedance myography; both tests are painless and non-invasive. The information that is gathered from this study may help to evaluate, prevent, diagnose, treat, and improve the understanding of human muscle diseases.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Feb 2015

open study

The proposed research will test the hypothesis that objective social isolation and loneliness are linked to neurobehavioral mechanisms involved in social perception and motivation in individuals with and without serious mental illness. Moreover, it will investigate the specific dynamic interactions among these experiences in daily life and how they, and their neurobehavioral predictors, are linked to day-to-day functioning. The findings of this project could provide novel targets for therapeutics aimed at improving functioning and overall quality of life in individuals with serious mental illnesses, as well as quantitative phenotypes for use in early detection efforts.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2022

open study

The purpose of this study is to perform pooled analysis with data collected from 5 previously published studies and 8 unpublished datasets collected from international sites. The main goal of this study is to identify the predictors of plaque erosion.

Type: Observational [Patient Registry]

Start Date: Dec 2017

open study

The goal of this study is to test a 6-week virtual education program among Black breast cancer survivors. The virtual program includes sessions on physical activity, goal setting, nutrition, sleep, stress, and social connections.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2023

open study

This study will evaluate whether LDCT findings differ between firefighters and non-fighters, the relationship between occupational exposures and LDCT findings, and whether a proteomics assay can further risk-stratify screen-detected nodules among a study population of 850 current and retired firefighters and 1,120 matched controls.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2021

open study

The goal of this prospective observational study is to create a network repository of clinical data and biological samples to help researchers learn more about myasthenia gravis.

Type: Observational [Patient Registry]

Start Date: Jan 2021

open study

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of romosozumab on bone cells during early and late phases of treatment.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2023

open study

Childhood traumatic brain injury (TBI) poses significant impairment in children's executive functions (EFs) for moderate to severe injuries, yet interventions specifically designed for children's EF rehabilitation post-TBI and rigorous clinical trials to establish the efficacy of such interventions remain unavailable. In this study, the investigators will conduct a randomized clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of a novel virtual reality (VR)-based training program for EF rehabilitation for childhood TBI.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2021

open study

This pilot study will assess the feasibility of using an implantable microdevice to measure local intratumor response to chemotherapy and other clinically relevant drugs in ovarian, fallopian tube, and primary peritoneal cancer. The name of the study intervention involved in this study is: -implantable microdevice

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2022

open study

The DISCORDANCE TAVR study will determine the discordance between echocardiography-derived and invasive transaortic gradients, as determined by a consistent and reproducible technique (Standardized Invasive Hemodynamics) post-TAVR.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Aug 2021

open study

The investigators are recruiting children with Rolandic epilepsy and children without epilepsy (aged 4 years old and above) for a non-invasive brain imaging study using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Magnetoencephalography/Electroencephalography (MEG/EEG), and experimental tasks. The investigators hope to determine the brain circuits and brain rhythms affected in these children and ultimately identify new treatment options for childhood epilepsy patients.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2021

open study

The aim of this study is to assess whether the use of a commercially available nutraceutical, turmeric, is an effective option to manage pain and stiffness in patients with basal joint arthritis. To conduct a pilot Randomized Controlled Trial evaluating the impact of turmeric on basal joint arthritis.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2017

open study

This study is being done to better understand whether meal replacements can be an effective tool for weight loss and treatment of elevated blood sugars in people with obesity/overweight and diabetes/pre-diabetes who have a low income.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Apr 2023

open study

The goal of this study is to examine how whole-body hyperthermia affects the thermoinflammatory profile, which includes the combined immune and heat shock response, in patients with depression and whether these changes correlate with decreased depression in individuals with Major Depressive Disorder.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2022

open study

The goal of this observation study is to assess whether endoscopic ultrasound shear wave elastography (EUS-SWE) may be a useful tool for liver fibrosis screening in patients with elevated body mass index and non alcoholic fatty liver disease as compared to other non-invasive screening modalities, which have traditionally had less accurate results in this population. The main questions it aims to answer are: - Determine accuracy of EUS-SWE for liver fibrosis screening compared to other non-invasive scoring systems, such as the FIB-4 score and Fibroscan in patients with elevated body mass index - Establish optimal stiffness (kPa) cutoffs for liver fibrosis grading for EUS-SWE for this patient population in reference to the gold standard liver biopsy, as no standard cutoffs currently exist. Participants will undergo routine endoscopic ultrasound as part of their standard clinical care and indication. Participants are consented for the procedure and undergoing the shear wave elastography. In addition to their standard ultrasound test, it takes on average an extra 2-3 minutes to perform the shear wave elastography. The procedure itself adds no additional risk to the patient and does not expose them to radiation.

