Clinical Research Directory

Using Ecological Momentary Data to Inform a Web Intervention for Romantic Partners Concerned About Their Loved Ones' Drinking

Aim 1. Couples (N=50 dyads) with a Concerned Partner (CP) and a Drinking Partner (DP) will independently complete baseline and follow-up surveys and a 21-day EMA with three daily reports on their communication and DP's drinking. Aim 2. Iteratively develop a four-session web based intervention and evaluate the WBI's feasibility and acceptability with 15 CPs. Aim 3. Perform a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing WBI to psychoeducation control in 110 couples.

Salivary Gland Massage and Olfactory Stimulation for Relieving Feeding Difficulty and Triggering Oral Intake Among People With Dementia

Feeding difficulties are a common issue among individuals with dementia during moderate to advanced stages, particularly those in long-term care (LTC) facilities. Due to severe cognitive and communicative impairment, these residents often have a high dependency on feeding assistance. Consequently, caregivers manage not only refusal to eat and prolonged mealtimes but also the resulting nutritional problems among these patients. The eating process includes the anticipatory phase, during which food is identified via sensory triggers, thereby stimulating saliva secretion. This process facilitates bolus formation and ensures a smooth transition to the swallowing phase. Accordingly, this study aims to investigate the efficacy of a dual-sensory intervention, combining salivary gland massage and olfactory stimulation, in improving feeding difficulties and food intake among individuals with moderate-to-severe dementia. This study will employ a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design. The experimental group will receive an intervention comprising salivary gland massage combined with aromatherapy for a total of 20 days. Simultaneously, baseline characteristics, including sociodemographic data, health status, and oral moisture, will be collected. Data for the 'Dementia Mealtime Nonverbal Cues' and two-meal intake will be monitored daily on weekdays for two weeks; all other variables will be assessed once. During the intervention period, the experimental procedure will be performed twice daily, prior to lunch and dinner. The control group will receive only a palm massage prior to meals. Throughout the intervention, participants will be assessed for "The Dementia Mealtime Nonverbal Cues" and oral intake during lunch and dinner every weekday. Additionally, oral moisture will be evaluated once weekly (T1-T4). Data will be analyzed using Linear Mixed Models (LMM) to examine the differences and longitudinal changes in outcome measures between the two groups. The findings of this study will contribute to the establishment of a safe, feasible, and culturally appropriate feeding care model for institutionalized individuals with dementia.

Effects of Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) on South Asian American Adults Working With South Asian American Youth

This study aims to adapt the Youth Mental Health First Aid training to better meet the needs of South Asian American adults who support South Asian American youth. Focus groups will help identify what changes are needed. Based on that input, the training will be updated and then tested to see how well it helps adults improve their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors toward mental health and supporting the mental health of South Asian American youth.

What is the Role of Type III/IV Muscle Afferents in Airway Resistance and Thermoregulatory Responses to Exercise?

Exercise places serious demands on the body. These demands are fundamentally caused by increases in oxygen demand and the consequent increase in body temperature. These demands are met by several physiological responses, including increases in heart rate, blood pressure, breathing and blood flow. These responses must be proportional to the increase in demand and some signal must relay information from the muscle to the brain. Group III/IV afferents do just this. They relay information about the muscle (movement, temperature, acidity, etc.) up to the brain so that appropriate responses are mounted. There is strong evidence in animals that group III/IV afferents play a key role in making breathing easier (decreasing airway resistance) and initiating sweating and blood flow responses. There has been no research on the role of group III/IV afferents on these fundamental exercise responses in humans. The investigators propose to isolate the role of group III/IV afferents on regulate airway resistance, sweating and blood flow responses to exercise in humans.