Clinical Research Directory

Making Meals With Pulses

The goal for this study is to determine how Americans use beans, peas, and lentils (also called pulses) as part of a meal. The researchers will investigate food choices when getting a meal or dish ready that is made of more than two foods. Secondly, they will determine how study participants feel about eating pulses.

FIRE-Diet: Food as an Intervention to Reduce the Effects of Woodsmoke Exposure on Respiratory Health

Research suggests that consuming more fatty fish, fruits, and vegetables could potentially shield the lungs from the negative impacts of air pollution. The research team will look at whether a dietary intervention aimed at increasing intake of these foods can protect the lungs from woodsmoke as the air pollutant and look into how this works.

Physiological and Biochemical Responses to Blood Flow Restriction Training

This study is designed to examine the short-term and long-term effects of blood flow restriction exercise training on physiological and biochemical markers in individuals who are new to strength training and in experienced athletes training at different load levels. This exercise method involves placing a special inflatable cuff around the upper part of the thigh. The cuff partially limits blood flow to the area, which helps the muscles work more effectively during exercise. The cuff will be applied only to the individual's dominant leg (the leg you use more often in daily activities), but all exercises will be performed using both legs. The exercise program will last for a total of six weeks and will be carried out twice per week. The pressure applied by the cuff will be individually adjusted based on each participant's physical characteristics to ensure safety and comfort. The study will include a total of 30 healthy participants aged between 18 and 40 years. Participants will be divided into two groups: individuals who have recently started strength training and experienced athletes with different levels of training experience.

Effects of BLa80 and LRa05 on the Gut Microbiota Metabolite Profile of Healthy Individuals

Gut microbiota play a key role in polyphenol metabolism, participating in the breakdown of dietary components and producing various small molecule metabolites that affect human health. However, little is currently known about how gut microbes metabolize dietary compounds and produce bioactive metabolites. This study aims to use metabolomics to precisely identify food-derived metabolites in the blood to investigate whether probiotics (BLa80, LRa05) can enhance the breakdown of dietary components and improve their absorption and utilization in the human body.

Effect of Heel Lift Insole on Kinematics and Kinetics of the Lower Limb and Lumbar Spine Among Healthy Individuals

This observational study aims to investigate the effect of heel lift insole on kinematics and kinetics of the lower limb and lumbar spine among healthy individuals.

Effects of Trans-spinal Magnetic Stimulation on Cortical Excitability in Healthy Individuals

This study investigates the immediate effects of different parameters (frequency and intensity) of trans-spinal magnetic stimulation (TsMS) on cortical excitability in healthy individuals. Using a randomized, double-blind crossover design, the research aims to identify optimal stimulation protocols for modulating neural activity. Outcomes include measurements of motor-evoked potentials (MEP), intracortical inhibition (ICI), and facilitation (ICF). Findings may enhance non-invasive therapeutic strategies for neurological disorders.

Effects of Peripheral Magnetic Stimulation on Cortical Excitability in Healthy Individuals

This study investigates the immediate effects of different parameters (frequency, intensity, and pulse number) of peripheral magnetic stimulation (rPMS) on cortical excitability in healthy individuals. Using a randomized, double-blind crossover design, the research aims to identify optimal stimulation protocols for modulating neural activity. Outcomes include measurements of motor-evoked potentials (MEPs), intracortical inhibition (ICI), and facilitation (ICF). Findings may enhance non-invasive therapeutic strategies for neurological disorders.

Impact of Sensory Electrical Stimulation on Sensation and Tremor

The purpose of this study is to understand the acute, short-term and long-term impact of transcutaneous and/or percutaneous electrical stimulation with afferent-specific electrical stimulation (asES) on proprioception and fine motor control in the upper extremity. For this purpose, the researchers will use transcutaneous and/or percutaneous asES, high-density electromyography (HD-EMG), arm kinematic measurements, and standardized clinical assessments. This study will be conducted in healthy able-bodied individuals and patients with essential tremor (ET).

Exercise Capacity, Muscle Oxygenation, and Physical Activity Between Patients With Interstitial Lung Disease

Interstitial lung diseases (ILD) are a group of chronic respiratory diseases that cause significant mortality and morbidity worldwide. Although there are studies in the literature comparing different lung disease groups with healthy individuals, it has been determined that there is no study comparing the exercise capacity, muscle oxygenation, physical activity level, respiratory functions, respiratory and peripheral muscle strength, inspiratory muscle endurance, quality of life and sleep quality of individuals diagnosed with ILD with healthy individuals.

