Clinical Research Directory

Aerobic Exercise and Its Impact on Sensory, Musculoskeletal, and Psychosocial Aspects in Migraine

Migraine is a neurological disorder associated with high levels of disability and changes in sensory processing, musculoskeletal function, and psychosocial factors. Aerobic exercise is a low-cost, non-pharmacological strategy that has shown potential benefits for migraine management, but its effects on sensory perception and musculoskeletal function are not yet fully understood. This randomized controlled trial will investigate the effects of a supervised aerobic exercise program combined with pain neuroscience education compared with an active control condition in women aged 18 to 48 years diagnosed with migraine. Participants will be randomly allocated to either an intervention group, which will perform supervised aerobic exercise three times per week for 16 weeks and receive one session of pain neuroscience education, or a control group, which will receive recommendations for unsupervised physical activity at home. Outcomes related to migraine-related disability, self-reported symptoms, sensory sensitivity, and musculoskeletal function will be assessed at baseline and after the intervention period. Questionnaires will also be collected at a 6-month follow-up. The results of this study may contribute to the development of accessible and low-risk non-pharmacological treatment strategies for people with migraine.

Neural Correlates of Sensory Phenomena in Tourette Syndrome

The most pervasive sensory manifestation of TS is sensory over-responsivity (SOR). SOR is defined as excessive behavioral response to commonplace environmental stimuli. SOR is an integral but poorly understood facet of the TS phenotype, one intertwined with core elements of the disorder and worse QOL. This proposal seeks to clarify the mechanistic bases of SOR in TS. Adults with with TS will be recruited 1) to complete a standardized clinical symptom assessment battery and 2) to undergo electroencephalogram (EEG), autonomic, and audio-visual monitoring during tactile and auditory stimuli paradigms, as well as at rest.

CatchU: A Quantitative Multisensory Falls-Assessment Study

The ability to successfully integrate information across sensory systems is a vital aspect of functioning in the real world. To date, only a few studies have investigated the clinical translational value of multisensory integration processes. Previous work has linked the magnitude of visual-somatosensory integration (measured behaviorally using simple reaction time tasks) to important cognitive (attention) and motor (balance, gait, and falls) outcomes in healthy older adults. While multisensory integration effects have been measured across a wide array of populations using various sensory combinations and different neuroscience approaches, a gold standard for quantifying multisensory integration has been lacking. The investigator recently developed a step-by-step protocol for administering and calculating multisensory integration effects in an effort to facilitate innovative and novel translational research across diverse clinical populations and age-ranges. However, patients with severe medical conditions and/or mobility limitations often experience difficulty traveling to research facilities or joining time-demanding research protocols. Using the aforementioned protocol, the study team invented a mobile multisensory falls-assessment iPhone app called CatchU to facilitate physician discussion and counseling of falls in older adults during clinical visits (e.g., annual wellness visits with a subsequent telehealth call), in an attempt to alleviate disability, promote independence, and increase quality of life for older adults. The investigator team has provided a cross-sectional research proposal for a pilot study of 300 patients (over a 24-month period) in order to demonstrate acceptable-to-excellent predicative accuracy of CatchU for identifying older adults at-risk for falls.

Sensory Perception in Children With Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by abnormal neuronal activity, affecting approximately 0.5-1% of children worldwide. It has significant social, psychological, and physical consequences, leading to impairments in cognitive, motor, and behavioral functions. Sensory processing disorders (SPDs) further contribute to these challenges, affecting children's ability to regulate and interpret sensory information, which impacts learning, daily functioning, and emotional regulation. SPDs are categorized into sensory modulation disorder, sensory-based motor disorder, and sensory discrimination disorder. Dunn's sensory processing model identifies four sensory profiles: low registration, sensory seeking, sensory sensitivity, and sensory avoidance. Sensory modulation disorders, including sensory over-responsivity, under-responsivity, and seeking behaviors, can contribute to behavioral and functional difficulties in children with epilepsy. Existing studies on sensory processing in children with epilepsy are limited by small sample sizes and non-comprehensive assessments. This study aims to investigate sensory profiles and perception in a larger sample to enhance early detection and intervention strategies. Objectives: Evaluate sensory perception in children with epilepsy. Examine sensory profiles within this population. The study will include children aged 2-17 years meeting specific criteria. Data collection will involve demographic and epilepsy-related information (seizure onset, frequency, medication, comorbidities). A neurology specialist will assess cerebellar pathology. Sensory processing will be evaluated using the Sensory Processing Measure (SPM), a validated tool assessing sensory processing, balance, body awareness, ideation, and social participation. Based on prior studies, the required sample size is 34 participants. Statistical analyses will be performed using IBM SPSS v.26.0 and R v4.3.0. Normality will be assessed through graphical and statistical tests. Independent samples t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, chi-square tests, and correlation analyses will be applied where appropriate. The significance level is set at p\<0.05. This study will contribute to the understanding of sensory perception in children with epilepsy, addressing gaps in the literature and supporting clinical interventions to improve their daily functioning and well-being.