Clinical trials

This randomized clinical trial evaluates the effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in reducing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Participants with PTSD symptoms will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either immediate EMDR in addition to treatment as usual (EMDR+TAU) or delayed EMDR following an initial treatment-as-usual period (TAU+EMDR). Randomization will be stratified by sex. PTSD symptoms will be assessed using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) at baseline (T1), after the first treatment period (T2), and after the second treatment period (T3). The primary outcome is PTSD symptom severity measured by the PCL-5 at T2, comparing participants receiving EMDR+TAU with those receiving TAU alone during the first treatment period. Secondary outcomes include clinically meaningful improvement in PTSD symptoms, defined as a reduction of at least 10 points on the PCL-5, symptom change during the initial treatment-as-usual period, the effect of delayed EMDR, and the durability of the EMDR treatment effect over time.

Type 2 diabetes is a growing health concern worldwide, influenced by genetic factors, overweight, metabolic syndrome, and insufficient physical activity. Good treatment and glycemic control can reduce or delay diabetes-related complications, which account for a significant and increasing share of healthcare costs in Finland. Much of this cost growth is due to complications resulting from inadequate diabetes care. Secondary prevention programs can therefore provide both health and economic benefits. Lifestyle interventions are one way to improve type 2 diabetes care and reduce complications. This study aims to evaluate the impact of a digital lifestyle intervention combined with optimized care on treatment and outcomes among adults with type 2 diabetes at high risk for complications. The intervention includes access to the BitHabit "Small Actions" application, which supports healthy lifestyle changes, and for participants with a body mass index (BMI) over 30, the Onnikka weight management application. The study will be conducted in North Savo, Finland, using a case-control design. Approximately 120 participants will receive the intervention and 50-100 will serve as controls. All participants will have their care plans reviewed and updated according to the Finnish Current Care Guidelines for Type 2 Diabetes. Control group participants will receive standard care, while the intervention group will receive standard care plus the digital tools. The study also includes the validation of the PAID (Problem Areas in Diabetes) questionnaire for use in Finland and in the Finnish language. The study duration for each participant is 12 months. Data will be collected through physiological measurements, laboratory tests, questionnaires, and app usage logs. Measurements and questionnaires will be conducted at baseline and after 12 months. The analyses will describe the phenomenon, its prevalence, and associations between variables, as well as potential dependencies.

Background Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a prevalent condition that affects 2.7% of the population, especially women. It arises due to compression of the median nerve in the wrist and is linked to factors like diabetes, obesity, and physical workload. Non-surgical treatments such as splinting and corticosteroid injections are often the first approach for mild to moderate CTS but show mixed long-term results. Surgical intervention, carpal tunnel release (CTR), is frequently necessary and has a success rate of 75-88%. CTR is a safe procedure, but like any surgery, it carries risks, including scarring and nerve injury. Rationale Despite its widespread use, the effectiveness of CTR surgery has not been rigorously tested through randomised controlled trials (RCT) against placebo. This leaves a critical gap in understanding whether observed improvements result from surgery or the natural course of CTS, which can sometimes resolve on its own. Previous RCT in hand surgery have faced methodological issues, emphasising the need for high-quality research to validate the benefits of CTR surgery. Objectives FOCUS (eFficacy Of Carpal tUnnel release) trial, aims to provide robust evidence of CTR's effectiveness compared to placebo. The null and alternative hypotheses of the trial are as follows: * Null Hypothesis: The treatment effect of CTR is not superior to placebo surgery. * Alternative Hypothesis: The treatment effect of CTR is superior to placebo surgery Trial Design This multinational, triple-blinded RCT includes two groups: one receiving CTR and the other undergoing placebo surgery. An additional observational cohort will enhance the trial's generalisability. Recruitment begins in Finland, with plans to expand to Denmark, China and Australia. Experienced hand surgeons will perform all procedures, and the study adheres to rigorous international guidelines (SPIRIT). Methods Eligible participants are screened and randomised 1:1 to receive either CTR or placebo surgery. In CTR, surgeons relieve pressure on the median nerve through a small incision. Placebo surgery involves a similar incision without addressing the nerve compression. Both procedures use the same pre- and post-operative care protocols to maintain participant blinding. Data collection involves comprehensive patient assessments at six months, one, two, and five years. A validated tool, the 6-CTS scale, is the primary outcome measure, while secondary measures include nerve conduction tests, hand strength, and patient-reported satisfaction. The study includes 96 participants, allowing for statistical analysis with 80% power to detect meaningful differences in outcomes.Trial is triple-blinded ensuring that participants, outcome assessors, and investigators remain unaware of treatment assignments, minimising bias. Patients will be randomly assigned to 1:1 parallel groups using an internet-based randomisation program. Ethical considerations The trial complies with the Declaration of Helsinki and national regulations. Participants provide informed consent and can withdraw at any time. Data Management and Safety Data is securely stored in compliance with GDPR, and interim analyses are conducted to monitor safety. An independent Data Safety and Monitoring Committee (DSMC) oversees the trial, reviewing any serious adverse events. Expected Outcomes and Significance Discussion The trial seeks to determine whether CTR surgery provides superior outcomes compared to placebo, addressing a critical gap in evidence for this common procedure. By including patient-reported outcomes and rigorous blinding, the study emphasises improvements that matter most to individuals with CTS. This research has far-reaching implications for patients, surgeons, and policymakers, offering insights into the value of CTR surgery. The results could refine treatment guidelines, ensuring that surgical interventions are evidence-based and benefit those most in need. Conclusion The FOCUS-trial represents a significant step forward in validating the effectiveness of CTR surgery. By setting a high standard for surgical research, it aims to provide clarity on a widely performed procedure, contributing to improved care and outcomes for individuals with CTS worldwide.

