89 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
Patients with severe brain injuries often have slow accumulating recoveries of function. In ongoing studies, we have discovered that elements of electrical activity during sleep may correlate with the level of behavioral recovery observed in patients. It is unknown whether such changes are causally linked to behavioral recovery. Sleep processes are, however, associated with several critical processes supporting the cellular integrity of neurons and neuronal mechanisms associated with learning and synaptic modifications. These known associations suggest the possibility that targeting the normalization of brain electrical activity during sleep may aid the recovery process. A well-studied mechanism organizing the pattern of electrical activity that characterizes sleep is the body's release of the substance melatonin. Melatonin is produced in the brain and released at a precise time during the day (normally around 8-10PM) to signal the brain to initiate aspects of the sleep process each day. Ongoing research by other scientists has demonstrated that providing a small dose of melatonin can improve the regular pattern of sleep and help aid sleep induction. Melatonin use has been shown to be effective in the treatment of time change effects on sleep ("jet lag") and mood disturbances associated with changes in daily light cues such as seasonal affective disorder. We propose to study the effects of melatonin administration in patients with severe structural brain injuries and disorders of consciousness. We will measure the patient's own timing of release of melatonin and provide a dose of melatonin at night to test the effects on the electrical activity of sleep over a three month period. In addition to brain electrical activity we will record sleep behavioral data and physical activity using activity monitors worn by the patients. Patient subjects in this study will be studied twice during the three month period in three day inpatient visits where they will undergo video monitoring and sampling of brain electrical activity using pasted electrodes ("EEG"), hourly saliva sampling for one day, and participation in behavioral testing.
The purpose of this study is to collect physiologic data from patients with severe brain injury who require mechanical ventilation in order to describe the impact of ventilation, specifically positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP), on intracranial pressure (ICP).
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of early conversion tracheostomy from endotracheal intubation (ET) to percutaneous, dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) in traumatic brain-injured patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical outcome of patients following blunt traumatic injury with hypovolemic shock, who receive either lactated ringer's solution or hypertonic saline with dextran (HSD) resuscitation; also, to focus specifically on neurologic outcome in patients with brain injury and on the effect of HSD resuscitation on inflammatory cell responsiveness.
The purpose of this trial is to determine if hypothermia (body cooling), administered very soon after a severe brain injury improves functional outcome. This pilot trial ended in July 2005. Please see clinicaltrials.gov record number NCT00178711 for the Phase III version of the trial (see link below).
The overall aim of this study is to develop an intervention that can help recovery in patients surviving severe brain injury but failing to fully recover. In particular, this multicenter project aims to (1) establish short-term efficacy of tFUS as a therapeutic to promote recovery in patients with prolonged DoC as compared to sham treatment, (2) establish dose-related safety and efficacy of tFUS as a therapeutic intervention in prolonged DoC patients and (3) explore preliminary predictors and biomarkers of susceptibility and response to thalamic sonication.
Surges in the sympathetic nervous system occur at the ictus of a variety of neurological critical illnesses including intracranial hemorrhage and ischemic stroke. It is hypothesized that these exaggerated increases in sympathetic nervous activity produce maladaptations that promote secondary brain injury. One of these possible mechanisms include diffuse vasospasm that cause cerebral ischemia. Hence, methods to abrogate the sympathetic nervous system in this context are under active investigation. One possible method is the regional anesthesia technique of the stellate ganglion nerve block, which is ordinarily used for complex regional pain syndrome, but has been shown to reduce cerebral sympathetic activity and reduces vasospasm in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage. However, its effect on the microcirculation is not clear. Hence, we propose to study patients receiving the stellate ganglion nerve block as part of their standard medical care and to image their retinal microcirculation before and after the procedure using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCTA).
Survivors of severe brain injury, such as lack of oxygen or severe traumatic brain injury, frequently experience Paroxysmal Sympathetic Hyperactivity (PSH). PSH is characterized by disabling symptoms such as a fast heart rate, high blood pressure, rapid breathing, rigidity, tremors, and sweating due to uncontrolled sympathetic hyperactivity in the nervous system. Effective treatment is necessary to decrease secondary brain injury, prevent weight loss from increased metabolic demand and reduce suffering. Currently, a combination of medications to slow down the sympathetic nervous system, muscle relaxants, anti-anxiety drugs, gabapentin, and narcotics are used to treat PSH. The sudden, recurrent attacks of PSH often require repeated rescue medications and multiple drugs with a high risk of side effects. Non-drug treatments for PSH may revolutionize treatment. The novel and non-invasive Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Field Stimulation (PENFS) device is an attractive and potentially effective treatment option for PSH. PENFS, applied to the external ear, has been shown to be effective for conditions such as abdominal pain, narcotic withdrawal, and cyclic vomiting syndrome, all which have similar symptoms to PSH. Therefore, the hypothesis is PENFS could be effective in the treatment of PSH. The electrical current delivered by the PENFS device is thought to increase parasympathetic activity by stimulating a branch of the vagus nerve. PENFS was shown to decrease central sympathetic nervous system activity by 36% within 5 minutes of being placed in the ear of a rat model. Similar central inhibition could improve symptoms of PSH. This pilot study aims to evaluate the feasibility of performing an efficacy trial of PENFS for children with PSH.
Severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with a 20-30% mortality rate and significant disability among most survivors. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that 2% of the U.S. population lives with disabilities directly attributable to TBI, with annual costs exceeding $76.5 billion. Current treatments are largely ineffective because they are instituted after irreversible damage has already occurred. By the time intracranial pressure (ICP) increases or brain tissue oxygen tension (PbtO2) decreases to harmful levels, it is often too late to reverse or repair the damage. A computerized method has been developed that can predict these injurious events ahead of time, allowing clinicians to intervene before further damage occurs. The goal of this proposal is to test these predictions in real time. The first phase of the project (Year 1) involves setting up the informatics infrastructure, with no patient interaction. In the second phase (Year 2), subjects, through surrogate decision-makers, will be enrolled in an observational study where data on intracranial pressure and brain tissue oxygen tension will be collected, and the prediction algorithm will be tested for accuracy. Clinical management will follow standard care protocols, and no additional interventions will be performed. Approximately 120 individuals will participate in this study at the University of Chicago and Ben Taub General Hospital in Houston. Data collected will include both the electronic medical record and data from bedside intensive care unit monitors. The electronic medical record includes demographic information, injury characteristics, laboratory values, and imaging data, while the intensive care unit monitor provides real-time vital signs such as intracranial pressure, brain tissue oxygen tension, and mean arterial pressure. These data will be securely stored in a research computer database. Efforts will be made to contact subjects or their caretakers at 6 months to follow up on recovery. This research aims to improve patient outcomes by providing predictions of further brain injury, with the potential for future interventions to prevent permanent brain damage.
This protocol is for an open-label randomized trial evaluating the safety of using ketamine in combination with propofol for sedation versus the standard of care analgosedation in patients admitted to the intensive care unit with severe traumatic brain injury.
The goal of this clinical trial is to test the safety of the drug Angiotensin (1-7) and learn whether it works well as a treatment in people who have suffered a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). The main questions this trial aims to answer are: * Is Angiotensin (1-7) safe? * Does Angiotensin (1-7) improve mental functioning and reduce physical signs of brain damage in people who have suffered a moderate to severe TBI? Participants will: * Complete 21 days of study treatment consisting of a once-daily injection. * Provide blood samples. * Undergo two magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the brain. * Complete specific tasks and questionnaires that allow researchers to evaluate the participant's brain and psychological functioning. Researchers will compare three groups: two groups that receive different doses of Angiotensin (1-7) and one group that receives a look-alike treatment with no active drug. This will allow researchers to see if the drug has any negative effects and whether it improves mental functioning and physical signs of brain damage after a TBI.
The main goal of this clinical trial is to check if the treatment is safe and well-tolerated. Researchers will compare the MR-301 active drug group with the placebo group to evaluate the safety and tolerability of the drug. Other measurements include assessing the patient's overall outcome, neurological responses, time spent in the intensive care unit, time in the hospital, and mortality. Participants will receive either MR-301 BID IV dosing or a matching placebo for a total of 3 weeks.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) accounts for approximately 2.5 million visits to emergency departments in the United States each year. After decades of research, management strategies for severe TBI (sTBI) patients are still evolving. Optimizing intracranial pressure (ICP) and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) are paramount in the management of these patients and placement of these monitors is the current standard-of-care. However, monitoring brain oxygenation (PbtO2) with invasive intraparenchymal monitors is currently under investigation in the management of severe TBI and placement of these monitors is gaining widespread use. This has opened the door for the use of tiered therapy to optimize ICP and PbtO2 simultaneously. Current evidence indicates that correction of ICP, CPP and PbtO2 in sTBI requires optimized analgesia and sedation. Ketamine is one of the few drugs available that has both sedative and analgesic properties and does not commonly compromise respiratory drive like opioids and sedative-hypnotics. However, traditionally, ketamine has been viewed as contraindicated in the setting of TBI due to concerns for elevation in ICP. Yet, new data has cast this long-held assumption into significant doubt. Hence the present pilot study will characterize the neurophysiological response to a single dose of ketamine in critically-ill TBI patient with ICP and PbtO2 monitoring.
