241 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
The purpose of this study is to investigate how gut hormones and brain areas respond differently to gastric distention, tasteless calories, or palatable food and how this alters appetite.
This clinical trial studies how well resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) MRI performed before and after surgery works in measuring the effects on language in patients with glioma. Mapping language function before brain tumor resection is crucial for preventing post-surgical deficits and maximizing restoration of language function following surgery. Additional imaging, such as resting-state functional MRI and CVR MRI, may help measure the language network in the brain before surgery and any effects on language function after surgery.
The purpose of performing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans on patients undergoing stroke rehabilitation therapy in conjunction with vagal nerve stimulators (VNS) is to determine if the patients clinical improvement correlates to changes that can be identified on MRI of the brain such as degree of blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal, changes in resting state connectivity, and corticospinal tract fiber density. Subjects will be randomized at implant surgery to either the device treatment (rehabilitation and VNS) or control (rehabilitation and Control VNS) groups. All participants of this study are also participants of the STU 062017-071 study and chose to participate in this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) sub-study. Rehabilitation is standard of care. Both experimental groups and control groups will receive pre-rehabilitation and post-rehabilitation fMRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) scans to quantify their white matter track density. We will analyze this data using the University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW) Advanced Neuroscience Imaging Research (ANSIR) pipeline which can automatically quantify white matter track density on both sides of the brain given the appropriate scans. In this study the VNS device specifically will not be studied. Rather we will be looking at the changes that occur in the brain as a result of using the VNS device during physical rehabilitation. Once the post-rehabilitation scans are completed the patients in the control group will be given the opportunity to crossover into the experimental group and receive physical rehabilitation with the VNS implant turned on. They will have a third MRI session after their round of rehabilitation with the implant turned on in order to quantify their white matter tract density.
Early detection of response to therapeutic intervention is vital, as it will enable early termination of intervention in non-responding patients, prevent unnecessary financial burden, and allow for early changes to the intervention program. Previous functional MRI (fMRI) studies have shown that changes in brain functional network in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients can occur after as little as one week of intervention. Resting state fMRI (rsfMRI) is a type of fMRI that does not require performance of explicit motor tasks, which makes the method especially suitable for SCI patient population. In this project, the investigators propose that rsfMRI outcome measures can be used to detect early brain functional network changes that occur during intervention, and that the changes will be predictive of recovery in chronic SCI patients.
The purpose of this non-interventional study is to optimize the point subtraction aggression paradigms (PSAP) task in typically developing children (TDC).
The goal of this study is to determine whether metabolic control centers in the brain can be activated in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) as compared to non-diabetic individuals. This is important since people with diabetes have inappropriately high production of glucose, which could be at least in part due to impaired activation of important brain centers.
In this project, the investigators propose to use high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure blood perfusion in different groups of calf muscle. This imaging approach is standard of care for evaluation of coronary artery disease (CAD), and has never been successfully applied to PAD. Preliminary results show distinct patterns of muscle perfusion between healthy and PAD patients, and thus great promise of the technique. The investigators will first verify the reproducibility of the technique, and then compare the calf muscle perfusion measures in PAD patients against healthy age-matched controls. This comparison will test the feasibility of detecting functional abnormality in PAD patients. After the baseline scans, the PAD patients will opt to undergo a 12-week supervised exercise therapy, and then a post-therapy MRI scan. Comparison of the pre- and post-therapy measurements will indicate how the therapy improves the calf-muscle perfusion, and how this perfusion change correlates with increases in patient's walking ability. The long term goals of this project are to develop an improved diagnostic test for patients with PAD to predict who will benefit from therapeutic intervention. The MRI perfusion studies of calf muscle can be performed in conjunction with routine peripheral MR angiography to assess the functional significance of vascular stenosis.
The purpose of this study is to test resting state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (rsfMRI) scans to see if rsfMRI scans are better than the standard task based fMRI scans at diagnosing or monitoring central nervous system lymphoma.
