Clinical Research Directory

Developing a Multimodal Cancer Pain Database to Support AI-Based Automatic Pain Assessment

The goal of this observational study is to collect short video and sound recordings of people with cancer to create a secure database that can be used in future research to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) tool for pain assessment. The main aim is to build a large, high-quality collection of audiovisual data showing how people with cancer express themselves when they do and do not have pain. Participants will include adults with cancer who are admitted to the oncology ward for pain treatment and a control group admitted for chemotherapy who have no pain. After giving consent, participants will: * Be recorded on video (from the shoulders up) for up to 60 seconds while reading a short sentence and describing their pain or daily experience. * Complete a short questionnaire about their mood and pain expression. * Allow researchers to collect some information from their medical record, such as their pain score, medications, and cancer type. These recordings will be securely stored and used to create a database for future AI research. No medical tests, new treatments, or extra hospital visits are involved. This study will provide the foundation for developing future AI-based tools that could support doctors and patients in monitoring and managing pain more accurately and easily.

The Effects of Drama Activities on Nursing Students' Attitudes Towards Pain Assessment

Title: The Effect of Drama-Based Education on Nursing Students' Attitudes Toward Pain Assessment: A Randomized Controlled Trial Abstract: This randomized controlled trial aims to investigate the effect of drama-based education on nursing students' attitudes toward pain assessment. The study will be conducted during the 2025-2026 academic year at Necmettin Erbakan University, Faculty of Nursing. A total of 52 second-year students who meet the inclusion criteria will be randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. The intervention group will attend a one-day drama workshop involving role-play, improvisation, and reflection activities focused on pain assessment. The control group will not receive any intervention. Attitudes will be measured using a validated scale at three points: before the intervention, one month after, and six months after. Data will be analyzed using SPSS with a significance level of p \< 0.05. It is anticipated that the intervention group will show improved attitudes compared to the control group. This study may provide evidence for integrating drama-based methods into nursing education to enhance students' sensitivity and competence in pain assessment. Keywords: Nursing education, pain assessment, drama, student attitudes,

Dietary Wild Blueberries and Joint Health

The goal of this proposed study is to examine the effects of dietary wild blueberries on gut microbiome, serum markers of inflammation, and joint function in adults. Each participant will consume 25g freeze-dried blueberries or matched placebo powder for 12 weeks, with a 2-week washout phase between.

Training and Support Programme on Data-driven Quality Development for Swiss Long-Term Care Facilities (NIP-Q-UPGRADE Subaim 2.6)

Since 2019, long-term care facilities (LTCFs) in Switzerland have been required by the Federal Insurance Law (KVG, Art. 59a) to report data for the calculation and public reporting of medical quality indicators (MQIs) in four clinical domains: polypharmacy, pain, malnutrition, and physical restraints. This data serves both for monitoring care quality at the national level through public reporting and for internal quality development. Contextual analysis showed that various quality development methods are already known and used in Swiss LTCFs. However, significant challenges remain: limited resources, time constraints, and restricted access to MQI data hinder effective use. Facilities reported a greater need for support in using MQI data. They also expressed interest in peer networking, structured support for applying quality methods (such as Plan Do Check Act cycles (PDCA)), and practical tools such as training, best-practice examples, and additional resources. Residents and relatives also expressed a strong interest in being more involved in decision-making and care quality discussions. The overall aim of the current study is to test a quality development training programme that supports LTCFs in using MQI data for continuous data-driven care quality development. The study is structured into three thematic areas: 1. MQI Results Literacy - Supporting LTCFs in interpreting MQI reports and benchmarks. 2. Impactful Actions - Supporting LTCFs to translate MQI results into concrete quality development actions using PDCA cycles. 3. Sparking Culture - Integrating data-driven quality development into everyday practice and fostering a culture of continuous development, with a strong emphasis on strengthening the involvement of residents, relatives, and leadership. The study follows a train-the-trainer strategy. Trainers instructed by the NIP-Q-UPGRADE research team provide structured training and coaching to Quality Leaders and management representatives of LTCFs. Quality Leaders then support their co-workers in quality development. The training programme consists of online and in-person trainings, training materials, practical tools, a website, guided tasks for facilities, and an email helpdesk for ongoing support. Study outcomes: This sub-study of the NIP-Q-UPGRADE programme aims to assess the acceptability, feasibility, fidelity, and costs related to the training programme, both at the facility level and at the trainer level.

