Clinical trials

This is a randomized controlled trial to assess whether a personalized food kit to pregnant women is feasible, improves diet quality, and enhances pregnancy and birth outcomes compared to standard prenatal care.

The goal of this clinical trial is to test the efficacy of a novel integrative cognitive-behavioral intervention in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD). Specific Aim 1: Examine the efficacy of CPT-RP, as compared to RP alone, in reducing alcohol frequency (percent days drinking) and quantity (drinks per drinking day) as measured by the Timeline Follow-Back (TLFB). Specific Aim 2: Examine the efficacy of CPT-RP, as compared to RP alone, in reducing PTSD symptoms as measured by the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-5). Specific Aim 3: Use ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to evaluate intervention effects on daily alcohol-related cognitions and behaviors through real-time associations with PTSD symptomatology and distress tolerance. Researchers will compare integrative CPT+RP with RP-alone to see if CPT+RP is more efficacious in reducing alcohol use and PTSD symptom severity.

This study evaluates the impact of culturally tailored menu labeling interventions on psychosocial factors and ordering behavior among customers in two independently owned Hispanic restaurants in East-Central Texas. Participants will be exposed to one of three sequential menu conditions at each restaurant: (1) a standard menu without nutrition information, (2) a paper menu with bilingual nutrition labels, or (3) a digital menu app enhanced with Augmented Reality (AR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) providing interactive nutrition guidance. The study will assess whether menu formats influence nutrition literacy, decision-making confidence, self-efficacy, attitudes, behavioral intentions, and actual ordering behavior. Data will be collected through surveys, purchase receipts, and app interaction logs.

The purpose of this study is to determine if playing a virtual reality walking game can help improve neuropathic pain in adults with incomplete spinal cord injury.

The purpose of this study is to determine if playing a virtual reality walking game can help improve neuropathic pain in adults with chronic spinal cord injury.

The objective of The Neighborhood \& Health Study is to use a quasi-experimental mixed-methods approach to assess the impact of living in an agrihood-an agriculturally integrated community. This study follows a longitudinal cohort of residents of a newly developed neighborhood (the Indigo Neighborhood) and a geographically and socio-demographically matched neighborhood (the Elyson Neighborhood), both located in Fort Bend County, Texas, providing a unique opportunity for a natural experiment.

Frailty is a common clinical syndrome in older adults that increases the risk for poor health outcomes including falls, disability, hospitalization, and mortality. Previous research showed increased protein needs and reduced anabolic response to meals in older adults, indicating the need for proteins with a high anabolic capacity to prevent and attenuate physical and cognitive health decline throughout the frailty cycle. Recently, more people have chosen to eliminate animal (i.e., beef) products from their diets which is concerning because of beef's anabolic properties due to high essential amino acid (EAA) levels and many other positive health effects. The Researchers' recently developed stable isotope amino acid pulse method enables measurement of the true intracellular anabolic response to a meal and bioavailability of food-derived amino acids. The research objective is to examine differences in the anabolic response and bioavailability of individual EAA and non-essential amino acids (NEAA) in beef as compared to plant protein in older adults with and without (pre-)frailty.

Noninvasively monitoring insulin is crucial for advancing precision nutrition and promoting healthy living by enabling a deeper understanding of individual metabolic responses to dietary intake. Insulin is a key regulator of blood sugar and energy metabolism, and its dysregulation is linked to conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. By noninvasively tracking insulin levels, individuals can gain real-time insights into how their body processes different foods, allowing for the personalization of diets to optimize metabolic health, manage weight, and reduce disease risk. This approach also empowers proactive lifestyle adjustments to maintain insulin sensitivity, improve glycemic control, and enhance overall well-being. Decentralized insulin quantification in biofluids, including saliva and serum, based on lateral flow assay or electrochemical sensor has been reported. However, these approaches have poor sensitivity and fail to quantify insulin with a high temporal resolution.

The researchers overall objective is to determine whether plant and animal protein based proteins affect the anabolic responses across aging populations differently due to specific changes in the essential amino acids (EAA) and non-essential amino acids (NEAA) kinetic responses. The researchers central hypothesis is that a high EAA to NEAA ratio in a protein meal is related to higher anabolic response to the meal. The researchers also hypothesize that the type of NEAA in a protein meal also affects the anabolic capacity of the meal. The researchers rationale is that finding the amino acid composition of a meal that will maximally induce protein anabolism will guide novel nutritional approaches to prevent and treat sarcopenia, thereby reducing both overall economic burden and improving individual patient outcomes.

Healthy School Recognized Campus is a Texas A\&M AgriLife Extension initiative that supports the delivery of school-based physical activity and nutrition programs for diverse youth across Texas. The purpose of this study is to conduct a type 2 hybrid implementation-effectiveness, cluster dual randomized controlled trial (DRCT) to assess both Healthy School Recognized Campus (HSRC) and the mentoring program.