Type: Observational [Patient Registry]

Start Date: Jun 2021

open study

Postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in surgical patients. National estimates suggest 1,062,000 PPCs per year, with 46,200 deaths, and 4.8 million additional days of hospitalization. The objective of the study is to develop and implement perioperative strategies to eliminate PPCs in abdominal surgery, the field with the largest absolute number of PPCs. We will conduct a randomized controlled pragmatic trial in 750 studied participants. The effectiveness of an individualized perioperative anesthesia-centered bundle will be compared to the usual anesthetic care in patients receiving open abdominal surgery. At the end of this project, the investigators expect to change clinical practice by establishing a new and clinically feasible anesthesia-centered strategy to reduce perioperative lung morbidity. The research will be conducted across 14 US academic centers, and will be funded by the National Institute of Health.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2020

open study

In this study, investigators will examine the brain mechanism behind the synergistic effects of combining acupuncture and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) treatments. Specifically, chronic low back pain (cLBP) patients will be recruited and randomized to one of four groups (30 per group, one month of treatment): 1) verum acupuncture + real tDCS, 2) sham acupuncture + real tDCS, 3) verum acupuncture + sham tDCS, and 4) sham acupuncture + sham tDCS. Investigators will study 1) the longitudinal (one-month) effects of different treatments as indicated by changes in resting state functional connectivity (rsFC), cerebral blood flow (CBF), clinical outcomes of low back pain, and quantitative sensory test (QST) and 2) the association between these changes.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2020

open study

Laser treatment of hypertrophic burn scars has become increasingly popular for improving scarring in burn survivors. Despite its common use, there a gap in knowledge regrading randomized control trials that demonstrate whether the laser is beneficial. Such a trial is important because if it shows the laser does work, it would provide the evidence to make such treatments more accessible to all patients. Furthermore, there is no knowledge whether the burn injury used to remove tissue is beneficial or not. This study aims to evaluate the laser treatment, removal of similar tissue amounts with 0.5mm punch biopsies, to controls to fill this knowledge gap. The hypothesis is the laser is beneficial at improving patient's burn scars. Also the punch biopsies work better at improving scars by removing tissue without burning and injuring the surrounding tissue as the laser does. To evaluate these treatments (laser, punch biopsies, and no treatment), 3 small areas will be chosen in a study scar area that meets specific criteria to receive . Patients will still be able to receive laser and burn reconstruction procedures in all other areas not involving the study scar area that are clinically indicated. In the study, the scar will be evaluated with photographs, surveys, and tissue samples taken either while under anesthesia except for one set taken with numbing medicine. The tissue samples will be looked at under a microscope to see how the treatments change the scar tissue. The tissue will also have tests done to evaluate how the laser impacts genes from cells in the scar tissue. Lastly, to understand how reconstructive procedures (laser and surgical treatments) change a patient's quality of life, patients will be asked a limited set of questions to learn more how these procedures improve their lives.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2019

open study

The study will consist of a 24-week-long trial examining outcomes in patients with Major Depressive Disorder and suicidal ideation who will receive intravenous (IV) ketamine and intranasal (IN) esketamine, compared to a large sample of matched historical controls. Patients will be recruited from an inpatient psychiatric unit. Eligible patients who provided informed consent will be enrolled in the study that will include a eight IV ketamine treatments, 13 esketamine treatment visits, seven long assessment visits, five short assessment visits, and daily surveys. The study will examine the feasibility, tolerability, and efficacy of repeated IV ketamine followed by esketamine, as well as predictors of treatment response.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2022

open study

The aim of this study is to investigate the modulation effects of Baduanjin (BDJ), a simple and innovative mind-body exercise, on cognitive function, resting state functional connectivity, and brain morphometry in individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD). The results obtained will provide novel insights for improving the prevention of age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2020

open study