The fMRI study is a prospective study with the objective of evaluating the effects of the autonomic central nervous system on the regulation of heart rate in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). This study will compare a functional MRI (fMRI) scan in patients prior to a direct current cardioversion (DCCV) to a second fMRI scan taken post DCCV. In addition, this study will compare functional MRI (fMRIs) to a control group of heart healthy, age-matched patients who will also receive two fMRI scans spaced about one week apart. Our expectation is that at the end of this study, the investigators will have greater insight into the role of the central nervous system and more specifically the autonomic nervous system in modulating AF. The investigators expect that understanding the interaction between the central nervous system and cardiac arrhythmias will lead to the development of novel therapies that preserve and restore normal sinus rhythm. This study will serve as a pilot study with the goal of obtaining additional grant funding and expanding the study once differences in volumes of activation are demonstrated.
Patients with sickle cell anemia (SCA) are at an increased risk for damage to brain tissue due to their disease. The investigators are interested in how blood flow and cerebral inflammation are different in SCA patients and how that affects brain tissue- the investigators will use a relatively new set of dynamic MRI techniques to evaluate these parameters. The investigators will image participants with both SCA and matched controls with non-invasive MRI.
The goals of this study are to 1. Investigate the sensitivity of allocentric visual memory when compared to more established measures of cognition in identifying cognitive difficulties among MS subjects when compared to controls. 2. Determine which cognitive test variable will be most strongly associated with self and informant reports of cognition. 3. Determine which MRI metric will be most strongly related to neuropsychological test performance 4. Determine the degree to which allocentric visual memory is related to functional connectivity on fMRI.
This study will use advanced MRI techniques to characterize the changes that occur to the structure and functionality of the brain in older breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy, and determine the relationship between the brain changes and severity of chemotherapy toxicity. Our results will be an early step towards identifying neuroimaging markers of aging, breast cancer and chemotherapy treatment, and will contribute to our understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of cognitive changes and chemotherapy toxicity in vulnerable, older adults with cancer. Furthermore, the work will lay the foundation for future, larger scale clinical studies of cognitive changes and chemotherapy toxicity in the aging cancer population.
This study is being done to evaluate the use of MRI during radiation treatment planning to identify areas of tumor within the prostate to aid in future treatment planning and targeting of prostate cancer. This study will be conducted at the University of Pennsylvania Health System. The study is projected to run for 18 months. Subjects will be male 18 or older with a prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment plansat the Department of Radiation Oncology.
This clinical trial studies magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), cone beam computed tomography (CT), and fan beam CT in detecting soft tissue in patients with prostate and lung cancer undergoing radiation therapy. Comparing results of diagnostic procedures done before and during radiation therapy may help doctors predict a patient's response to treatment and help plan the best treatment.
The primary objectives of the study are as follows: To develop and optimize a renal functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol consisting of Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DW-MRI), Blood-Oxygen- Level-Dependent MRI (BOLD-MRI), Arterial Spin Labeling MRI (ASL-MRI), Phase Contrast MRI (PC-MRI), and T1rho-MRI; To compare renal functional MRI cross-sectional readouts between normal healthy volunteers (NHV) and lupus nephritis (LN) participants. The secondary objectives of this study are as follows: Explore whether renal functional MRI techniques discriminate between renal inflammatory activity and damage in lupus nephritis (LN); To examine whether renal functional MRI measurements correlate with laboratory features of renal involvement and renal function in participants with lupus nephritis (LN).
To examine the influence of obesity on brain activation during food cue, stress, and neutral relaxing conditions
The overall objective of this study is to assess patterns of fMRI cortical activation with spinal cord stimulation (SCS) in patients with neuropathic leg pain and therefore define cortical correlates, as well as to investigate cortical representations of pain and pain relief and the interactions therein, in the setting of neuropathic leg pain and SCS.
This research study is being done to examine how meditation and the relaxation response (RR) may change brain activity in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Fibromyalgia is a condition that includes pain, tenderness, stiff muscle, and fatigue. Researchers want to find out if "a drug" called milnacipran can help people with fibromyalgia. milnacipran (Savella) is approved by the FDA for the management of fibromyalgia. In this study, milnacipran will be given to find out more about how it affects pain and thinking in people with fibromyalgia.
