53 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
The goal of this study is to learn whether insufficient sleep affects glucose metabolism differently in healthy men and women.
This study aims to learn more about symptoms that patients experience while receiving immunotherapy for cancer.
The goal of this clinical trial is to identify sex-specific biomarkers that confer greater susceptibility for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and differentiate how treatment response varies by sex in people with Alcohol Use Disorder. The main questions it aims to answer are: * How does trauma affect emotion regulation, inflammation, and limbic function, and what are the sex-dependent effects of NTX (Naltrexone) on these aspects? * What is the mechanism of Naltrexone (NTX), and how does it potentially moderate reductions in alcohol use through changes in or interactions between emotion regulation, inflammation, or limbic system function? Participants will * Be consented and will undergo comprehensive screening for eligibility criteria * Complete behavioral assessments and neuropsychological assessments, as well as neurocognitive assessments and neuroimaging measures * Provide urine samples for a urine drug screen (UDS) and urine pregnancy test (for women), and have blood and a cheek swab collected and stored in the repository * Take a study drug once daily for 12 weeks and track drug usage and effects in a study journal * Undergo weekly assessment calls and bi-weekly medical follow-up safety exams Researchers will compare naltrexone to placebo in AUD to see if naltrexone is effective in reducing alcohol cravings and promoting abstinence. Researchers will also compare baseline measures between AUD and Healthy Controls.
The purpose of this study is to investigate potential sex differences in neurocirculatory control of blood pressure in patients with untreated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Twenty-six otherwise healthy adults between 18-40 years of age composed of 13 males and 13 females will be enrolled in this study to determine how sex and sex hormones influence cerebral blood flow (CBF) control in healthy young adults without confounds of age or disease. Participants can expect to be on study for approximately 16 days.
The use of electronic nicotine delivery systems, or e-cigarettes - colloquially referred to as "vaping" - in the United States has increased exponentially since their introduction to the US market in 2007. Prevalence of ever and current e-cigarette use is highest among teenagers and young adults with 16-28% of this population having reported vaping. While the majority of e-cigarette users are current tobacco smokers, 32.5% of current e-cigarette users are never- or former-smokers, representing a growing population of young adults who exclusively vape. While e-cigarettes have been marketed as a safer alternative to tobacco cigarettes, clinical studies examining these claims are limited. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the primary cause of premature death among tobacco cigarette smokers and reductions in vascular endothelial function, a significant predictor of future CVD, are detectible in otherwise healthy young adults who smoke. Despite the explosion in e-cigarette use among young adults, the health effects - especially the effects on mechanisms of vascular function - of these devices remain relatively unexplored. In this study, we use the blood vessels in the skin as a representative vascular bed for examining mechanisms of microvascular dysfunction in humans. Using a minimally invasive technique (intradermal microdialysis for the local delivery of pharmaceutical agents) we examine the blood vessels in a dime-sized area of the skin in otherwise healthy young (18-24yrs) chronic e-cigarette users. Local heating of the skin at the microdialysis sites is used to explore differences in mechanisms governing microvascular control. As a compliment to these measurements, we also draw blood from the subjects to measure circulating factors that may contribute to cardiovascular health and examine markers of inflammatory activation. We will also collect urine from female participants to measure estradiol.
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) confers a high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), particularly among older adults who tend to be physically inactive. Prolonged sedentary behavior (SB) has been shown to negatively influence markers of cardiovascular risk (e.g., blood glucose, blood pressure), even among individuals who are physically active. Most studies that have examined the effects of breaking up SB have focused on young healthy males and prioritized glycemic outcomes. Additionally, sex differences in these outcomes have not been adequately examined. The present study will address these gaps. This 3-arm crossover randomized controlled trial will compare the effects of 3 SB conditions on markers of vascular function. The 3 conditions are: 1) 4 hours of prolonged SB, 2) 4 hours of SB broken up by 5 minutes of self-paced walking every hour, and 3) 4 hours of SB with one 20-minute bout of self-paced walking. In addition to examining the overall effects of each condition, sex differences in physiological responses will be evaluated.