Refining mUltiple Artificial intelliGence strateGies for Automatic Pain Assessment Investigations: RUGGI Study

This single-center, non-profit, observational-interventional study aims to develop artificial intelligence (AI) models for the automatic assessment of chronic pain (APA - Automatic Pain Assessment). The study will enroll adult patients with chronic pain of various origins (oncologic and non-oncologic). Participants will undergo multidimensional evaluations that include clinical assessments, self-report questionnaires, bio-signal collection (e.g., EEG, EDA, HRV, GSR, PPG), and facial expression analysis via infrared thermography and video recordings. The primary objective is to calibrate and test machine learning and deep learning models to recognize and predict the presence and severity of pain using multimodal data inputs. Secondary objectives include evaluating the effectiveness of pain treatments, assessing quality of life, and developing a standardized APA dataset for future research. All data collection procedures are non-invasive and safe, and include tools like wearable sensors and standardized neurocognitive tests. The study is approved by the Italian Ethics Committee (Comitato Etico Territoriale Campania 2) and complies with GDPR and EU AI regulations.

Supplemental Postoperative Bupivacaine Following Non-Surgical Endodontic Treatment

The study will investigate the impact of an additional injection of long-acting anesthetic on pain level, quality of life, and use of pain medication after a nonsurgical endodontic treatment. The long-acting anesthetic will be compared to a mock injection group and a group with no additional anesthetic to determine any differences in effects.

Effect of Starpen CCLAD in Injection and Extraction

The present study aims to evaluate the effect of computer-controlled Starpen automatic injection device versus the traditional syringe on pain perception during Injection of nerve block anesthesia and extraction of mandibular primary molars.

Implementing Music Therapy for Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery Patients: A Quality Improvement Initiative

The purpose of this project is to introduce and implement music therapy as an evidence-based pain management protocol focused on reducing postoperative pain levels among Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS) patients in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) of the project site. The clinical question guiding this initiative is: In adult patients undergoing a VATS procedure, does the implementation of music therapy lead to lower postoperative pain scores in the PACU compared to no intervention within an 8-week timeframe? The investigator will ask eligible patients their immediate pain scores upon arrival into the PACU and then start music of patient's choice via over-the-ear headphones. Pain scores will be rechecked 30 minutes after implementation of music therapy. The standard of care pain medications and/or usual care will not be withheld or altered after surgery in lieu of music therapy.

ASSESSMENT OF PAIN USING A PAIN DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM THAT MEASURS FACIAL MOVEMENT USING

Pain is a subjectively difficult, abstract and comprehensive concept that is at the core of the whole study, emerging in relation to various advancements, and detailed description. For non-controlling, stress-free, stress-or-thickness training for thromboembolic, pulmonary and other organ modalities, re-admission from discharge, thromboembolic, pulmonary and other reasons. The scales of use in the assessment of pain in the conscious surgical patient who cannot communicate verbally, into the pain, are physically subjective. Ekman and Friesen are planning the movements of their muscles to be performed by an Action Coding process that could be experienced in 1978. system; It has been applied in pain, in the evaluation of pain in the postoperative period and in children, in the new clinical practice, and in the new and clinical practice. Health professionals may be biased in diagnosing pain, especially in intensive care patients, and may underestimate pain. In the literature, it is seen that the child who is made with pain in his patients in education in the field of medicine is not used in his experiences, similar to the pain that measures the tastes of the faces of the single scales. In this context, standardized, continuous, objective and scalable pain measures indicate the practice environment. The aim of these people is to evaluate the pain in our surgical patients who cannot communicate clearly and clearly with pain diagnosis that measures facial movement.