Clinical Research Directory

Accuracy of the Sensory Test Using the Laryngopharyngeal Endoscopic Esthesiometer in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

This is a prospective double blinded randomized crossover controlled trial aiming at validating the measurement of laryngopharyngeal mechanosensitivity in patients with suspected OSA using a recently developed laryngopharyngeal endoscopic esthesiometer and rangefinder (LPEER). Subjects will be recruited from patients with suspected OSA referred for baseline polysomnography to a university hospital sleep laboratory. Intra- and inter-rater reliability will be evaluated using the Bland-Altman's limits of agreement plot, the intraclass correlation coefficient, and the Pearson or Spearman correlation coefficient, depending on the distribution of the variables. Diagnostic accuracy will be evaluate plotting Receiver-operating-characteristic-curves (ROC-curves) using as reference standard basal polysomnogram. The sensory threshold values for patients with mild, moderate, and severe OSA, will be determined and compared using ANOVA or Kruskal Wallis test, depending on the distribution of the variables.

Durvalumab With Radiotherapy for Adjuvant Treatment of Intermediate Risk SCCHN

The purpose of this study is to investigate other drugs that may be combined with radiation to treat cancer. The study focuses on determining whether a combination of durvalumab with radiation can both improve cure rate and at the same time have less serious side effects. Throughout this document, this investigational drug will be referred to as the "study drug", or named individually (durvalumab). The study drug in this research is referred to as investigational because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not yet approved itfor the treatment of head and neck cancer. Durvalumab was FDA approved in 2017 for the treatment of certain types of bladder cancer, but has not been approved for use in Head and Neck cancer patients. Durvalumab is an experimental drug that uses the body's immune system to fight the cancer. This study drug is being used in other ongoing clinical trials for other types of cancers. The doctor feels that a patient may experience fewer side effects using this study drug with radiation rather than using cisplatin. The doctor is also investigating whether using this drug can increase the effectiveness of treatment.

Nivolumab and BMS986205 in Treating Patients With Stage II-IV Squamous Cell Cancer of the Head and Neck

This phase II trial studies how well nivolumab works, with or without BMS986205, in treating patients with stage II-IV squamous cell cancer of the head and neck. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as nivolumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. BMS986205 may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Giving nivolumab with BMS986205 may work better than nivolumab alone in treating patients with squamous cell cancer of the head and neck.

Prevalence of EILO Among Children With Asthma

The goal of this cross-sectional study is to investigate the prevalence of Exercise Induced Laryngeal Obstruction (EILO) in children with asthma. The hypothesis is that the prevalence will be around 15%, which is higher than the prevalence of 5-8% among the general adolescent population. This is based on the increased prevalence of EILO among adult asthmatics. Participants who are referred for an Exercise Challenge Test will perform an additional Continuous Laryngoscopy during Exercise Test with expiratory FEV1 curves, and fill in the Borg scale for dyspnea, Asthma Control Test, EILODI questionnaire and DISCO-RC questionnaire.

Voice Outcome of Glottoplasty, Cricothyroid Approximation, Thyroplasty, and Chondrolaryngoplasty

The purpose of this study is to measure the short- and long-term voice outcome and outcome predictors of glottoplasty, cricothyroid approximation, thyroplasty, and chondrolaryngoplasty using a prospective non-randomized controlled trial and a multidimensional voice assessment protocol. Secondly, a laryngeal magnetic resonance imaging protocol will be developed to measure pre- and postoperative anatomical factors and compare them with the acoustic changes.