Background: - People who are in treatment for substance abuse often feel distress during the withdrawal period and afterward. Some individuals feel distress more acutely than others, and this distress has been linked to poor treatment outcomes and increased risk of relapse in smokers, alcoholics, and cocaine- and heroin-dependent individuals. More research is needed on the effects of distress on the brain, particularly in individuals who are seeking treatment for substance abuse. Researchers are interested in using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning to study distress tolerance in both substance users seeking treatment and healthy non-drug-using volunteers. Objectives: - To use functional magnetic resonance imaging to study the effectiveness of a distress tolerance assessment. Eligibility: - Individuals between 18 and 50 years of age who are either cocaine dependent or healthy non-drug-using volunteers. Design: * This study involves an initial screening visit and a scanning visit, with four followup visits. * Participants will be screened with a medical history and physical examination, as well as blood samples and questionnaires about mood and past and current drug use. * Participants will have a structural MRI scan of the brain to provide a baseline reading for comparison. Participants will then have an fMRI scanning session, which will include both the distress tolerance assessment and relevant control tasks. Heart rate, blood pressure, and other physical reactions will be monitored throughout the scan. Participants will also provide blood and saliva samples to measure stress hormone levels. * Participants will be eligible to have followup assessments with fMRI scanning 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the scanning visit.
Background: * Drugs of abuse have effects on mood, behavior, thinking, and decision making that may encourage people to continue using them and make it difficult for them to stop. Researchers who study these effects are interested in developing new tests to evaluate how drugs and drug use affect different areas of the brain. * Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans allow researchers to study brain activity and changes to brain function. When specific psychological tests are performed during functional MRI (fMRI) scans, researchers can examine the effects of drug use on the brain. By developing and testing new procedures for fMRI studies, more information can be obtained on brain function and activity in drug-using and non-drug-using individuals, and this information can help develop new treatments and therapies for substance abuse. Objectives: - To develop, assess and refine of cognitive and affective tasks and determination of their practical feasibility and efficacy for both MRI and non-MRI application. Eligibility: * Healthy volunteers between 18 and 65 years of age who are willing to undergo MRI scanning. * Both drug-using and non-drug-using individuals will be selected for this study. Design: * Before the start of the study, participants may complete as assessment of medical and psychological history, and provide information about past or current drug use. Researchers will introduce the tasks to be performed and may have participants practice the tasks. * During the study, participants will be asked to do one or more tasks selected by the researchers. The tasks may be performed on a computer in an MRI machine, and may involve receiving rewards (such as money or sips of juice) for actions, memory and reaction-time tests, or other tests that involve responding to instructions on the screen. * Participants will receive compensation for their participation in the study, including hourly compensation for individual visits.
The purpose of this study is to help us understand how depression changes brain activity and how this relates to mood, anxiety, and cognitive functions like memory. We also hope to develop a brain imaging test that will predict either before or within two weeks of starting a medicine whether the treatment will work.
Chronic pain is a condition in which pain continues for 1 month or more beyond the usual recovery period for an injury or illness or persists for months or years due to a chronic condition. A commonly used type of psychotherapy called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been found to be effective in treating people with chronic pain. The purpose of this study is to determine whether and how CBT geared specifically for treating chronic pain can change the way the brain responds to painful emotional and physical stimuli.
The purpose of this study is to determine if functional MRI is precise enough to provide information about the location of brain functions in patients who have brain tumors. This might allow physicians to use a non-invasive procedure to assist with brain mapping prior to surgery
The purpose of this proof of concept study is to use functional magnetic resonance imaging and behavioral assessments to investigate the effect of citalopram on restricted repetitive behaviors in people with autism spectrum disorders.
The purpose of this study will be to assess the attentional ability of patients with mild to moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI) using the functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) technique. Methodology for specific aim 1: sagittal pilot scan, 3-D anatomical MRI, Whole brain echo-planar imaging (EPI), and functional MRI techniques with traumatic brain injured subjects doing a Continuous Performance Test (CPT) attention task and compare the pattern of activation with those of normal controls to see if there is a failure to activate frontal lobes in the traumatic brain injured subjects.
