Clinical Trials at NCBI

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We are currently seeking participants for the following clinical trials that are being conducted at NCBI: Click Here To Join

Attenuation of Anxiety Symptoms by Neuromodulating the Amygdala: A Proof-of-Concept and Intent-to-Treat Study

Principal Investigator:

Gerald Tramontano, Ph.D. and the clinical research team at NCBI and the NCI Clinical Research Foundation are conducting a research study evaluating the efficacy of enhancing standard behavioral therapy with non-invasive neuromodulation (NM) in treating anxiety.

 

Study Description:

This is a non-invasive neuromodulation treatment clinical research study in children and adults. Similar devices, previously called CES (cranial electrical stimulators) have been approved by the US FDA for the treatment of anxiety, depression, and insomnia in adults in the 1970s. Since that time, medical device technology has vastly improved. Leveraging those technological advancements, this study is collecting clinical and safety data for an FDA trial showing that this CES device is equally safe and as effective or more effective and to ultimately seek an FDA  approval for the treatment of anxiety in pediatrics and clearance for adults.

The study is being conducted in 3 stages:
Stage 1 and 2 are the randomized double blinded stages. Each stage lasts for 2 weeks, requires 8-9 visits to the clinic for treatment sessions which is a combination of behavioral therapy and neuromodulation. There is a 50% chance of being in the placebo/sham group – during these stages. The patient and clinician will not know if the patient is on the placebo or treatment group. However, research participantss are guaranteed to receive the treatment device being studied in stage 1 or 2.

Stage 3 (Open-label, optional) – will last 8 weeks and the patient can take one of the neuromodulation devices home and can use the treatment daily.

All research participants will receive ANS testing, cortisol and neurotransmitter assessment, resting state functional brain mapping using electrical neuroimaging and undergo comprehensive neuropsychological testing as part of this clinical study. There is also an fMRI sub-study.

 

Study Participants:

This study is screening patients, age 5 and older, with anxiety-related disorders such as separation or social-based anxiety, generalized anxiety, OCD, PTSD and patients with other heightened sympathetic ANS over-arousal symptoms and disorders.

 

ADDITIONAL STUDIES AT NCBI AND THE NCI CLINICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION

A double-blind between groups randomized sham controlled clinical trial with open label sub-study comparing Neuromodulation enhanced Cognitive Remediation vs. Cognitive Remediation in the treatment of cognitive impairment across several cognitive disorders.

Principal Investigator: Gerald Tramontano, Ph.D.

Study Description: This is a basket design study comparing Neuromodulation enhanced Cognitive Remediation with standard Cognitive Rehabilitation in the following disorders.

  • ADHD
  • Autism
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Non-amnestic mild cognitive impairment
  • Mild intellectual disability
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Auditory processing disorder
Deficits in the fluid cognitive functions include impairment in attention, processing and psychomotor speed, learning, retrieval, working memory as well as with executive functions. Deficits in fluid cognitive functions are the primary impairment across a wide spectrum of common etiologies such as: ADHD, Autism, Auditory processing/verbal learning disabilities, focal and diffuse axonal injury from Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and neurodegenerative diseases – mostly commonly neurovascular disease. Stimulants are effective in patients with attention deficits, especially those presenting with sluggish or hypoactive right frontal-parietal cortical functioning evidenced on brain mapping. For patients with attention related deficits that are not related to slowing in the right anterior cortex, stimulants work less well – if at all, and have only indirect efficacy in treating some aspects of executive dysfunction – mainly in the treatment of disinhibition. Additional treatment options are needed – particularly for patients who cannot take or do not respond to stimulants for the treatment of attention and executive system deficits. This study will examine the effects of neuromodulation enhanced cognitive remediation on mitigating attention and executive deficits in patients with ADHD (Cohort 1), Autism (Cohort 2), TBI (Cohort 3) and non-amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment from ischemic neurovascular disease (Cohort 4) as well as mild intellectual disability (Cohort 5).

Deficits in memory related functions

Memory disorders from primary amnestic/retention deficits in patients 70s years and older is another common type of cognitive disorder often due to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). There are no approved therapies that have been shown to increase cognitive functioning, in particularly memory functioning in patients with AD. Acetylcholinergics, glutamate regulation and cerebral amyloid clearing therapies aim at curtailing for a period of time, cognitive and functional decline and unfortunately have not been shown or approved for cognitive enhancement in AD. Cohort 6 will include patients with amnestic MCI from suspected AD.
Cohort 7 will include patients diagnosed with auditory processing related disorders, many who also have a verbal learning disability.

If you are interested in participating in any of these clinical trials, please register as a patient via NCBI and the results of your initial evaluation will determine if you are a candidate for one or more of the ongoing studies being conducted at NCBI and the NCI Clinical Research Foundation.

 

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