Clinical Research Directory

The Mere-measurement Effect of Patient-reported Outcomes

The use of patient-reported outcome (PROs) have become increasingly commonplace across many healthcare settings over the past two decades. The value of PROs is now acknowledged by healthcare providers and patients alike. However, to date, little is known about the best practices for formulating PRO measures (PROMS), but even more specifically, the effect had on the responding patients as a result of item word choice, emotional valence, or frequency of use. That is, 1) does the positive or negative wording of items affect the patient's perspective on the latent variable, 2) is there a degree of subliminal influence or measurement effects on their behaviour resulting from exposure to PROs, and finally, 3) is such an effect amplified with repeated exposure?

Pilot Study on the Clinical Utility of the Tulsa Life Chart

The proposed study aims to examine the usability, utility, and feasibility of the Tulsa Life Chart (TLC) in a sample of patients seeking mental health treatment and their healthcare providers. The TLC is an interactive, web-based application used to create a graphical interface for visualizing a patient's life history.

Brief Title: Portable 3D Visual Material-Supported Simulation Training for Cervical Dilation Assessment

This randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of simulation-based education supported by a portable and mobile three-dimensional (3D) visual material on university students' knowledge of cervical dilation assessment, learning satisfaction, self-confidence in learning, and perceptions of simulation design. Undergraduate health sciences students were randomly assigned to either an intervention group receiving simulation training with the portable 3D material in addition to standard education or a control group receiving standard education alone. The primary outcome was change in knowledge of cervical dilation assessment. Secondary outcomes included student satisfaction, self-confidence in learning, and perceptions of simulation design.

Validity and Reliability of the Newly Developed Balance Assessment System in Healthy Young Adults

The goal of this observational study is to to evaluate the validity and reliability of the "Postural Stability Test", "Stability Limits Test", "Sensory Integration Test" and "One-Leg Standing Test" tests of the newly developed patented balance assessment system in healthy young adults. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Are the "Postural Stability Test", "Stability Limits Test", "Sensory Integration Test" and "One-Leg Standing Test" tests in the newly developed balance assessment system a valid method for healthy young adults? * Are the "Postural Stability Test", "Stability Limits Test", "Sensory Integration Test" and "One-Leg Standing Test" tests in the newly developed balance assessment system a reliable method for healthy young adults? Participants will be evaluated with the "Postural Stability Test", "Limits of Stability Test", "Sensory Integration Test" and "Bilateral Comparison Test" within the AlBalance Balance Evaluation System and Biodex Balance Evaluation System. Participants will be asked to sit in a chair and rest for 5 minutes before starting the tests. To calculate the test-retest reliability and validity of the devices, these measurements will be made by the same evaluator in two sessions, 7 days apart. To eliminate the learning effect, participants who try AlBalance first in the first session will try Biodex first in the second session (reverse test order will be used). Participants who complete all evaluations with the first device will rest for 5 minutes and move on to the other device. Then, parallel clinical tests will be applied to the participants, "Functional Reaching Test" and "One Leg Standing Test".

Evaluation Criteria, Diagnostic Criteria, Surgical Indications, and Establishment of Surgical Standards for "Cerebral Tinnitus Syndrome" Caused by Internal Jugular Vein Stenosis.

"Cerebral Tinnitus," also known as "cranial tinnitus," refers to the patient-reported perception of intracranial sounds. It often presents as "Cerebral Tinnitus Syndrome," which includes symptoms such as tinnitus with hearing loss, headaches, a heavy head sensation, blurred vision, neck and shoulder discomfort, sleep disturbances, anxiety, and depression. Due to limited awareness of cerebral tinnitus, patients frequently seek treatment across multiple facilities without success, severely impacting their and their families' lives and work. Xunming Ji and colleagues have pointed out that cerebral tinnitus results from stenosis of the cerebral or internal jugular veins (IJVS), which impairs cerebral venous outflow and the clearance of metabolic "waste," leading to chronic metabolic damage to brain cells. Currently, studies on the diagnosis and treatment of IJVS-induced cerebral tinnitus, both domestically and internationally, are primarily case reports, lacking systematic evaluation, diagnostic, and treatment standards, which significantly impacts patient outcomes. Our project team is the first to establish evaluation criteria, diagnostic standards, surgical indications, and surgical standards for "Cerebral Tinnitus Syndrome." In preliminary work, we performed internal jugular vein (IJV) decompression on 32 cerebral tinnitus patients, resulting in an IJV morphological improvement rate of 84.3%, a blood flow improvement rate of 75.0%, and a cerebral tinnitus syndrome improvement rate of 62.5%. To date, we have completed 88 IJV decompression surgeries, making ours the largest clinical center for such cases worldwide. We continue to refine these standards, notably introducing new intraoperative standards for IJV "release" and "high perfusion,". To validate and further study these standards, this project plans to perform IJV decompression surgery on 107 cerebral tinnitus patients affected by IJVS. We aim to establish a cerebral tinnitus database and develop a cerebral tinnitus evaluation scale to standardize evaluation criteria, diagnostic standards, surgical indications, and surgical standards, ultimately advancing clinical diagnosis and treatment of Cerebral Tinnitus Syndrome

