24 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
To date, there is no validated pharmacotherapy for olfactory disorders. Interestingly, olfactory training - the intentional exposure to odorants for the purposes of retraining the sense of smell - has shown success with as many as 28% of subjects over the course of 12 weeks.
This study evaluates the efficacy and safety of nasal theophylline irrigation in treating smell loss related to a viral respiratory infection. Half the participants will undergo nasal theophylline irrigation treatment while the other half will undergo placebo nasal irrigation with saline alone. All participants will have their sense of smell tested before and after 6 weeks of treatment. All participants will also be regularly asked about any potential side effects related to treatment. In addition, the first 10 participants will have their blood drawn to measure their theophylline level after 1 week of starting treatment to ensure it is not abnormally elevated.
Background: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is the most common substance use disorder in the world. Long-term AUD can affect a person s sense of taste and smell. This natural history study will compare alcohol drinking behaviors and measures of taste and smell in people with and without AUD. Objective: To understand how alcohol use changes the senses of taste and smell. Eligibility: People aged 18 to 65 years with or without AUD. Design: Participants will be screened. They will have several tests to assess their smell and taste functions. They will answer questions about their eating, alcohol use, and smoking or vaping habits. Participants will have 2 study visits. They will give samples of blood, nasal mucous, saliva, stool, and urine. Their bodies will be measured. They will undergo a type of scan that uses X-rays to measure their body composition. They will complete taste measurements. They will taste liquids by swishing them in their mouth, without swallowing. Then, they will be asked what they can detect and which flavors they preferred. They will also complete smell measurements. They will be asked if they can identify strong odors on a metal wand. They will be asked to rate the intensity and pleasantness of odors. Their brain activity in the frontal regions will be measured while they smell various odors. For this, we will use a brain imaging tool called functional near infrared spectroscopy. They will have sensory testing. Sensations such as pressure, pinpricks, heat, or vibrations will be applied to their skin. Then, they will be asked what they felt. They will keep diaries. They will write down what they eat (for 3 days), the alcohol they drink (3 days), and how much they sleep (14 days). They will wear a wristwatch-like device that records their activity for 14 days.
Background: People with hearing, balance, and taste, smell, voice, speech, language, and other Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) disorders may seek treatment at the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). Some of these people may benefit from enrolling in the NIDCD intramural research program to receive their care. Enrolling will also allow investigators to collect participants clinical data and specimens for future research. Objective: This natural history study has 2 goals: (1) to collect data and specimens that may be used for research; and (2) to evaluate participants who may be candidates for other research studies. Eligibility: People aged 2 years or older with a hearing, balance, and communication disorder. Those at risk or who are suspected of having such a disorder are also eligible. Design: Participants will be screened. Their medical records will be reviewed. Participants will agree to have their medical data used for research. Specimens such as blood or other tissue samples may also be used for research. All data and specimens will be collected during their routine care visits. All tests done will be the normal care for each participant s condition. No tests will be done solely for research. Some of these tests may require blood or tissue samples. Some may use special tools to test hearing and balance. Some may test heart or lung function. These tests may also include different types of imaging scans. All tests will be explained. Participants may ask questions at any time. Participants may remain in this study for up to 2 years. If they need further care, they may sign a new consent. ...
In this study, individuals complete and return a mail survey, specifically a 40 item scratch and sniff smell test.
Malnutrition is an important complication of advanced kidney disease and impairment in smell and taste may affect nutritional status. This study will examine the association between impairment in smell and taste and nutritional and functional markers among patients with end stage renal disease, as well as risk factors for smell and taste impairment.
The overarching goal of this prospective cohort study is to test the hypotheses that greater severity of hyposmia is associated with increased risk of cognitive decline in PD and that worsening hyposmia parallels progressive cholinergic limbic denervation. To achieve the goals of this project, patients with PD without dementia or at-risk of dementia or with dementia will undergo longitudinal olfactory, cognitive and clinical testing for 2-4 years. AChE \[11C\]PMP or VAchT (vesicular acetylcholine transporter) \[F18\]-FEOBV PET will be performed both at study entry and at 2-years (± 6 months) follow-up. Brain MRI scans will also be performed at study entry and at 2-years (± 6 months) follow-up. Brain Beta-amyloid PET will be performed at study entry or at 2 years (± 6 months). Annual olfactory testing will be performed to better understand dynamic changes underlying the clinical and PET outcome measures.