The investigators aim to examine whether a motivational multicomponent lifestyle intervention as a supportive treatment for depression has a beneficial effect on recovery from depression in a primary health care setting.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most commonly appearing entrapment neuropathy of the upper extremity. Treatment options include both non-operative and operative methods. Surgical treatment, carpal tunnel release (CTR), involves division of the transverse carpal ligament. Surgery can be performed under axillary or intravenous block, or general anaesthesia. There are no prior randomised controlled trials (RCT) comparing local infiltration anaesthesia to local infiltration anaesthesia augmented with a distal median nerve block in CTR. The aim of this trial is to investigate whether adding a distal median nerve block to local anaesthesia reduces the patient's perceived pain level for up to 72 hours after CTR, compared to using only local anaesthesia, i.e., an anaesthesia mixture injected solely in and around the planned incision and nerve release. The null hypothesis is that the use of distal median nerve block with local anaesthesia does not reduce pain after CTR compared to pure local anaesthesia. PERSONNEL (carPal tunnEl ReleaSe lOcal iNfiltratioN mEdian bLockade) is a double-blinded, i.e., patient and investigators, RCT in patients with CTS. Patients will be randomly divided into two parallel trial groups, 1:1 in size to each other. Fifty-nine patients will be needed for each group to have adequate power. The primary outcome is the pain level perceived by the patient after the procedure during the first 72 hours using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Secondary outcomes include patient-rated outcome measures, safety, the entire consumption of pain killers after the surgery during the first 72 hours postoperatively, pain of performing the anaesthesia, and pain during and after the operation. No trial comparing local anaesthesia to local anaesthesia augmented with distal median nerve block has been published before. There is also no trial noting individual tolerance to pain. The quality of the median nerve block at the wrist has been achieved by using sensory or sensory-motor nerve stimulation and has been proven effective. This increases trust in the effectiveness of the treatment method, but it still needs to be adequately proven which is the goal of this trial.

The goal of this clinical study is to compared two different strategies to end high flow nasal cannula treatment in acute bronchiolitis. This study compared the immediate ending of high flow treatment to weaning strategy, in which the flow rate is gradually decreased. The aim is to assess if the immediate ending shortens the hospitalization time and whether it is a safe strategy.

Double blinded, sham-controlled, randomized trial on repeated transcranial alternating current brain stimulation (tACS) in neurodegenerative diseases. The investigators will evaluate whether a 4-times daily repeated stimulation with gamma tACS on the posterior parietal cortex can improve symptoms in patients with neurodegenerative diseases, including dementia with Lewy Bodies, Alzheimer's disease, idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus and Frontotemporal dementia.

KuPSMALu-trial is an observational study for patients treated with 177LuPSMA-I\&T in Kuopio University Hospital, Finland. Study focuses on efficacy, safety and biomarker research.

Hiatal hernia can present with a wide range of symptoms. An usual surgical repair technique usually includes Nissen fundoplication, while other procedures are less frequently employed. However, recurrence and reoperation rates remain high. This randomized controlled trial aims to compare the efficacy of Nissen and Dor fundoplication in preventing hiatal hernia recurrence and reducing the risk of reoperation Participants undergoing minimally invasive hiatal hernia repair will be randomly assigned to either Nissen or Dor fundoplication. Postoperatively at 12 months, anatomical recurrence rates based on computed tomography scans and symptomatic recurrence rates, anti-reflux medication use, GERD-related quality of life, and dysphagia symptoms will be assessed. A subsequent long-term follow-up study will conducted afterwards utilizing national registry data to evaluate reoperation rates and anti-reflux medication use

Gliomas are tumors that occur in all ages; they include the most common malign primary central nervous system tumors in developed countries. Gliomas are often aggressive, and their recommended treatment is surgical resection and chemoradiation. Complete tumor removal is challenging because of diffuse cell growth and the proximity of functionally critical tissues. Surgeons use 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) drug-induced fluorescence to visually detect tumor cells, which improves resection rates and delays tumor progression. Tumor cells are often left unnoticed because of visual obstacles or weak fluorescence, which may lead to local recurrence and reoperations. Surgical suction devices are used to remove cancerous tissues, but so far the suction aspirate tissues have not been routinely used in tissue detection. This single-center observational study compares experts' visual detection of 5-ALA-induced fluorescence and fluorescence detected from the surgical suction waste. The fluorescence from the suction waste will not be reported back to the surgeon.

