Clinical trials

The goal of this interventional study is to learn about the digestibility of different plant-based proteins in adults (age 18-75) with an ileostomy. The main questions the study aims to answer are: 1. How does the digestibility of proteins in the small intestine differ between different plant-based proteins? 2. Which proteins and amino acids are not digested or absorbed in the small intestine and are available for further metabolic processes in the large intestine? 3. How do metabolites in the collected content of the ileostomy bag differ after consuming different plant-based proteins? 4. Can the in vivo results be compared to results from existing in vitro models? Participants will consume five different protein meals (oat protein - high bioavailable, oat protein - low bioavailable, pea protein - high bioavailable, pea protein low bioavailable, protein-free meal) on five different study days in a random order. Five hours after consuming the test meals ileostomy bags will be collected and the content will be analysed to answer the above mentioned research questions.

The aim of this crossover intervention study is to evaluate the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in participants at baseline and how these levels change after consuming either a low- or high-dietary fiber diet for three days. This study will involve adults, 18-65 years old, without any gastrointestinal diseases. The primary objectives are to characterize baseline VOC profiles, assess changes in these profiles after a short-term dietary fiber intervention, determine if specific VOC patterns correlate with dietary fiber intake, and identify the time points at which VOC levels peak. This information will help establish the optimal timing for breath sampling and potentially provide insight into how VOC patterns relate to dietary fiber consumption and degradation. The expected outcome is that a high-dietary fiber diet will produce a VOC profile enriched in metabolites associated with fiber fermentation compared to a low-dietary fiber diet, and that these VOCs will be consistent with those identified in vitro during fecal fermentation. Each participant will serve as an internal control, enabling within-subject comparisons of VOC levels at baseline and following the dietary fiber intervention. Participants will receive a whole-food product that is rich in dietary fiber and will consume either a low-fiber diet (10 g/day) or a high-fiber diet (40 g/day) for three days. On the first day of each intervention, participants will also ingest a pH capsule to monitor gastrointestinal pH continuously throughout the three days. After a three-week washout period, participants will cross over to the other intervention arm and undergo another round of gastrointestinal pH monitoring. In addition to the dietary intervention, participants will complete food and health questionnaires to assess habitual fiber intake and dietary habits. Fecal samples will be collected for in vitro fermentation to functionally profile the gut microbiota by assessing fecal VOCs, short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), and the microbial enzymatic activity and its pH-dependent modulation.

This study investigates short-term intra- and inter-individual variability in human blood metabolism under real-life conditions. Using minimally invasive finger-prick blood sampling, dietary records, and wearable devices, we will longitudinally monitor blood-circulating metabolites and glucose levels in healthy individuals over a four-week period without dietary or lifestyle intervention. The study focuses on metabolic transitions between pre- and postprandial states during habitual daily activities and routine meals. Mass spectrometry-based metabolomics will be used to characterize metabolite profiles and their associations with diet, physical activity, sleep, and stress. In parallel, the study evaluates the feasibility of microsampling approaches, wearable-derived physiological data, and isotope-labelled standards for robust and cost-effective metabolite quantification. The results will inform the design of larger longitudinal studies using minimally invasive blood sampling in non-controlled settings.

The overall aim of the project is to determine whether a daily intake of health-promoting bacteria, known as probiotics, with or without a dietary fiber, affects uric acid levels in individuals with elevated levels of uric acid in the blood (hyperuricemia). Additionally, the project will investigate which individuals benefit from this dietary supplement and which do not, based on factors such as gut microbiota composition and function, dietary habits, genetic factors, and inflammatory status. The ultimate goal is to develop a personalized therapy for hyperuricemia. At the beginning of the study, blood samples will be taken to determine uric acid levels and 99 individuals with hyperuricemia will be invited to participate in a 6-week intervention study with daily intake of dietary supplements. To examine the effect of the supplement on various health variables, blood, urine, stool, and breath samples will be collected on several occasions. To better understand the underlying factors of hyperuricemia, questionnaire data and results from biological will be compared between participants with normal versus elevated uric acid levels. Furthermore, different outcome parameters from questionnaires and samples before and after supplement intake will be compared. In addition, various methods for estimating dietary intake will be investigated and compared with each other.