Many pregnant women suffer from poor sleep quality and snoring. Evidence shows an increasing association between (1) sleep disordered breathing and (2) maternal cardiovascular disease and in-hospital death. Snoring is a variant of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and OSA during pregnancy is associated with higher risks for cesarean delivery, gestational hypertension, preeclampsia and preterm delivery. It may also impact fetal outcomes negatively. The purpose of this study is to determine whether sleep quality can be improved in pregnant women who snore by means of an oral appliance that opens the airway. Sleep quality is evaluated objectively using an un-intrusive home sleep test system.

Previous studies suggest that changes in metabolism due to the effects of aging might serve as a potential for therapeutic agents. The investigating lab developed a pulse method combining multiple stable isotopes to study multiple metabolic pathways in the same individual simultaneously. By measuring whole-body metabolism in a large group of older adults, the investigators may be able to unravel age-related deterioration in protein turnover (synthesis and breakdown) that contributes to impaired functional capacity. Metabolic profiles could explain differences in pathways in the aging process with special interest in metabolism of amino acids as they have been associated with aging-related disorders.

Considerable heterogeneity in the aging population has been observed. The exceptional longevity of individuals reaching 100 years old, so-called centenarians may be an example of life-long healthy aging, or added years may be spent in poor health with decreased physical and cognitive functioning. Current knowledge of the aging experience and the trajectories of physical and cognitive decline across various age groups are not well-understood, yet crucial to prevent spending added years in disease. Hence, the study objective is to develop the metabolic profile associated with aging-related disorders measured as the incidence of impaired functional capacity, cognitive function, and/or well-being.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn the impact of lutein, zeaxanthin, and fish oil (LZF) supplementation in healthy adults. The main question it aims to answer is: Will supplementation with LZF improve macular pigment optical density (MPOD), cognitive performance and bone mass compared to controls after six months? Subjects with an MPOD \<.43 will significantly improve MPOD after 6-months of LZF supplementation. Consuming a LZFO supplement for 6-months will improve visual cognitive performance. Consuming a LZFO supplement for 6-months will improve bone density. Participants will be asked to take either a LZF supplement or placebo daily for 6 months.

This program collects genetic and health information to help doctors choose the right medications for patients.

The investigator's primary aim is to evaluate polypharmacy-associated adverse drug reactions (ADR) in a pilot study of at-risk patients using state-of-the-art pharmacogenomic technology and to use this information to make recommendations for optimization of pharmacotherapy regimens. The data from the pilot cohort will be used to optimize and integrate a customized electronic decision support (clinical semantic network; CSN) dashboard to identify drug regimens that should be modified, replaced, or discontinued. A secondary objective of the pilot study is to evaluate the capacity/saturation of CYP P450 enzymatic pathways in polypharmacy patients. A third objective is to determine the feasibility of the planned informatics workflows between the CLIA lab, the EMR, and the Family Medicine Practice.

Strong Teens for Healthy Schools (STHS) is a school-based, civic engagement program that empowers middle school students to improve their physical activity and healthy eating behaviors, improve their cardiovascular disease outcomes, and create positive change in their school health environments.

The goal of this clinical trial is to establish the relationship between macronutrient food intake and the resulting blood and intersticial fluid (ISF )levels of small molecule markers, as well as, validate wearable optical readers and data fusion algorithms to accurately predict individual-specific macronutrient availability in real time. The study involves 1 screening visit of approximately 2 hours and up to 4 study days of approximately 14 hours. Subjects will be asked to arrive in the fasted state on all study days. Fasting prior to screening is not required. On the screening visit, body weight, height, and body composition by Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) will be measured. In addition, habitual dietary intake, physical activity level (PASE), and quality of life (SGRQ-C) will be assessed.

This study collects health and genetic information to implement cancer prevention and treatment strategies.

The investigator's primary aim is to evaluate polypharmacy-associated adverse drug reactions (ADR) in a pilot study of at-risk patients using state-of-the-art pharmacogenomic technology and to use this information to make recommendations for optimization of pharmacotherapy regimens. The data from the pilot cohort will be used to optimize and integrate a customized electronic decision support (clinical semantic network; CSN) dashboard to identify drug regimens that should be modified, replaced, or discontinued. A secondary objective of the pilot study is to evaluate the capacity/saturation of CYP P450 enzymatic pathways in polypharmacy patients. A third objective is to determine the feasibility of the planned informatics workflows between the CLIA lab, the EMR, and the Family Medicine Practice including Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS).

This study is designed to evaluate the use of Emdogain® MI in a procedure where a significant portion of the lining of the sulcus is removed by curettage (similar to the traditional clinical procedure described as "gingival curettage") to the point of tissue mobility. This will be designated as a "non-incised minimally invasive flap access procedure". A videoscope will be utilized to assist with the requirement to adequately visualize and debride the root surface. This research project will define the approach used as a "non-incised minimally invasive flap access" approach and will be a modification of recognized minimally invasive techniques. This modification will be made by Dr. Harrel who first describe the minimally invasive periodontal approach and defined minimally invasive periodontal procedures in 1995.