When blood pressure changes, Angiotensin II is produced and released into the bloodstream. This substance can make blood vessels smaller (i.e., vasoconstriction) by acting through Angiotensin II type I receptors (AT1R) to increase blood pressure. Or it can increase the diameter of vessels (i.e., vasodilation) through Angiotensin II type II receptors (AT2R) to decrease blood pressure. These two receptors normally work in balance to maintain blood pressure. However, excess Angiotensin II released in the bloodstream may reduce the sensitivity of AT2Rs, leading to excessive activation of AT1Rs. This results in increased constriction which plays a major role in diseases such as high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, and heart failure. In the body, Angiotensin II production is reduced in the presence of estrogen, as seen in pre-menopausal women. Pre-menopausal women have a greater protection against cardiovascular diseases compared to age-matched males, likely due to the protective effects of estrogen. However, the extent that estrogen may impact the sensitivity of Angiotensin II receptors in pre-menopausal is unknown. In this study, the investigators use the blood vessels in the skin as a representative vascular bed for examining mechanisms of microvascular dysfunction in humans. Using a minimally invasive technique (intradermal microdialysis for the local delivery of pharmaceutical agents), the blood vessels in a dime-sized area of the skin are studied in healthy young women and men. As a compliment to these measurements, blood is drawn from the subjects and circulating factors that may contribute to cardiovascular health are measured.
The primary objective is to examine the influence of sex on sensory effects, appeal, and reinforcing value of nicotine containing e-cigs in popular flavor components; sweet and cooling.
The proposed study will evaluate sex differences in whole-brain glutamate (Glu), with a focus on the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), anterior insula, and thalamus, as well as how it is influenced by sex (males vs. females), smoking state (overnight abstinent vs. sated), and circulating ovarian hormones (estrogen and progesterone) in women. Glu will be measured in almost the entire brain, with special focus on the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), anterior insula, and thalamus, all of which have been implicated in behavioral states linked to tobacco withdrawal, using an echo-planar spectroscopic imaging (EPSI) variant of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Serum ovarian hormones (estrogen and progesterone) will be measured for female participants to determine relationships between brain Glu and this hormone. Whole-brain Glu will be measured in 60 smokers (30 men, 30 women) twice, after overnight (\~12 h) abstinence and after participants smoke the first cigarette of the day.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the most well researched and most effective treatment for IBS targeting the brain-gut-microbiome (BGM) axis, and preliminary data show that this therapeutic effect is associated with a reduction of brainstem connectivity with other brain networks. The increased prevalence of IBS in women, the higher rate of comorbid non-GI pain conditions, as well as the higher prevalence in female IBS of increased sensitivity to a variety of internal and external stimuli (multisensory sensitivity) suggest the presence of important sex differences in some of these BGM mechanisms. Research performed by UCLA SCOR during previous funding has established an increased responsiveness of the CRF-Locus Coeruleus (LCC) system in female IBS subjects, suggesting that this central noradrenergic brainstem system plays an important role in IBS pathophysiology. In addition, the study team's earlier research has begun to identify clinical, functional and structural brain mechanisms that may underlie these sex effects. Based on the preliminary data, the overall goal of this project is to use CBT as a probe to study the relationship between specific disease-related alterations of the brain, the gut microbiome, and symptomatic outcome, and identify the role of sex differences in these relationships. Investigators will study male and female IBS patients before and after CBT using the advanced neuroimaging and microbiome technologies of the overall SCOR.
The sex gap in alcohol consumption is closing rapidly, due to alarming increases among women. From 2002-2013, Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) increased 84% for women, compared to 35% for men. As such, there is an urgent need to determine the factors underlying sex differences in risk for AUD. Current addiction models propose three domains that drive problematic alcohol use and serve as candidate sex-specific risk factors: executive function, negative emotionality, and incentive salience. Data suggest that poor inhibitory control, a key component of executive function, is a stronger risk factor for women than for men. Moreover, there is have preliminary evidence that female drinkers show less engagement of neural inhibitory circuitry, and that this sex difference is influenced by estradiol. However, the degree to which hormonally-moderated sex differences in executive function extend to the negative emotionality and incentive salience domains, and how these sex differences influence current and future drinking is unknown. The goal of this study is to identify the mechanisms underlying sex-specific risk for AUD, and ultimately to help develop sex-specific prevention and treatment efforts. The overall objective of this trial is to determine the neural and hormonal factors contributing to sex-specific risk for AUD in three addiction domains: inhibitory control (executive function), negative emotionality, and alcohol cue reactivity (incentive salience).