Intervention aiming to promote healthy dietary and physical activity behaviors in adults with different socioeconomic status primary care settings

This is a pilot study investigating how a novel probiotic supplement (BEO001), with and without a dietary fiber (beta-glucan), affects the lining of the small intestine in healthy people. The main goal is to see if a single dose of the probiotic changes gene activity (transcriptomics) and sugar molecule patterns (glycomics) in the gut. Eight participants will take three different treatments (placebo, probiotic alone, probiotic with fiber) in a random order, with at least 10 days between each. A gastroscopy to collect small intestinal tissue samples (biopsies) is performed the morning after each treatment. Blood and breath samples are also collected at these visits to explore effects on metabolism and inflammation. To understand how different sampling methods compare, participants collect stool samples and simple rectal swabs at home before any treatment. Researchers analyze the sugar molecules and bacteria in these samples, then compare them to each other and to the gut tissue samples collected after treatment. This helps determine if easier-to-collect samples can provide similar information to gut biopsies. The study also aims to combine all data (including genetics and diet) to identify key targets for future research and to attempt to grow 'mini-gut' organoids from the biopsies. The results will help design larger future studies in people with high uric acid levels.

The general objective of this observational study is to clarify the clinical, microbial, and tissue characteristics, aetiology, and risk factors behind severe TMJ pathology. The main questions it aims to answer are: * What are the clinical and histologic characteristics of patients with severe pathology of the TMJ? * Can microbial DNA be found in TMJ tissue from patients with severe pathology of the TMJ, and if so, does this correlate to the outcome of the surgery?

Intellectual disability (ID) affects a person throughout life and includes difficulties to manage what is expected in everyday life based on age. One difficulty is to create strategies for and solve problems related to everyday occupations. Treatment options with good evidence to enhance occupational performance for persons with ID are limited. The Cognitive Orientation to Daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) is an approach with good evidence within other diagnostic groups, i.e. adolescents with cerebral palsy. CO-OP has a unique person-centered approach where the person chooses his/her own goals and creates his/her own strategies to reach them. Initial research shows potential for CO-OP with adolescents with ID, although due to scientific flaws there is still a lack of evidence regarding feasibility and effectiveness for adolescents with ID. Based on the results with other diagnostic groups and clinical knowledge and experience, CO-OP can be assumed to be feasible and effective for adolescents with ID and to have a long term effect transferred to everyday life in a way other treatment options do not. The aim of the project is to describe and evaluate CO-OP for adolescents with mild ID. Participants will be adolescents aged 13-17 and their parents. The project is designed as a feasibility study with two qualitative, one quantitative and one mixed method data collection. The quantitative data will be ordinal and nominal data from observational and self-assessment assessments. The mixed methods include comparison between filmed sessions and the CO-OP manual, use of field notes to analyse fidelity and needs for adaptations, and comparison between the CO-OP manual and policy documents. The qualitative outcome will be experiences by the adolescents and perceptions of CO-OP by parents.

In this study, we will collect faecal samples from individuals with hyperuricaemia (assessed by blood test) and perform in vitro faecal fermentation studies to assess how probiotics in combination with fibres affect urate metabolism in these faecal samples.

Background: Parents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) have a tendency to provide insufficient caregiving and often need parenting support to prevent neglect and child removal. However, parents with IDDs are not provided with appropriate support, and there is a lack of evidence-based programmes tailored to these parents' needs. Parenting Young Children (PYC) is a home-based parenting programme developed for parents with IDDs. PYC has shown promising clinical results in interview-based studies, but there is no evidence of its effectiveness. The purpose of the proposed study is to evaluate the PYC programme for improving parenting in parents with IDDs where there is risk of child neglect. The study will include a quantitative evaluation, a process evaluation, and a qualitative evaluation of the children's and parents' perspectives on participating in PYC. Methods: The quantitative evaluation will have a multi-centre, non-randomised, comparative study design. Eligible for participation are parents with IDDs who have children aged 0-9 years living at home and who are assessed as needing tailored parenting support. Thirty parents receiving PYC and thirty parents receiving treatment as usual (TAU) will be recruited from Swedish municipal social services. Outcome variables will be examined before and after the intervention, with a follow-up 6 months after completing the intervention. The primary outcome will be goal-attainment in parenting skills, and secondary outcomes will be parental self-efficacy and children's wellbeing. Interview methods will be used to explore the perspectives of parents and children in the PYC group. Discussion: This study is motivated by the need for evidence-based support for parents with IDDs, and it focuses on upholding the centrality of child-caregiver relationships and family preservation, as well as children's rights and the rights of people with disabilities. Social services have expressed ethical concerns with employing a randomized design for this vulnerable group, and this study will therefore evaluate PYC in a non-randomized comparative study.

The investigators aim to test the preliminary efficacy as well as the acceptability and feasibility of paradoxical intention, which is a psychotherapeutic technique, for improving insomnia symptoms in adults. Previous research has tested this technique for insomnia and found overall positive results. However, during the last decades very few studies have examined paradoxical intention. Therefore the investigators wish to conduct a pilot study examining the effects in a modern context.