The purpose of this study is to pilot a psychosocial skills-based intervention for caregivers of patients with severe acute brain injuries. The data the investigators gather in this study will be used to further refine our COMA-F intervention.
After injury, survivors of msTBI depend on informal family caregivers. Upwards of 77% of family caregivers experience poor outcomes, such as adverse life changes, poor health related quality of life, and increased depressive symptoms. Caregivers frequently report minimal support or training to prepare them for their new role. Periods of care transitions, such as ICU discharge, are most difficult. The majority (93%) of previously developed caregiver and caregiver/survivor dyad interventions after msTBI focus on providing information or practical skills to either survivors, or to long-term caregivers (\>6 months post injury), rather than education, support, and skill-building that the new caregiver may use proactively that will benefit the dyad acutely after injury. The Aims of this proposal are to: (1) Determine feasibility, satisfaction, and data trends of CG-Well; and (2) Understand how baseline psychosocial risk factors affect response to CG-Well compared to an Information, Support, and Referral control group. To accomplish this, I will first enroll 6-10 caregivers and tailor CG-well until each finds the intervention acceptable, appropriate, and feasible. I will then enroll 100 (50/group) dyads and determine satisfaction ratings, recruitment, retention, and treatment fidelity of CG-Well. Additionally, I will determine if caregivers report reductions in depressive symptoms and improvements in life changes as a result of improvements in task difficulty and threat appraisal in CG-Well compared to ISR at six months. Information obtained in Aims 1 and 2 will be used to plan a larger Phase III trial of CG-Well. Completing these Aims and the training plan will improve outcomes of caregivers and downstream outcomes of survivors of msTBI, and provide me with the skillset necessary to become an independent researcher who can develop and test high-impact, high-fidelity, sustainable interventions.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of nebulized lidocaine before Endotracheal suctioning (ETS) compared to instilled lidocaine and the effectiveness of aerosolized lidocaine versus instilled normal saline before ETS in attenuating the increase of intracranial pressure (ICP) in severe head injured children and to evaluate the feasibility of a trial involving instilled lidocaine and aerosolized lidocaine for the management of ETS and to evaluate the safety of nebulized lidocaine in traumatic brain injury (TBI) compared to instilled lidocaine and instilled sodium chloride (NS).
This study aims is to describe the pharmacokinetic properties of levetiracetam through measurement of serum concentrations in critically ill, severe traumatic brain injury patients.
BioBOOST is a multicenter, observational study of the effect of derangements in brain physiologic parameters on brain injury biomarker levels in patients with severe traumatic brain injury.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) represents a significant public health risk in the United States leaving many survivors with significant long term cognitive deficits and at risk for neurodegenerative diseases. Despite extensive research there are no pharmacological therapies which have demonstrated significant improvement in neurological or cognitive recovery. Changes in glucose metabolism are considered the hallmark metabolic response to TBI and ketosis has been proposed as a therapy to ameliorate metabolic dysfunction. This trial investigates the therapeutic potential of a ketogenic or modified Atkins diet on neurocognitive outcome following moderate-severe TBI.
Severe acute brain injury (SABI), including large artery acute ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, and severe traumatic brain injury continue to be the leading cause of death and disability in adults in the U.S. Due to concerns for a poor long-term quality of life, withdrawal of mechanical ventilation and supportive medical care with transition to comfort care is the most common cause of death in SABI, but occurs at a highly variable rate (for example in Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) 45-89%). Decision aids (DAs) are shared decision-making tools which have been successfully implemented and validated for many other diseases to assist difficult decision making. The investigators have developed a pilot DA for goals-of-care decisions for surrogates of SABI patients. This was developed through qualitative research using semi-structured interviews in surrogate decision makers of TBI patients and physicians. The investigators now propose to pilot-test a DA for surrogates of SABI patients in a feasibility trial.
Preliminary evaluation of electrodes placed on the brain for recording brain activity and novel algorithms to determine cortical spreading depolarization foci of origination following severe traumatic brain injury requiring neurosurgical intervention.
Cognitive behavioral therapy for major depressive disorder (MDD) was adapted for individuals with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) (CBT-TBI). A structured, treatment manual was developed. The primary aim is to evaluate the acceptability and tolerability of, and adherence to, CBT-TBI in a randomized waitlist-controlled, 12-week pilot trial (N=40). The exploratory aim is to evaluate the potential efficacy of CBT-TBI for MDD in the randomized pilot trial (N=40) and possible moderators and mediators of outcome.