Evaluating Learning Curves and Competence in Colorectal Endoscopic Mucosal Resection Among Advanced Endoscopy Trainees

Quality improvement project with the aim to use a standardized assessment tool (EMR-STAT) to establish learning curves and competence thresholds for key cognitive and technical colorectal EMR core skills among advanced endoscopy trainees (AETs).

Isometric Strength and Joint Mobility Profile in Elite Artistic Swimmers Across Competitive Categories

This cross-sectional observational study aims to establish reference values for joint mobility and isometric muscle strength in elite artistic swimmers across different competitive categories. The study will analyze inter-limb asymmetries and agonist-antagonist strength ratios in upper and lower limbs. Additionally, relationships between isometric strength, countermovement jump performance, and handgrip strength will be explored to assess their utility as functional performance indicators. Participants will be assessed during national team training camps using standardized, validated measurement protocols. The findings are expected to contribute to the identification of sport-specific functional profiles and potential injury risk factors in artistic swimming.

Reliability of PHAS in Postural Hyperkyphosis

This observational, cross-sectional study aims to evaluate the reliability of the Postural Habits and Awareness Scale (PHAS) in patients with postural hyperkyphosis. The PHAS is designed to assess individuals' postural awareness and habits through four subscales. A total of 128 participants diagnosed with postural hyperkyphosis will complete the PHAS and the Kyphosis-Specific Spinal Appearance Questionnaire (KSSA). Test-retest reliability will be assessed by reapplying the PHAS after two weeks. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and concurrent validity will be analyzed. The study aims to provide a valid and reliable tool for evaluating postural awareness in clinical practice and future rehabilitation studies.

Multidirectional Isometric Assessment of the Hip

With the exception of the shoulder, the hip is among the most frequently injured areas in swimmers. Despite this, hip injuries are often overlooked in training and prevention programmes. Such neglect can cause significant damage to muscles, particularly the adductors, and the joint itself, potentially requiring arthroscopic surgery or even leading to secondary injuries in related structures such as the knee. Furthermore, hip strength and range of motion directly affect swimmers' underwater kicking speed. Although hip assessments are common in other sports, like football, for injury prevention and performance analysis-both dynamically and isometrically-isometric testing is particularly recommended due to its higher reproducibility. Therefore, this study aims to validate a multidirectional isometric hip test in swimmers and examine agonist-antagonist muscle ratios in young advanced swimmers. A comparative analysis will be conducted on 30 elite swimmers. This will include a descriptive analysis of the group and comparative analyses between breaststroke/non-breaststroke swimmers and between genders. Maximum isometric contractions of both lower limbs will be measured using a Chronojump force sensor (Boscosystem, Barcelona, Spain). Athletes will stand on a step positioned centrally within a rack or cage, either laterally or frontally depending on the movement assessed (ABD-ADD or flexion-extension, respectively). They will grip the appropriate supports with their hands and perform three maximal efforts of each movement lasting 3 seconds, without compensatory actions (any attempt with compensations will be discounted). There will be a 20-second rest between attempts. All three attempts will be recorded. To assess measurement reliability, tests will be repeated after 48 hours for subsequent comparison.

Reliability of the Gyko Inertial Sensor System in Evaluating Jumping and Postural Stability Parameters in Healthy Adults

The aim of the study is to examine the Gyko inertial sensor system in healthy adults. In the study, jump and postural control parameters are assessed with a one-week interval. To evaluate intra-rater reliability, ICC, SEM, and MDC values will be calculated.