Mass General - Division of Clinical Research

We have developed novel Brillouin microscopy and we are testing its potential for keratoconus and ectasia diagnostics. We plan to perform axial scans of the cornea in human volunteers in order to compare biomechanical properties of Keratoconus vs. Normal corneas and compare biomechanical properties of post-LASIK ectasia vs. normal corneas.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Jun 2013

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

A total of fifty-five (55) patients with liver cirrhosis will be enrolled in this study to produce and validate dedicated Ga-PSMA-PET/MRI acquisition protocols. The specific hypotheses include: - Ga-PSMA PET/MRI may allow robust and reproducible noninvasive in vivo quantitation of hepatic macro and microhemodynamics in cirrhotic patients - Dedicated simultaneously acquired DWI sequences might quantitate liver fibrosis and improve hemodynamic quantitation. - Ga-PSMA PET/MRI may allow noninvasive and reproducible quantitation of portal venous hypertension and predict its evolution, as well as response to treatments - Ga-PSMA PET/MRI may improve noninvasive and reproducible qualitative and quantitative assessment of liver function, structure, nodules and predict evolution of cirrhosis

Type: Observational

Start Date: Dec 2023

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

The goal of this study is to assess of Pressure-Enabled Drug Delivery on fibroid treatment in patients undergoing UFE.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2023

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 investigators will perform follow-up on 500 cases of deep and lobar intracerebral hemorrhage to perform advanced neuroimaging before 45 days post stroke, and evaluations of motor and cognitive function at baseline, 3 months and 6 months to determine predictors of recovery, progressive cognitive or functional impairment.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Aug 2017

open study

The National Pregnancy Registry for Psychiatric Medications is dedicated to evaluating the safety of psychiatric medications such as antidepressants, ADHD medications, sedative hypnotics, and atypical antipsychotics that many people take during pregnancy to treat a wide range of mood, anxiety, executive function, or psychiatric disorders. The goal of this Registry is to gather information on the safety of these medications during pregnancy, as current data is limited.

Type: Observational [Patient Registry]

Start Date: Nov 2008

open study

Asthma is a heterogeneous disorder in which multiple potential inflammatory pathways contribute to airway obstruction. The biological basis for airway inflammation is the subject of intensive investigation. This work is designed to identify airway factors that are responsible for recruiting cells and associate their airway presence with atopy and asthma.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2008

open study

The primary objectives of the study are: to describe the characteristics of the current international MLIV population; to define the median age at which patients with MLIV achieve or lose developmental milestones; to define the natural history of MLIV for the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) (Morris and Bartlett, 2004) and the MLIV specific scale and test the validity of retrospectively applying these scales to medical record data; to define the rate of visual decline in patients with MLIV.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Mar 2023

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

The aim of this project is to assess the effectiveness of the IlluminOss pelvic implants in patients with pelvic metastatic disease presenting with pain, risk of pathologic fracture, non-displaced or minimally displaced pathologic fracture of the pelvis, and geriatric patients with pelvic fragility fractures. Results from this study will be used to confirm preliminary clinically and possibly statistically significant reductions in pain and improvements in function among these patients.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Nov 2021

open study

This is a single-center, randomized, double-blind trial with four arms evaluating VE416 as pretreatment or concurrent treatment in comparison to low-dose peanut oral immunotherapy (PNOIT) alone.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2019

open study

This is a Phase 1/2a, open-label, study to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of intratumoral T3011 given alone and in combination with intravenous pembrolizumab in partients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2020

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 purpose of this study is to determine whether modifying the timing of nutrition support from overnight to daytime enhances sleep quality, preserves circadian rhythms, and improves overall inflammation and cardiometabolic profiles in postoperative patients in the cardiac surgical ICU on enteral nutrition.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2022

open study

The LCH-IV is an international, multicenter, prospective clinical study for pediatric Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis LCH (age < 18 years).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2016

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

The use of the conditioning open-label placebo (COLP) paradigm will be studied as a dose extension method to lower opioid dosage in patients with spinal cord injury, polytrauma, and burn injury. The goal is to provide the same level of pain relief with a reduced opioid intake to diminish side effects as well as the risk of addiction associated with opioid treatment.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2022

open study

RADIANT is a network of 14 clinical sites and several laboratories dedicated to the study of atypical diabetes. The objective of this study is to define new forms of diabetes and the unique mechanisms underlying these forms of atypical diabetes. The specific aims are to: 1. Identify and enroll individuals and families with undiagnosed rare and atypical forms of diabetes. 2. Determine the etiologic basis of the metabolic disorder among individuals and families with novel forms of rare and atypical diabetes. 3. Understand the pathophysiology of individuals and families with novel forms of rare and atypical forms of diabetes.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Sep 2020

open study