At the NeuroCognitive & Behavioral Institute, all of our patients are aware of and have access to clinical trials as a possible treatment option for their central nervous system related condition. We have a newly renovated clinical research unit at NCBI. Here, we study promising new diagnostic and treatment options with our patients and their family members.
What is a clinical study?
A clinical study involves research using human volunteers (also called participants) that is intended to add to medical knowledge. There are two main types of clinical studies: clinical trials (also called interventional studies) and observational studies. ClinicalTrials.gov includes both interventional and observational studies.
In a clinical trial, participants receive specific interventions according to the research plan or protocol created by the investigators. These interventions may be medical products, such as drugs or devices; procedures; or changes to participants’ behavior, such as diet. Clinical trials may compare a new medical approach to a standard one that is already available, to a placebo that contains no active ingredients, or to no intervention. Some clinical trials compare interventions that are already available to each other. When a new product or approach is being studied, it is not usually known whether it will be helpful, harmful, or no different than available alternatives (including no intervention). The investigators try to determine the safety and efficacy of the intervention by measuring certain outcomes in the participants. For example, investigators may give a drug or treatment to participants who have high blood pressure to see whether their blood pressure decreases.
Clinical trials used in drug development are sometimes described by phase. These phases are defined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Who conducts clinical studies?
Every clinical study is led by a principal investigator, who is often a medical doctor. Clinical studies also have a research team that may include doctors, nurses, social workers, and other health care professionals.
Clinical studies can be sponsored, or funded, by pharmaceutical companies, academic medical centers, voluntary groups, and other organizations, in addition to Federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Doctors, other health care providers, and other individuals can also sponsor clinical research.
For more details, visit clinicaltrials.gov.
The NeuroCognitive & Behavioral Institute is currently recruiting volunteers for the following clinical trials:
Clinical Trials on Neuropsychiatric Disorders
– Attenuation of Anxiety Symptoms by Neuromodulating Amygdala: A Proof-of-Concept and Intent-to-Treat Study