Metacognition, in-the-moment awareness of performance while engaging in cognitive tasks, is negatively affected by traumatic brain injury (TBI). Metacognitive deficits can greatly reduce quality of life for individuals with TBI as functioning in this domain has been closely linked with successful independent living and community re-integration. Problematically, there are currently no empirically validated treatment options that address metacognitive deficits after TBI. Recent research in healthy samples demonstrates that specific listening interventions may alter neural activation in brain works associated with metacognition and can improve metacognitive functioning; however, it remains unknown if these effects generalize to individuals with TBI. Thus, the objective of the proposed study is to use a double-blind, placebo controlled randomized clinical trial to determine the efficacy of applying a specific listening intervention to improve metacognition after TBI and to employ functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to document the neural mechanisms by which the intervention operates.
The investigators will conduct an observational crossover study. The investigators aim to recruit 50 participants with severe Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) requiring intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring during their stay at the Neuro Trauma ICU at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center. Overall, participants will be monitored, on average, for approximately 6-8 hours during the study period. The investigators do not anticipate the need for prolonged monitoring during the duration of their hospital stay or post hospital period.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the US. The CDC states that 1.7 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury each year, with death occurring in 52,000 of these injured patients. It is also estimated that 275,000 yearly require hospitalization. The costs of TBI can be devastating to our society, with the 2010 economic cost estimated to be approximately $76.5 billion. 90% of this cost involves fatal or hospitalized brain injured patients. Furthermore, survivors of traumatic brain injury have high rates of institutionalization, readmission, and disability. The prediction of prognosis in severe TBI is a difficult problem for physicians. Prognosis evaluation in the acute phase of care varies widely among physicians caring for these patients\[3\]. With prognosis often in doubt, physicians have difficulty leading families and patients toward the most appropriate treatment which often leads to expensive testing and patient management. The Brain Trauma Foundation has recommended several early indicators of prognosis in severe TBI, including age, hypotension, CT scan features, Glasgow Outcome Scale score, and pupillary diameter with light reflexes. Pupillary diameter and light reflexes have been extensively studied, however accurate measurements of these prognostic factors have not been performed due to a lack of standardized measuring procedure. A new device has been validated to measure both pupil size and reactivity using infrared pupillometry. This device has also been studied to create the Neurological Pupil Index (NPi) as a measure of pupillary reactivity. The NPi has been shown to correlate with intracranial pressure readings, however there are no studies correlating the pupillometer findings with outcome measures in TBI. This study will prospectively evaluate the pupillometer readings of pupillary size and reactivity (NPi) to test the hypothesis that the NPi is a realiable predictor of 30-day outcomes in patients with severe TBI.
Pediatric severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of death and disability in children ages 1-14 years old. There are no effective therapies to treat secondary brain injury and the post-injury response of CNS apoptosis and neuroinflammation. This study is a follow-up trial from a previously performed Phase I trial that demonstrated the safety and potential CNS structural preservation effect of intravenous autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNC) after severe TBI in children. (Cox, 2011) The study is designed as a prospective, randomized, placebo controlled, blinded Phase 2 safety/biological activity study. The investigators hope to determine the effect of intravenous infusion of autologous BMMNCs on brain structure and neurocognitive/functional outcomes after severe TBI in children.
The investigators hypothesize that hypothermia (body cooling) and additional magnesium sulfate will improve the outcome of severe Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) patients. This is a study to compare the outcomes of patients with severe traumatic brain injury who have been allocated to one of the following three groups: Group 1 - Conventional therapy following traumatic brain injury Group 2 - Subjects will have their core body temperature lowered to 34C Group 3 - Subjects will have their core body temperature lowered to 34C and will receive a supplemental intravenous infusion of magnesium sulfate.
The SyNAPSe trial will study if giving intravenous (i.v.) progesterone within 8 hours of the injury for a total of 120 hours to severe traumatic brain injury patients improves their recovery.
The aim of this study is to assess the safety and feasibility of dexmedetomidine as an adjunct to conventional sedative therapy compared to conventional sedative therapy alone in patients with severe traumatic brain injury.
This is a controlled trial of amantadine to improve level of function following severe traumatic brain injury. The purpose of this study is: 1. To determine whether amantadine hydrochloride, given in a dose of 200-400 mg, improves functional recovery from the vegetative and minimally conscious states 2. To determine whether amantadine-related gains in function persist following drug discontinuation 3. To determine the safety profile of amantadine in patients with disorders of consciousness