This is a randomized, double-blind, within-subjects, cross-over design to assess neural changes following a single dose of cannabidiol (CBD) (600mg) versus placebo among healthy female volunteers.
To test the specific research questions, healthy men and age-matched healthy premenopausal females will be enrolled. Subjects will undergo cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy (MRI/MRS) to evaluate cardiac morphology/function and fat metabolism. To acutely elevate myocardial triglyceride content, subjects will be asked to abstain from eating for 2 days (reproducibly causes a significant and physiological increase in myocardial fat deposition, transiently). Subjects will be allowed water and/or an isotonic saline solution in order to maintain hydration status. After screening, subjects will meet with the research coordinator or an investigator for a discussion, with opportunity for questions, before applicable consent forms are obtained. The subject will be screened for metal in or on their body and claustrophobia using a standard MR screening form. A venous blood sample will be taken for measurement of metabolic health, circulating hormones, and systemic inflammation. Imaging will include cine imaging for global morphology and function, tissue tagging for regional tissue deformation, spectroscopy for fat quantification. After baseline images of the heart are obtained, the subject will be asked to squeeze a MR-safe handgrip dynamometer at 30% of their maximum while images of the heart are obtained. Blood pressure will also be measured at rest and during stress. Each MRI will take approximately 90-120 minutes. Aim 1 will test the hypothesis that cardiac steatosis induced left ventricular dysfunction is sexually dimorphic, by comparing age-matched men and premenopausal women before and after 48 of fasting. Subjects will complete the MRI/MRS protocol described above before and after the fasting intervention. Aim 2 will test the hypothesis that estrogen is protective against cardiac steatosis-induced dysfunction, by suppressing ovarian sex hormones with a GnRH antagonist and repeating the fasting studies with and without estrogen add-back. 30 female subjects will be treated with GnRH antagonist and repeat the 48 hour fasting intervention and cardiac MRI/MRS protocol. 15 of the subjects will receive estrogen add-back using a transdermal patch, the other 15 subjects will receive a placebo patch. Aim 3 will test whether plasma and myocardial fatty acid composition is sexually dimorphic, by performing comprehensive plasma and myocardial lipidomics assessment.
Dietary inorganic nitrate, in the form of beet root juice, is a nutritional intervention, considered to be an exercise enhancer due to its capacity to increase Nitric Oxide (NO) bioavailability. Increasing NO bioavailability has been associated with improved mitochondrial respiration, muscle tissue perfusion and contractile function which may lead to improved exercise capacity. However, the majority of the literature is on male subjects. This limits the applicability of this supplement in females. Therefore, our project aims to determine sex-differences and the specific sex-response across the menstrual cycle of dietary nitrate supplementation on exercise efficiency, strength and fatigue resistance.
This study will determine the neural and hormonal mechanisms underlying sex differences in sensitivity to the disinhibiting effects of alcohol in heavy drinkers.
A Multi-Center, Unblinded, Single-Arm Study to Evaluate Sex Differences in the Acute Effects of PL-3994 on Myocardial cGMP Enhancement and Hemodynamics in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction
A key early event in cardiovascular disease development is endothelial dysfunction, characterized by impaired flow-mediated dilation. Regular aerobic exercise ameliorates endothelial dysfunction in healthy older men, but the data in healthy postmenopausal women are inconsistent with many studies showing no effect. The primary objective of this study was to examine sex differences in acute and chronic endothelial responses to exercise training in older men vs. older postmenopausal women.
The purpose of this study is to look at the link between emotional stress and heart disease in men and women. Taking part in this study involves one clinic visit, one week of at home monitoring, and follow up phone calls every 6 months for 3 years.
