Clinical trials

This split-mouth randomized controlled clinical trial will test whether a ready-to-use collagen membrane (Star Matrix) can widen the protective band of gum tissue (keratinized gingiva) as effectively as the standard free gingival graft harvested from the palate. Central question Can Star Matrix provide the same or better gain in keratinized tissue width-with less patient discomfort and chair-time-than an autogenous graft? Primary objectives Compare the 6-month increase in keratinized tissue width between Star Matrix and autogenous graft sites. Assess patient-reported pain and morbidity associated with each treatment. Secondary objectives Measure operative time, early healing scores, esthetic outcomes, and (optional) histologic quality of the regenerated tissue. Methods Twelve adults with ≤ 2 mm keratinized tissue on contralateral lower-jaw teeth will be enrolled. Each participant receives Star Matrix on one side and a conventional free gingival graft on the other. Follow-up visits at 2, 4, 8, 12 and 24 weeks include clinical measurements, standardized photographs, and a 7-day postoperative pain diary. An optional 2 mm punch biopsy at 6 months is analyzed microscopically.

Schizophrenia represents a significant contributor to the global burden of disease, with this burden disproportionately impacting low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In India, the burden due to schizophrenia is further exacerbated by low access to effective psychosocial interventions aimed at promoting recovery, rehabilitation, and community tenure, as well as inadequate attention to managing co-occurring chronic medical conditions that result in significantly reduced life expectancy among those living with schizophrenia compared to the general population. A major driver of these alarming gaps in access to care for persons with schizophrenia in India is the limited capacity within primary care settings aimed at addressing the complex co-occurring mental health, physical health, and functional needs of this patient population. There now exists strong evidence demonstrating that community programs delivered in primary care and leveraging psychosocial interventions combined with linkage to specialty psychiatric services are effective for supporting treatment and recovery of schizophrenia in low-resource settings. We will leverage our existing collaboration and robust research infrastructure in both rural and urban settings in Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka, India to conduct a hybrid type 1 effectiveness-implementation trial to evaluate whether the use of a digital platform offers added clinical benefit and can support integration of this task shared care for schizophrenia into routine primary care settings. We will address the following aims: 1) evaluate whether the use of the mindLAMP digital platform can enhance the clinical effectiveness of task-shared community-based psychosocial rehabilitation (COPSI) for individuals with schizophrenia, and 2) determine whether the addition of mindLAMP to the delivery of the COPSI program has an impact on implementation metrics when compared to delivery of COPSI alone.

The study aims at comparing two different approaches for vertical soft tissue augmentation at implant sites exhibiting soft tissue dehiscences: autogenous connective tissue graft vs acellular dermal matrix + enamel matrix derivative

The goal of this study is to learn if AI-generated video explanations help people better understand their radiology reports. The main question it aims to answer is: Do AI-generated videos help participants understand their medical imaging results better than written reports alone? Participants will send their own radiology images and written reports to the research team; receive a personalized AI-generated video that explains their results in easy-to-understand language; watch their video explanation (about 1-5 minutes long); and complete 15-minute online survey about how well the video helped them understand their results.

This research is being done to evaluate the clinical, technical, biological, and aesthetic results of two different fabrication methods (additive and subtractive) for creating implant-supported fixed dental prostheses (iFDPs). Patients will receive an iFDP, meaning an implant-supported crown, according to regular treatment protocols. The fabrication method used to create the implant-supported crown will be decided in a randomised way. Clinical and radiological examinations will be performed prior to and when receiving the implant-supported crown and during a follow-up period of 3 years. Furthermore, technician- and patient-reported outcomes will be evaluated used questionnaires.

Freezing-of-gait (FoG) in Parkinson Disease (PD) is one of the most vivid and disturbing gait phenomena in neurology. Often described by patients as a feeling of "feet getting glued to the floor," FoG is formally defined as a "brief, episodic absence or marked reduction of forward progression of the feet despite the intention to walk." This debilitating gait phenomena is very common in PD, occurring in up to 80% of individuals with severe PD. When FoG arrests walking, serious consequences can occur such as loss of balance, falls, injurious events, consequent fear of falling, and increased hospitalization. Wearable robots are capable of augmenting spatiotemporal gait mechanics and are emerging as viable solutions for locomotor assistance in various neurological populations. For the proposed study, our goal is to understand how low force mechanical assistance from soft robotic apparel can best mitigate gait decline preceding a freezing episode and subsequent onset of FoG by improving spatial (e.g. stride length) and temporal features (e.g. stride time variability) of walking. We hypothesize that the ongoing gait-preserving effects can essentially minimize the accumulation of motor errors that lead to FoG. Importantly, the autonomous assistance provided by the wearable robot circumvents the need for cognitive or attentional resources, thereby minimizing risks for overloading the cognitive systems -- a known trigger for FoG, thus enhancing the repeatability and robustness of FoG-preventing effects.

More than a dozen states have proposed or plan to implement work requirements in Medicaid, and similar requirements already exist nationally in the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), yet evidence on the effects of these policies is limited. In cooperation with the state of Virginia, the investigators plan to conduct a randomized controlled trial studying the impacts of work requirements in public programs on insurance coverage, SNAP participation, employment, and health, with a particular focus on changes in racial/ethnic and geographic disparities in these outcomes. The COVID-19 epidemic and concurrent economic downturn creates additional urgency around these issues, and the investigators will use a combination of national administrative data and a new population survey to assess disparities in employment, health care, and food insecurity during this crisis.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn how different materials used in dental implants affect the surrounding gum tissue in adults who need dental implants. The main questions it aims to answer are: How do different materials (titanium, PEEK, zirconia, and lithium disilicate) affect inflammation around dental implants? What changes occur in inflammation markers in the gum tissue after 3 and 6 months? Researchers will compare the different materials to see which one causes the least amount of inflammation. Participants will: Receive dental implants made from different materials. Have samples of fluid from around their implants collected for analysis at 3 and 6 months. Undergo regular dental check-ups to measure gum health, such as bleeding and pocket depth around the implants.

The specific aim of this project is to examine the feasibility of using a low cost, low intensity, mobile app-based intervention teaching emotion regulation and interpersonal skills to improve general well-being for those with probable post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Kenyan clinics.