This study is being done to look at the relationship between brain structure and brain function in patients with epilepsy or focal brain lesions (abnormal areas) that require surgery. This study will look at an imaging technique called magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for looking at the brain. Specifically, the study will look at functional MRI, which is an imaging technique that can map brain function by taking pictures of the brain as it performs different tasks such as reading, thinking, or moving a body part and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), which will look at brain structure. These types of imaging may help us learn more about different areas of the brain and how those areas of the brain are used in children with epilepsy. We plan to study 30 children with epilepsy.
Objectives: The purpose of this study is to identify areas of brain activation during the urge to yawn. Little is known about how yawning is suppressed, or why yawning often occurs in response to seeing another person yawn (contagious yawning). Contagious yawning is similar to other contagious motor programs, such as the greater urge Tourette subjects feel to tic when seeing repetitive movements or other subjects' tics, the urge to scratch when discussing itching and scratching, or the urge to urinate when hearing running water. Hypothetically, the urge or the suppression of this urge is modulated by a common cortical circuit implicated in Tourette syndrome. We plan to use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to identify the pattern of blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) activation in the brain when normal volunteers feel the urge to yawn. Study Population: We intend to study 25 normal, right-handed, healthy volunteers. Study Design: Using an event-related design, we will scan subjects, using the same 3T fMRI scanner, while showing a video of a person yawning, gaping, coughing, or doing nothing. Each of these four action stimuli will last for four seconds, with varying interstimulus intervals. Each video set will contain all actions displayed ten times pseudorandomly. Two data sets will be collected from each subject and will be separated by a brief rest period. Subjects will be instructed before the scan to watch a videotaped person perform various behaviors, without detailing the specific actions. So as not to influence their natural response to the yawning stimulus, we will instruct them only to keep their head still. The variable of interest will be the activation during urge-generation, contrasted with other control stimuli. A survey will be administered for informational purposes following the scan to assess the subjects' general impression of their susceptibility to yawning, whether they yawned in the scanner, whether they suppressed the urge to yawn, and if the urge to yawn increased or decreased with the repetition of the yawning segment. Outcome Measures: The primary outcome of this study is the activation of brain structures in response to viewing another person yawning. In particular, we are interested in the activation of the anterior cingulate cortex, parietal operculum, insula, supplementary motor area, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex as these are areas implicated in the urge to move in response to either internal (as in Tourette syndrome) or external (as in itching from histamine injection) states. Since the urge to yawn is the process of interest, suppression of yawning is not relevant to the fMRI analysis.
The goal of this study is to observe the impact of suvorexant, sold as BELSOMRA, on brain activity of people who frequently use cannabis. Suvorexant is an FDA-approved medication to treat insomnia. Researchers think that suvorexant may reduce activity in certain parts of the brain associated with cannabis use. Researchers are studying if this medication does affect brain activity in these areas. For this study, participants will be asked to complete four study visits over approximately 14 days. Each study visit will include interviews, questionnaires, and collection of biological samples for laboratory testing. All participants will be asked to take suvorexant, an FDA approved medication for treatment of insomnia, for 14 days. They will complete two one-hour functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) scans: one before starting the study medication and one after 14 days of taking the study medication. MRI is used in typical medical settings and is considered to be safe. Participants will also be asked to complete a short daily survey for approximately 14 days.
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's dementia. Anxiety in PD is common, has major effects on quality of life and contributes to increased disability. The reported prevalence of anxiety in PD ranges widely and is estimated up to 40%. Treatment with oral medications is not always effective or tolerated. TMS has been shown to be effective and safe in anxiety and general anxiety disorder (GAD), but there is only limited data available for Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) treatment of anxiety in PD. Area 8Av is a parcellation based on Human connectome project within the left prefrontal cortex and is associated with GAD. Given the area's associations with mood disorders, its functional connectivity with large-scale brain networks involved in PD, and its anatomical accessibility by TMS, this may be an important target for anxiety in PD.