Low Load, High Gains: Blood Flow Restriction's Impact on Quadriceps Adaptations

Low-load resistance exercise with blood flow restriction (BFR-RE) presents a compelling alternative to high-load resistance exercise (HL-RE), particularly in scenarios where high loads are not feasible due to various limitations. Blood flow restriction exercise restricts blood flow to the working muscle, creating a state of ischemia. A significant advantage of BFR-RE lies in its capacity to stimulate muscle hypertrophy and strength adaptations using light external loads (20-30% 1RM), comparable to those achieved with high-load (HL) training programs that employ 70-85% 1RM As a result, BFR training has been increasingly adopted in both athletic performance and rehabilitation settings over the past few decades. Quadriceps strength and power are essential factors in both the advancement of athletic performance and the successful return to unrestricted sporting activity following injury. The findings of Culvenor et al.'s review strongly suggest that weakened quadriceps strength is a significant risk factor for symptomatic and functional decline in the knee during both activities of daily living and sport-recreational activities. Numerous electromyographic (EMG) findings suggest that single-joint and multijoint exercises elicit varying muscle activation patterns. For instance, single-joint exercises targeting the quadriceps, such as leg extensions, demonstrate higher EMG amplitudes compared to multijoint lower-extremity exercises like leg presses and squats. Resistance training, characterized by the application of high mechanical tension, remains the cornerstone for promoting muscle hypertrophy, So, research suggests that higher training intensities are associated with greater hypertrophy, up to a certain point. While both light and heavy loads have been shown to elicit similar muscle growth when sets are taken to failure. Studies have reported that high-repetition training with light loads leads to greater central fatigue. Existing literature comparing the effects of BFR-RE and HL-RE primarily focuses on the some quadriceps and hamstring muscle group and its associated exercises. However, none of these studies employed a training protocol in which sets were taken to or near failure.

Health Effects of Wood Smoke and Traffic-Related Air Pollution Exposures: a Necessary Comparison

Accumulating evidence demonstrates that breathing air pollutants leads to devastating increases in sickness and death worldwide over time. However, there is little data comparing the effects of different types of air pollution on health. In Canada, traffic-related air pollution and wood smoke (wildfires and wood burning for heating) are very common air pollutants. This study aims to safely complete a controlled human exposure study to test how these air pollution types acutely affect health.

The Role of Serotonin in Compulsive Behavior in Humans: Underlying Brain Mechanisms

The aim of this project is to investigate: * The status of the central serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) system in compulsive behaviour and how it is affected by sub-chronic escitalopram administration * The mechanisms underlying how sub-chronic administration of escitalopram affects the central 5-HT system * How changes in cognitive performance, including the balance between habitual and goal-directed mechanisms, are affected in compulsive behaviour by boosting 5-HT function * How functional brain changes in cognitive function measured with magnetic resonance imaging relate to altered 5-HT function following escitalopram administration.

Sensory Evaluation of Chinese Specialty Foods

This project aims at college student consumers, recruiting a certain number of college student volunteers as sensory evaluators, and requiring them to evaluate samples of Babao Congee and deep-fried dough sticks.

Autonomic Nervous System and Meridian Energy in Patients With Schizophrenia

This study aims to explore the differences in autonomic nervous function and meridian energy between schizophrenia patients and healthy individuals. By understanding the meridian and organ conditions of individuals, the study aims to align with the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) concept of "treating disease before it arises" and provide comprehensive care to patients, thereby improving the quality of care.

The Contributions of Age Related Changes in the Sound Localization Pathway to Central Hearing Loss

Age-related hearing loss, presbycusis, affects up to 50% of American adults. There are two main causes for presbycusis: 1) Progressive death of hair cells in the inner ear, and 2) Central hearing loss, or the reduced ability to decipher the sound source of interest from other competing sounds in a multi-source complex environment. The first cause is better understood and treatment options, such as hearing aids and cochlear implants, are available. However, central hearing loss is not as well understood and there is not a treatment available at this time. This study aims to advance our understanding of central hearing loss by evaluating the abilities of younger and older listeners in two primary outcome measures: to 1) neurologically process sound stimuli and 2) focus on conversational speech in the presence of spatially-separated competing background noise. A test using Auditory Brainstem Responses (ABR) will be used to evaluate the brain's response to clicking sounds. This study will assess all waveform data, but will focus particularly on wave III. Sentence in noise tests will be used to assess each subject's ability to process speech in noisy situations. Both the ABR and sentence in noise tests are non-invasive and are commonly used in audiology practices to diagnosis and treat a variety of audiological pathologies.