Despite advances in stroke care, women continue to face worse outcomes after stroke than men. This disparity in outcomes may be related to biologic sex-differences that manifest in the development and progression of atherosclerosis. Decades of cyclic changes in the hormonal milieu lead to different metabolic profiles in women. These changes may also explain sex-differences in risk factor profiles of atherogenesis and plaque composition. The investigators' objective is to conduct a cross-sectional MR imaging study of suspected stroke patients to compare the burden and composition of intracranial atherosclerosis and risk factors between men and women. Results from this study are expected to show that sex and sex-specific risk factors should be considered at the outset of stroke evaluation for risk-stratification. In the era of precision medicine, the investigators propose the role of sex should be a starting point in the clinical evaluation of stroke.
In laboratory animals, repeated cycles of abstinence from and return to alcohol drinking can lead to changes in alcohol intake. In a study of the effect of abstinence on drinking in humans, the investigators found evidence that abstinence affects drinking differently in women compared to men. In the present study, the investigators propose to study how men and women respond to abstinence, and whether this information can be used to improve intervention and prevention strategies.
The purpose of this research is to measure the extent of lung inflammation between different groups of participants using a radioactive tracer called \[18F\]NOS. A radioactive tracer is a type of imaging drug that is labeled with a radioactive tag and injected into the body.
The purpose of the present study is to determine whether there are sex differences in the reflex responses to hypoxia in humans.
The investigators will develop the concept of a sex-specific therapeutic intervention for gliomas that is based upon dietary carbohydrate restriction. The investigators will integrate metabolomics tools and FDG-PET imaging to validate the ketogenic diet on a sex-specific basis.
This pilot project addresses two understudied questions related to neurocognitive deficits observed in treatment-seeking alcoholics. First, whether cognitive training improves performance and outcomes in alcoholics, and whether men and women differ in their response to this training. The second is whether directed training using affective materials (e.g., emotional faces) is differentially effective compared to that using traditional (i.e., neutral) stimuli.
This is a randomized, controlled trial among 100 total males and females with hyperkyphosis, aged 60 years and older, to determine the effects of an exercise intervention that includes high intensity spinal muscle strengthening exercises compared to a usual care waitlist group.
Data suggest that progesterone may improve smoking cessation outcomes perhaps by reducing impulsive behavior. However, the clinical literature on this topic is lacking. Therefore, in Project I we are proposing a double-blind randomized controlled trial to assess the role of exogenous progesterone on impulsivity and smoking cessation in a sample of males and females who are motivated to quit smoking.
This pilot study will use tissues and fluids that are normally discarded during the course of total knee replacement surgery to investigate potential sex differences in knee osteoarthritis. Basic clinical demographic information will be obtained as well as preoperative functional and pain assessment scores, functional tests, and pressure pain threshold measurement. The purpose of the study will be to investigate if any sex differences can be identified in these tissues and to investigate if there appears to be any relationship between these differences and functional scores and tests.
The purpose of this study is to explore sex differences in cognitive functioning and responses to marijuana-related items, and to determine whether stress impacts these measures. Hypothesis 1: Attentional bias will be greater for marijuana cues in male marijuana-dependent subjects relative to female marijuana-dependent or non-dependent male controls. Hypothesis 2: Marijuana-dependent females will exhibit greater stress-induced changes in attentional bias and cognitive functioning than marijuana-dependent males.
Relative risk for many psychiatric disorders differs dramatically in males and females. Early-onset disorders, such as autism, occur more often in males; other conditions, such as schizophrenia, occur at similar rates in males and females, but the sexes differ in expression. It has been hypothesized that the prevalence and expression of these disorders is related to sex differences in brain development. X-chromosome effects and early exposure to gonadal hormones are strong candidates for a causal role. The aims of the research are (1) to characterize sex differences in brain development from birth to age 2; (2) to test whether brain development is altered in infants with Turner syndrome, a well-defined genetic disorder resulting from the partial or complete loss of one of the sex chromosomes. To address aim 1, high resolution MRI, including diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), will be used to characterize sex differences in brain development from birth to age 2 in a longitudinal cohort of 250 children. To address aim 2, high resolution MRI, including DTI, will be used to compare brain development in 70 infants with Turner syndrome (X monosomy) to matched controls from aim 1. The investigators hypothesize that sex differences in gray and white matter development and in white matter maturation as assessed by DTI will be present during the first 2 years of life and that children with TS will exhibit abnormal gray and white matter development in the neonatal period.