Gliomas are tumors that occur in all ages; they include the most common malign primary central nervous system tumors in developed countries. Gliomas are often aggressive, and their recommended treatment is surgical resection and chemoradiation. Complete tumor removal is challenging because of diffuse cell growth and the proximity of functionally critical tissues. Surgeons use 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) drug-induced fluorescence to visually detect tumor cells, which improves resection rates and delays tumor progression. Tumor cells are often left unnoticed because of visual obstacles or weak fluorescence, which may lead to local recurrence and reoperations. Surgical suction devices are used to remove cancerous tissues, but so far the suction aspirate tissues have not been routinely used in tissue detection. This multicenter controlled clinical trial investigates the clinical performance and outcomes of a new method for detecting tumor from the suction aspirates in near-real time based on 5-ALA induced fluorescence. The feedback from the aspirate tissue monitor (ATM) is expected to improve the identification of tumors, leading to fewer reoperations and better treatment outcomes.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if transcranial alternating current stimulation can shorten the duration of delirium in intensive care setting. The main question it aims to answer: * Is it possible to shorten the duration of delirium with transcranial alternating current stimulation? Researchers will compare experimental treatment to sham. Participants will receive experimental or sham treatment on maximum of two days depending on their delirium status. Duration of delirium is recorded and reported as "days alive and free of delirium".

Aims of this follow-up study are to investigate effects of anorexia nervosa on brain structure and functions in adolescence.

This randomized study compares open inguinal hernia repair (Lichtenstein hernioplasty) to endoscopic repair (TEP) in terms of chronic pain and recurrences in one and five years after operation.

ASSIST mini-intervention is applied in an electric form in adolescent outpatients to see if it

The investigators goal is to determine whether cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) can be utilized in the diagnosis of myocardial ischemia. For the study participants the investigators will recruit patients who have been referred to myocardial perfusion PET/CT scan in Kuopio University Hospital. The participants will perform the CPET on a cycle ergometer on separate day after the perfusion scan. The investigators will compare the results of the PET/CT scan and CPET and evaluate if the possible perfusion defects detected in PET/CT correlate with the gas exchange parameters in CPET. The patients who receive invasive coronary treatment (coronary bypass surgery or percutaneous coronary intervention) will be invited to perform additional CPET ja PET/CT tests six months after the treatment. The goal will be to determine whether the recovery of myocardial perfusion can be assessed with gas exchange parameters in CPET.

The PACO trial is a randomized clinical trial conducted in Heart Centers of Kuopio and Turku university hospitals. The coronary artery disease, aortic valve stenosis and mitral valve insufficiency patients preparing for elective coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), aortic valve replacement (AVR) or mitral valve repair (MVR) will be randomized to either intervention or control group. The specific operation groups (CABG, AVR and MVR) will be analyzed separately. The 7-day baseline measurements of sedentary behaviour (SB), physical activity (PA) and sleep will be conducted to the patients by using the RM42 accelerometer during the pre-operative month. After the cardiac procedure is completed and the patient is moved to post-operative ward, the control group patients will begin the standard post-operative rehabilitation program of the participating hospitals (activity guidance given by a physiotherapist). Patients in the intervention groups will follow the identical program but after discharge they will also receive personalized activity guidance through the combination of ExSed smart phone application, Suunto MoveSense accelerometer and cloud system during the first 90 days of post-operative rehabilitation. Weekly evolving daily goals to replace SB with PA (daily goals for steps, moderate PA, light PA and standing, and sitting time limit) will be designed for each patient of the intervention groups. A new daily step goal will be delivered from the cloud system to the patient's smart phone in the beginning of each week of the intervention. The daily step goal of the first intervention week is based on patient's walking distance assessed by a physiotherapist in post-operative ward. The following goals will be automatically evolved in the basis of patient's personal average step count of the previous week. The MoveSense accelerometer will measure accumulated levels of SB, PA and sleep, and transmit the data to user's ExSed application with Bluetooth. With information about accumulated levels of SB and PA, the application is able to guide the patient to accomplish the predefined activity goal. The guidance and motivation will be offered with pop-up notifications and histograms (columns are fulfilled according to patient's accumulated daily activity). The researches retain a remote access to the activity data of patients in the cloud system. The ExSed application will be connected to the cloud system with internet connection. In addition, the patients of the intervention groups will receive short video files (lasting from 1 to 3 minutes) containing exercise guidance from a physiotherapist specialized to cardiac operation patients. These videos are available on the ExSed application during the intervention. The physiotherapist will also contact each patient (by mobile phone) with structured contact form from 1 to 4 times in a month to make sure that the intervention is proceeding as designed.