Clinical trials

Adolescent depression is a major public health problem. Depression affects adolescents' emotional well-being now and in the future, and it also affects their physical health, especially the risk for heart disease and other cardiovascular and metabolic health problems. In adolescents with depression and obesity, evidence-based programs for depression, like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), might improve physical health, in part by supporting healthy behaviors such as physical activity, nutritious eating, and getting enough sleep. Our preliminary studies provide support for this overarching hypothesis. If adolescents have access to a digital app to support practicing CBT skills in between program sessions, it might especially help them to learn skills that help to feel better and be healthier in their day-to-day lives. We are tailoring a digital app for this purpose and we will make changes to the app based on feedback from adolescents, their parents, and their doctors. Once the app is well-liked and helpful, and works well as a support for taking part in CBT, we will randomly assign 60 adolescents with depression and overweight/obesity to either "CBT+" - a CBT group program plus the app, or "CBT-only" - the CBT group program only. We will pilot test whether this research is feasible, likeable, and credible, learning information that will inform a larger study to test of CBT+ can support emotional well-being, health behavior, and cardiovascular and metabolic health in adolescents.

The objective of this study is to determine whether inter-individual differences in the gut microbiome influence exposure to blueberry polyphenol metabolites. We will use pharmacokinetics of blueberry polyphenols after an acute blueberry exposure to group individuals into "metabotypes", groups of individuals based on similarity in their metabolite profiles. We will then use multi-omic approaches to determine whether the gut microbiome predicts an individual's metabotype.

The purpose of this research study is to determine if the cold-induced change in fat burning during exercise is different between females and males.

The investigators are doing this study to learn more about how to prevent type 2 diabetes in teenage girls. The purpose of this study is to find out if taking part in a cognitive-behavioral therapy group, exercise training group, or a combination of cognitive-behavioral therapy and exercise training groups, decreases stress, improves mood, increases physical activity and physical fitness, and decreases insulin resistance among teenagers at risk for diabetes.

The purpose of this study is to determine optimal task design parameters for the measurement of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) effects on cognition.

The goal of this research study is to look at how live, online group exercise compares to recorded videos for helping increase physical activity levels, improve physical fitness and quality of life, and reduce loneliness among those living with and beyond cancer. The following aims have been established for this study: * Aim 1: Examine the effect of a group-based videoconference physical activity (PA) intervention on moderate to vigorous physical activity \[MVPA\] (i.e., aerobic and resistance exercise). * Aim 2: Examine the effect of the intervention on additional health-related outcomes including physical fitness (i.e., aerobic endurance, muscular strength), and quality of life at both timepoints. * Aim 3: Explore potential mediators and moderators of intervention effects. We will examine mediators (e.g., self-efficacy, outcome expectations, group cohesion) and moderators (e.g., age, cancer stage, neighborhood walkability) of the intervention on MVPA. * Exploratory Aim: Determine whether a group-based videoconference PA intervention reduces loneliness among cancer survivors. Researchers will randomize participants into one of two guided exercise groups that are 12-weeks long in duration. Participants will be asked to complete online fitness assessments and surveys as well as wear a physical activity monitor device and watch a few times throughout the study. The whole study is 9-months long in duration with a 6-month free-living period where no study activities will take place.

The goal of this clinical trial is to develop and test an adaptive physical activity (PA) maintenance intervention for cancer survivors, after participating in a community-based exercise oncology program. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Aim 1: Examine the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention among cancer survivors and community partners. The researchers will utilize quantitative surveys, focus groups, and semi-structured interviews to collect information about feasibility, implementation, adaptation, and sustainability. * Aim 2: Examine the effects of the intervention among cancer survivors. The researchers will compare the proportion of participants achieving the exercise guidelines for cancer survivors six-months following completion of the initial exercise program. Participants will participate in a community-based exercise oncology program and then return to three months of free living. Based on the PA measured at the three-month follow-up, participants will be categorized as a "Responder" or "Incomplete Responder", and then randomized to the PA maintenance intervention. Researchers will compare those that are classified as Responders (meeting exercise guidelines for cancer survivors) and Incomplete Responders (not meeting guidelines for cancer survivors) to see what level of intervention is needed to influence sustainable behavior change in this population.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if 3 months of taking the dietary supplement MitoQ \[a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant that targets to reduce mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mitoROS)\] works to treat age- and menopause-related reductions in brain artery (cerebrovascular) function in postmenopausal women 60 years of age or older free of clinical disease. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does MitoQ improve cerebrovascular function in postmenopausal women? If so, does MitoQ improve cerebrovascular function by lowering mitoROS in these arteries? Researchers will compare MitoQ to a placebo (a look-alike substance that contains no drug) to see if MitoQ can improve cerebrovascular function by lowering mitoROS in arteries involved in brain health and function. Participants will: Take MitoQ (20 mg/day) or a placebo every day for 3 months Visit the research laboratory at baseline and then after 3 months for cerebrovascular testing; there is also a check-in visit at 6 weeks, which is the halfway point Keep track of symptoms and events during their treatment period to report to the study team

People who experience repeated bouts of circadian misalignment, such as shift workers, are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and Type 2 diabetes (T2D) compared to daytime workers. However, the mechanism(s) by which shift work and associated circadian misalignment increase CVD and T2D risk are unknown. This project will examine whether elevated plasma lipids are a mechanism by which circadian misalignment impairs vascular function, insulin sensitivity, glucose homeostasis and muscle lipid accumulation, which could be targeted to prevent and treat cardiometabolic disease in people who chronically experience circadian misalignment, which includes more than 20% of the US workforce.