The goal of this pilot study is to assess the feasibility and impact of using sodium citrate nasal spray as an adjunct to olfactory retraining in participants with long-term post-COVID-19 olfactory dysfunction. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Is sodium citrate nasal spray in addition to smell retraining feasible for participants to use in terms of participant need/desire, adherence, and adverse events? * Does sodium citrate nasal spray in addition to smell retraining further improve smell as compared to normal saline spray and smell retraining? Participants will: * Provide consent for enrollment. * Undergo smell testing via Sniffin' Sticks. * Use a nasal spray (either sodium citrate or normal saline) followed by olfactory retraining twice a day for 12 weeks. * Return for follow-up Sniffin' Sticks testing. Researchers will compare the sodium citrate group and the normal saline group to determine differences in smell improvement.
The purpose of this Phase II trial is to test the effectiveness of intranasal theophylline irrigations for the treatment of COVID-19 related smell dysfunction. The investigators will compare the effect of theophylline nasal rinses versus placebo nasal rinses on smell symptoms. Participants will be asked to rinse their nose with a medication or placebo capsule dissolved in saltwater twice daily for 12 weeks and fill out surveys about smell before, during, and at the end of treatment. This study will also be used to describe adverse effects related to intranasal theophylline irrigation.
Persistent smell loss that can include diminished or distorted smell function is a common symptom of long COVID syndrome. There are limited treatment options for long COVID-related smell loss. This study aims to determine the efficacy of two at-home treatments, smell training and non-invasive trigeminal nerve stimulation. This study requires participants to conduct daily at-home treatment sessions, attend three in-person study visits at the MUSC Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and complete electronic questionnaires over the 12-week trial, and again at the six-month timepoint. Participants in this trial may benefit directly with an improvement in sense of smell. However, participation may also help society more generally, as this study will provide new information about long COVID-related smell loss and its treatment.
Evidence of COVID-19 related anosmia and dysgeusia continues to accumulate daily. Currently, up to 80% of patients report subjective olfactory dysfunction (OD), and prevalence using objective olfactory testing could be even higher. We propose a phase II single-site, double-blinded, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial to determine the efficacy and safety of intranasal theophylline, a known phosphodiesterase inhibitor in the treatment of asthma, as a possible treatment for COVID-19 related OD. Theophylline has shown benefit in similar clinical trials for post-viral OD.
The goal of this study is to determine whether survivors of Legionnaires' disease suffer smell loss. A quantitative olfactory test will be performed by the participants. Such testing will require approximately 20-30 minutes of the participant's time. The participants will take the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT), a scratch-and-sniff test to assess their ability to identify odors in a forced- choice format. Volunteers will also complete a questionnaire asking personal history, demographic questions, and medical history.
Degenerative dementias including Alzheimer's Disease (AD), Parkinson's Disease with Dementia (PDD), Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB), Frontotemporal Dementias (FTLD), Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD) and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) constitute a significant, and growing burden with an estimated cost to the US healthcare system for 2016 of $236 Billion (1). Definitive diagnosis of these dementias is based on pathological criterion upon autopsy, which presents a significant challenge to establish diagnosis in living patients. Although clinical diagnostic criteria have been developed for several of these disorders, including for Alzheimer's Disease (AD) by the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke and Alzheimers Disease and Related Disorders Association (NINCDS-ADRDA) , Parkinson's Disease (PD) by the United Kingdom Parkinson Disease Brain Bank Diagnostic Criteria (UKPDBB) diagnostic criteria for Parkinson Disease(4) and others, the currently available tests, including the use of imaging markers and Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) biological markers do not provide a definite diagnosis since this requires the observation of characteristic neuropathological changes in specific regions of the brain.
The purpose of this study is to determine if a trial of directed high-dose nasal steroids improves residual smell loss in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis following sinus surgery. Other outcomes of this study include: identifying the differences in sinus airflow between patients who improve following nasal steroid treatment and those who do not, and to see if, in patients who improve following surgery, the improvement remains throughout follow-up.
The purpose of the Taste Perception Study is to assess variations in the ability to taste and perceive sensations from various stimuli in younger (18-49 years) and older (50-85 years) volunteers. The study's goal is to determine how these sensations influence what one likes to eat, and what one chooses to eat, and whether there is an association with dietary intake, body composition and chronic disease. Another objective of the study is to determine the association between variations in oral sensations and genes mediating sensory perception and dietary behaviours.
