Clinical Research Directory

Healthspan Connect Programme of Research

Healthspan Connect is a new research programme designed to understand what helps people stay healthy as they age. The programme will explore how lifestyle, environment, genetics, and social factors influence healthy ageing and overall wellbeing. The programme will recruit participants aged 12 years and older across the UK. By including adolescents, the programme aims to understand how early life behaviours and experiences shape long-term health. There is no upper age limit, and people from all backgrounds are encouraged to participate. Special pathways ensure that young participants provide consent in an age-appropriate way. Healthspan Connect is a digital and home-based study, meaning participants can take part from home using smartphones, computers, and online surveys. Participants may also be asked to collect samples such as blood, saliva, stool, urine, or other biological specimens at home using easy-to-use kits. In some sub-studies, participants may be invited to attend research visits for additional tests, scans, or clinical assessments. Family members and close contacts may also be invited to participate in some studies. Through Healthspan Connect, researchers aim to: * Identify the biological, environmental, and social factors that help people live longer, healthier lives. * Understand how different groups, including those historically underrepresented in research, experience ageing. * Explore ways to support behaviour changes that improve health over the lifespan. * Provide near real-time information to inform health policies and interventions. Participants may also be asked for permission to link their information with health records, education records, and environmental data to better understand health outcomes over time. This programme will serve as a flexible platform for multiple sub-studies, allowing participants to contribute to a wide range of research questions related to healthy ageing, resilience, and long-term health. All data and biological samples will be stored securely and used to advance scientific knowledge, with participant privacy carefully protected.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Integrated Vestibular Rehabilitation (ACTIVE) RCT

The primary objective of this multi-site randomized clinical trial (RCT) is to compare Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Integrated Vestibular Rehabilitation (ACTIVE) with usual care vestibular rehabilitation (VESTIB CONTROL) in 250 individuals with mTBI-related vestibular symptoms attributable to mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) treated at one of two sites (1) the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, or (2) the Intrepid Spirit Center, Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, Fort Hood, Texas. Both interventions will be delivered weekly over 4 weeks. Assessments will be administered prior to the start of treatment (Baseline) and at 4-weeks, 3- and 6-months following the completion of treatment.

Evaluation of a Chatbot-Delivered Structured Psychological Intervention for Teenagers With Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is the most common spinal deformity in children and can significantly impact the psychological health of affected teenagers. Despite this, there are few effective psychological treatments available for this population. Cognitive and behavioral strategies show promise in addressing the challenges associated with the condition and its treatment. Chatbots could serve as an accessible and effective tool to support the psychological health of these teenagers. Using the Centre for eHealth Research and Disease Management Roadmap as a guide, a chatbot-based structured psychological intervention has been developed. This intervention incorporates cognitive and behavioral strategies and aims to improve the psychological health of teenagers with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. The current phase involves implementing the intervention and conducting a pilot test to assess its feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness. The study will employ a pilot randomized controlled trial design, nested with qualitative interviews. Participants will be recruited from community health organizations in Hong Kong and will be randomly assigned to either a control group or an intervention group using block randomization. The intervention group will engage with the chatbot-based structured psychological intervention for eight consecutive weeks. The control group will interact with a different generative chatbot, participating in casual conversations at a similar frequency. Quantitative assessments will be conducted at three points: baseline, immediately after the intervention, and one month after the intervention. Additionally, qualitative interviews will be held with selected participants from the intervention group at post-intervention to explore their experiences and perceptions of the intervention process.

An Intervention-Based Approach to Strengthen the Psychological Health of Children With Cystic Fibrosis and Their Mothers

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a life-threatening exocrine gland disease that is often diagnosed in childhood, and its incidence tends to increase and affect physical and mental health.The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Intervention Program Based on Strengthening the Psychological Resilience of Children Diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis and Their Mothers, prepared for children with CF (8-12 years old) and their mothers.In the first stage, the CF experiences of children with cystic fibrosis and how they perceive these experiences will be examined with visual phenomenology, and their mothers' CF experiences and perceptions will be examined with phenomenology. In this regard, 10 children will be asked to draw pictures and their pictures will be analyzed. In-depth individual interviews will be held with mothers.In the 2nd stage, the effectiveness of the Intervention Program Based on Strengthening Psychological Resilience for Children Diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis and Their Mothers will be determined with a pre-test-post-test randomized controlled experimental design.In the literature review, Gpower analysis was performed (α: 0.05, β: 0.99, d: 1.88) based on the results of studies conducted with children diagnosed with CF and their parents, similar to this study, and 15 samples were used for each group. It is planned to recruit people. Considering the possibility of data loss in the study, it was always deemed appropriate to include 22 people for the group. It was planned to sample a total of 88 children with CF and their mothers, 44 in the intervention group and 44 in the control group. In the 3rd stage, after the experiment, the participants' experiences regarding the intervention program will be examined through interviews and qualitative research method. Thus, qualitative interviews will be conducted before and after the experiment. Data will be collected using these tools: Children; Child and Mother Descriptive Characteristics Form, Semi-Structured Interview Form,Respiratory Function Test, Reorganized Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire, Psychological Resilience Attitude and Skills Scale and Functional Disability Inventory; Mothers; The Revised Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire, The Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale, Post-Traumatic Growth Scale and Brief Psychological Resilience Scale. Measurements will be taken before the intervention, after the intervention, at the 1st and 3rd months.

Interactive Exergaming With Otago Exercise Program on Mobility in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

This clinical trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of interactive exergaming combined with Otago Exercise Program on mobility among community-dwelling older adults aged 65 and above. The main research questions are: Does this combined exercise intervention improve elderly mobility? Does this program enhance muscle strength and psychological well-being? Researchers will compare two groups: one group will do the combined exercise program for 12 weeks, while the other group will continue their usual activities. Participants will: * Have their health checked three times: at the start, after 12 weeks, and 3 months later * If in the exercise group, attend exercise sessions twice a week for 12 weeks * Complete tests about their physical abilities and how they feel emotionally Who can take part: * Adults age 65 or older * People who need more than 12 seconds to stand up and sit down 5 times * People who can stand for at least 30 seconds with support People cannot take part if they have serious vision problems, recent leg injuries, major illnesses, significant memory problems, or mental health conditions.