Vanderbilt Clinical Trials

Cochlear implants are surgically implanted devices which restore the ability to hear to the hearing impaired. Recent literature has indicated that children receiving cochlear implants (CIs) often have dramatically improved speech and language ability relative to previous generations of children with hearing loss; however, many pediatric CI recipients display persistent speech and language disorders despite early implantation and associated speech/language intervention. Cochlear implants are programmed via mapping - a process in which each individual electrode (FDA approved cochlear implants have between 12 and 22 electrodes) is turned on and the stimulus level adjusted to a level that is comfortable and beneficial to the recipient. At present, this standard of care (SOC) mapping procedure is performed without knowledge of the physical location between the cochlear implant electrodes and the neural interface. Our team has developed a new method of mapping using post-operative CT scans and image processing to specify the physical relationship between the cochlear implant electrodes and the neural interface allowing customized mapping. Using this information, the investigators deactivate sub-optimally positioned electrodes. The investigators term this "Image-guided Cochlear Implant Programming" (IGCIP). This project provides a unique opportunity to examine whether individualized, image-guided CI programming (IGCIP) significantly improves outcomes in pediatric CI patients.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2019

open study

Multi-center sequential multiple assignment randomized trial comparing the effectiveness of three different standard of care treatment options for patients with isolated skin vasculitis.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2017

open study

Malignant pleural effusion remains a debilitating complication of end stage cancer, which can be greatly improved by the introduction of the indwelling tunneled pleural catheter (IPC). However, there is no standard of care regarding drainage and limited data on the utility of different drainage techniques. In addition, many patients develop discomfort and chest pain during drainage. The investigators propose to evaluate gravity drainage and suction drainage on quality of life measures and outcomes.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2019

open study

This is a study evaluating the utility of current Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) diagnostic tests, including nasal nitric oxide testing.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2017

open study

This clinical trial studies low- dose total skin electron therapy in treating patients with stage IB-IIIA mycosis fungoides that has not responded to previous treatment (refractory) or has returned after a period of improvement (relapsed). Radiation therapy uses high energy electrons to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Rotisserie technique is a method in which the patient receives total skin electron therapy while standing on a rotating platform. Giving low dose total skin electron therapy using rotisserie technique may kill tumor cells, while having fewer side effects, and may allow therapy to be repeated in future if clinically indicated.

Type: Observational

Start Date: May 2016

open study

The association of radioiodine therapy for the treatment of thyroid cancer with nasolacrimal duct obstruction has been well documented in the medical literature. Prior case reports have documented radioactive iodine detection in the tears of patients following radioiodine therapy. It is possible that radioactive uptake by the cells in the lacrimal sac and nasolacrimal duct lead to inflammation, fibrosis, and obstruction of the tear duct over time. A recent study has shown that the administration of artificial tears decreases the level of detectable radioiodine in the tears of patients undergoing radioiodine therapy for thyroid cancer. The purpose of this study will be to assess whether administering tears after radioactive iodine therapy for thyroid cancer decreases the incidence of nasolacrimal duct obstruction in the two years following radioactive iodine treatment.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2023

open study

Moderate intensity titrated dose anticoagulation has been used in patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) to prevent thromboembolism and thrombotic mechanical complications. As technology has improved, however, the incidence of thromboembolic events has decreased, leading to re-evaluation of the risks of anticoagulation, particularly during venovenous (V-V) ECMO. Recent data suggest that bleeding complications during V-V ECMO may be more strongly associated with mortality than thromboembolic complications, and case series have suggested that V-V ECMO can be safely performed without moderate or high intensity anticoagulation. At present, there is significant variability between institutions in the approach to anticoagulation during V-V ECMO. A definitive randomized controlled trial is needed to compare the effects of a low intensity fixed dose anticoagulation (low intensity) versus moderate intensity titrated dose anticoagulation (moderate intensity) on clinical outcomes during V-V ECMO. Before such a trial can be conducted, however, additional data are needed to inform the feasibility of the future trial.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2022

open study

The investigators want to study if lower doses of chemotherapy will help babies with SCID to achieve good immunity with less short and long-term risks of complications after transplantation. This trial identifies babies with types of immune deficiencies that are most likely to succeed with this approach and offers them transplant early in life before they get severe infections or later if their infections are under control. It includes only patients receiving unrelated or mismatched related donor transplants. The study will test if patients receiving transplant using either a low dose busulfan or a medium dose busulfan will have immune recovery of both T and B cells, measured by the ability to respond to immunizations after transplant. The exact regimen depends on the subtype of SCID the patient has. Donors used for transplant must be unrelated or half-matched related (haploidentical) donors, and peripheral blood stem cells must be used. To minimize the chance of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), the stem cells will have most, but not all, of the T cells removed, using a newer, experimental approach of a well-established technology. Once the stem cell transplant is completed, patients will be followed for 3 years. Approximately 9-18 months after the transplant, vaccinations will be administered, and a blood test measuring whether your child's body has responded to the vaccine will be collected.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2018

open study

The goal of this project is to address the urgent need for effective, scalable adult literacy interventions by integrating breakthroughs in two separate fields: 1.) the brain network science of resilience to reading disorders and 2.) high-definition non-invasive brain network stimulation. This study will first establish the efficacy of a novel, noninvasive stimulation protocol on reading behavior and brain metrics; then will determine how stimulation-induced effects interact with baseline reading comprehension ability; and lastly, will identify whether stimulation-induced effects are more clinically-beneficial than canonical behavioral interventions. Results may foundationally change how we treat low adult literacy, and have the potential for wider reaching impacts on non-invasive stimulation protocols for other clinical disorders.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2022

open study

The objective of this study is to compare the safety and efficacy of RGN-259 to placebo for the treatment of Neurotrophic Keratopathy (NK)

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2023

open study

This is an Investigator initiated retrospective and prospective single cohort study. The study will utilize an international registry and develop a specimen biobank to provide an improved understanding of the natural history of hyposplasminogenemia, to elucidate the heterogeneity of phenotypic expression, identify markers to predict disease course, and inform improved therapeutic modalities

Type: Observational

Start Date: Dec 2018

open study

Social impairments are core features of schizophrenia that lead to poor outcome. Social skills and competence improve quality of life and protect against stress-related exacerbation of symptoms, while supporting resilience, interpersonal interactions, and social affiliation. To improve outcome, it is necessary to remediate social deficits. Existing psychosocial interventions are moderately effective but the effort-intensive nature (high burden), low adherence, and weak transfer of skills to everyday life present significant hurdles toward recovery. Thus, there is a dire need to develop effective, engaging and low-burden social interventions for people with schizophrenia that will result in better compliance rates and functional outcome. In a previous pilot study, the investigators tested the effectiveness of a novel adaptive virtual reality (VR) intervention in improving targeted social cognitive function (social attention, as indexed by eye scanning patterns) in individuals with schizophrenia. 10 sessions of 1-hour VR intervention were sufficient to engage the target mechanism of social attention and improve negative symptoms. Acceptability and compliance were very high among the participants. ' The next phase, supported by a R33 grant will compare the VR social skills training with a control condition. This new protocol includes a control condition for the exposure to computerized training across the 10 sessions and incidental exposure to social interactions (i.e. interactions with experimenters twice a week for 5 weeks) by including a control condition, which involves computerized brain fitness training for 10 sessions.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2021

open study