The study will find out if 100 minutes of electrical stimulation of muscle prevents the unfavorable consequence of insufficient exercise.

This is a randomized, parallel-group study designed to explore the differences between cannabis intoxication, alcohol intoxication and co-intoxication involving both alcohol and cannabis, utilizing electroencephalography (EEG) as well as more traditional intoxication measures such as breath alcohol concentration and balance metrics. If eligible for the study, participants will be randomized to complete one study session in our mobile laboratory, during which they will use either alcohol, cannabis (which will be self-administered, ad libitum) or both alcohol and cannabis.

The goal of this study is to address a key health inequity - lack of community access to evidence-based programs to prevent chronic health conditions (e.g., Type 2 Diabetes) - by tailoring and delivering a family-based lifestyle and stress management intervention, Health Without Barriers/Salud Sin Barreras, for adolescents and their families living in rural Southwest Colorado. The intervention is a lifestyle program that addresses healthy lifestyle habits within the family context to support adolescent mental health (mindfulness intervention) and healthy weight (physical activity, nutrition, and parent education).

Investigators are studying how combining a stepped-care mental health counseling program with an evidence-based exercise program can help Latina cancer survivors feel better mentally and physically. The goal is to improve stress, emotions, and physical activity during and after cancer treatment. In addition, investigators will examine the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention among Latina cancer survivors.

The gut microbiome has been shown to impact various facets of human health, including mental health. Studies have shown that populations with more agrarian lifestyles tend to have fewer chronic diseases and mental health issues than industrialized populations. A possible factor in these differences is the loss of co-evolved gut microbial taxa that has occurred with Westernization. This hypothesis, termed "Old Friends Hypothesis" suggests that the loss of certain gut microbes leads to immune dysregulation and increased chronic inflammation that contributes to development of cancers, cardiometabolic diseases and even neuroinflammation that can lead to negative behavioral and mental health outcomes. Other studies have shown that increasing the intake of plant foods may help increase diversity of the microbes in the gut and that this increased diversity could lead to better health outcomes in humans. The investigators propose to evaluate daily consumption of a drink consisting of a high diversity of plants (30 plant species) for four weeks on the diversity of the gut microbiome, biological signatures of inflammation, quality of life, sleep quality, and PTSD symptoms among persons with a diagnosis of PTSD. The investigators hypothesize that four weeks of daily consumption of this high plant diversity beverage (30 plant species) will increase gut microbiome ɑ-diversity, reduce markers of systemic inflammation, and improve PTSD symptom severity relative to daily consumption of a beverage containing only three plant species.

Insufficient sleep and circadian misalignment are independent risk factors for the development of obesity and diabetes, yet few strategies exist to counter metabolic impairments when these behaviors are unavoidable. This project will examine whether avoiding food intake during the biological night can mitigate the impact of circadian misalignment on metabolic homeostasis in adults during simulated night shift work. Findings from this study could identify a translatable strategy to minimize metabolic diseases in populations that include anyone working nonstandard hours such as police, paramedics, firefighters, military personnel, pilots, doctors and nurses, truck drivers, and individuals with sleep disorders.

The objective is to investigate the effect of walnuts on gut microbiota, inflammatory markers, atopic dermatitis status, and indices of allergy outcomes in breastfed infants during early complementary feeding. The three primary aims include: Aim 1: Evaluate the effect of walnut consumption on gut microbiota structure and function, inflammation, atopic dermatitis, and allergy outcomes. Aim 2: Evaluate the impact of walnut consumption on infant growth trajectories and risk of overweight. Aim 3 (exploratory): Identify walnut-specific food signatures that are associated with gut microbiota and immunity biomarkers using a novel nutri-metabolomics technique.

The overarching goal of this work is to address the limited access to evidence-based health behavior and lifestyle interventions for youth and families most impacted by preventable chronic diseases, including obesity and type 2 diabetes. In the current project, we implement a small single-arm pilot and feasibility trial of Health Without Barriers/Salud Sin Barreras (HWB/SSB), a culturally-adapted, whole-family intensive health behavior and lifestyle intervention to 11-19-year-old adolescents and their families living in Northern Colorado. Objectives are refining the HWB/SSB community facilitator training, evaluating the feasibility and acceptability of HWB/SSB implementation, and characterizing changes in health outcomes among adolescent participants.