A decrease or loss of the sense of smell is very common in patients with Parkinson's Disease even in the earliest stages of the disease. There have been no treatments that have been proven to improve sense of smell in patients with Parkinson's Disease. Rasagiline (brand name: Azilect) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on May 16th 2006 to be used by Parkinson's patients to treat the motor symptoms associated with the disease. The purpose of this study is to see if there is change in sense of smell after starting Rasagiline.
SARS COV-19 has resulted in prolonged olfactory dysfunction in many patients. The investigators aim to compare the effect of topical platelet-rich plasma (test) vs saline (placebo) in patients with covid-related post-viral olfactory dysfunction.
Directly examine whether early (6-month) imaging with DaTscan and \[¹⁸F\] AV-133 will provide an early signal of disease progression in recently diagnosed untreated PD patients.
The Parkinson Progression Marker Initiative (PPMI) is a longitudinal, observational, multi-center natural history study to assess progression of clinical features, digital outcomes, and imaging, biologic and genetic markers of Parkinson's disease (PD) progression in study participants with manifest PD, prodromal PD, and healthy controls. The overall goal of PPMI is to identify markers of disease progression for use in clinical trials of therapies to reduce progression of PD disability.
The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of a twice daily at-home olfactory training program with a twenty scent, essential oil-based smell test in patients with olfactory dysfunction.
Olfactory identification deficits occur in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), are associated with disease severity, predict conversion from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to AD and are associated with healthy elderly subjects developing MCI. Odor (olfactory) identification deficits may reflect degeneration of cholinergic inputs to the olfactory bulb and other olfactory brain regions. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (ACheI) like donepezil show modest effects in improving cognition but can be associated with adverse effects and increased burden and costs because of the need for prolonged, often lifelong, treatment. Converging findings on odor identification test performance (UPSIT, scratch and sniff 40-item test) from four pilot studies, including two of our own, suggest that acute change in the UPSIT in response to an anticholinergic challenge (atropine nasal spray), incremental change over 8 weeks, and even the baseline UPSIT score by itself, may predict cognitive improvement with ACheI treatment in MCI and AD. If change in odor identification deficits can help to identify which patients should receive ACheI treatment, this simple inexpensive approach will advance the goal of improving personalized treatment, improve selection and monitoring of patients for ACheI treatment, reduce needless ACheI exposure with risk of side effects, and decrease health care costs.
The purpose of this study is to determine the normal distribution of nasal tissue cathelicidin antimicrobial peptides (cAMP) levels in subjects with normal smell and subjects with smell dysfunction. The investigators will also look at the effect of nasal saline irrigation on olfaction and cAMP levels and if nasal irrigation is capable of harvesting olfactory cilia. The investigators hypothesize that nasal saline will have no effect on olfaction and will be inadequate to harvest olfactory cilia.
Background: Many disorders of the head and neck can affect a person s hearing; balance; smell; taste; swallowing; voice; or speech. These disorders include cancers and genetic and inflammatory diseases. To find better ways to diagnose and treat these disorders, researchers need to study tissues and other biological samples from people who have them. Objective: To collect biological samples for a repository that will be used for research. Eligibility: People of any age with a disorder of the head and neck that requires the taking of biological samples. The conditions may be any that affect hearing; balance; smell; taste; swallowing; voice; or speech. Design: Part 1: Participants will give permission for their leftover tissue samples to be used for research. These are tissue samples from the head and neck that were collected in the course of routine tests and care or other research studies. Information on each participant s age, diagnosis, and previous treatments will also be collected. Part 2: Some participants may be asked for more samples. All those aged 3 years or older will have a physical exam. They will provide blood and saliva samples. A cotton swab or brush will be used to collect cells from the inside of the cheek. Participants 18 years or older may have additional tests. They may provide nasal secretions: A piece of gelfoam or a sponge will be placed in the nose to soak up secretions for 5 to 10 minutes. They may have biopsies: Small samples of tissue will be cut from the skin and the tissue lining the mouth. Samples may be used for genetic testing.
Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection can cause multiple system function disorders, and complicated symptoms last for an extended period. The virus can cause this continued infection, or the virus causes immune system function disorder and post-infectious autoimmune disease. The clinical symptoms can be smell loss, taste loss to liver function disorder, kidney function failure, different. No matter how complicated the systems showed in the clinic, all of the symptoms are due to the specific cells being damaged. Our clinical study is focused on recovering the damaged structure and function of the cells that could restore the organ function back to normal or close to normal