4 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
For many after spinal cord injury (SCI) there is immobilization, muscle atrophy, bone loss, fracture risk during transferring (or falls), and the risk of secondary complications, and increase in attendance care and cost. It is important to develop multi dimensional rehabilitation strategies for people after SCI to enhance functional recovery towards walking, and enhance an increase in muscle and bone to potentially prepare the injured nervous system in the event of a cure. Locomotor training (Stand retraining and step re training) an activity-based rehabilitative approach generates muscle activity and provides weight bearing and joint contact kinetics, even in individuals who are unable to stand or step independently. Cross-sectional animal and human SCI studies have demonstrated that locomotor training (LT) (stand retraining and step retraining using body weight support treadmill training) has improved the capacity to stand independently and walk at faster speeds. Neuromuscular stimulation (NMS) or electrical stimulation (ES) training is a rehabilitative approach that generates muscle activity, alternating leg extension and flexion even in individuals who are unable to stand or step independently. NMS studies for individuals after SCI have shown improvements in bone density and muscle strength after cycling and resistance training. The main purpose of this study is to address whether stand retraining and NMS compared to stand retraining alone or NMS alone will increase neural and musculoskeletal gains and provide a greater functional recovery towards independent standing. This project will be completed at two sites: Kessler Foundation Research Center (the grant PI site) and Frazier Rehabilitation Institute, University of Louisville, Kentucky.
Background: - Participants in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging are being studied to examine changes in brain structure and function over time, and to determine if these changes can predict the likelihood that an individual will develop thinking and memory impairments such as Alzheimer s disease later in life. Imaging studies and neuropsychological testing have been conducted on current participants, and new participants are being recruited to the study. To develop better treatments and therapies for aging-related memory loss and other disorders, researchers are interested in determining whether early prediction of thinking and memory impairments are accurate and in evaluating factors that affect these predictions. Objectives: - To use imaging studies and tests of thinking and memory to determine early markers of Alzheimer s disease and other cognitive impairments. Eligibility: - Current participants and new recruits to the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Design: * Participants will be screened with a full medical history and physical examination, as well as blood and urine tests. * Participants will have testing visits as directed by the study researchers. All participants will have tests as part of their an initial enrollment in the study, and may be asked to return yearly, 2 years later, or 4 years later for repeated tests. * At each visit, participants will have brain imaging scans (including magnetic resonance imaging and/or magnetic resonance spectroscopy to measure brain structure and function, and positron emission tomography to study blood flow in the brain) to evaluate brain structure and function. Participants will also take tests of memory and problem-solving skills. * Treatment will not be provided as part of this protocol.
This study will examine the individual and combined effects of Coreg CR and lisinopril, on cardiovascular health as measured by Rasmussen Disease Score (RDS) in a blinded, placebo controlled comparison over a 9-month study period. Patients to be randomized will have pre-hypertensive blood pressures that do not require anti-hypertensive therapy and at least one additional cardiovascular risk factor.
The purpose of this clinical trial is to answer the question: can the investigators predict which adults with social anxiety disorder (SAD) will successfully respond to treatment? To answer this question, the investigators plan to recruit 190 adult participants who experience extreme forms of social anxiety to undergo brain imaging before and after 12 weeks of group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Adults in the SAD group who do not respond enough to group CBT may be offered the opportunity to complete an additional 12 weeks of individual CBT while receiving SSRI medication (sertraline, see below) for SAD. Data collected from participants who experience anxiety will be compared to a group of 50 participants with little or no social anxiety, who will serve as a comparison group.