Diabetes Brain Study: A study to better understand the link between diabetes and brain health
Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disease that affects memory, thinking, and behavior, and causes severe memory loss over time, known as dementia. Diabetes increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Latinos have a higher risk of developing both diabetes and Alzheimer's but are underrepresented in research. We are studying the relationship between diabetes and brain health, and we hope to learn which diabetes-related brain measures best predict reduced brain function (cognitive decline). We want to improve prevention and treatment options for everyone.
New study at USC tests smartphone app to help older adults stay active. Join today!
<p>Engaging in even modest physical activity improves health and well-being, such as decreasing cholesterol and improving mood. However, despite the benefits of physical activity, less than 10% of older adults meet national physical activity guidelines. Health-related smartphone applications (apps) provide a promising approach to increase older individuals' physical activity. The purpose of this study is to develop, test, and refine a physical activity-tracking smartphone app that is designed to help older adults improve their physical activity by helping them overcome common barriers they may experience. For example, some older people might have low self-confidence or not know how to be more active. The app has a number of features to address issues like these. For instance, some users of the app will receive confidence-boosting messages about doing activity in older adulthood, whereas other users will receive tips throughout the day about how to break up how much time one spends sitting. </p><p> To participate in this study, we are looking for older adults (65–84 years of age) who own smartphones, reside in the Los Angeles area, and are not very physically active.</p>
Why do women use cannabis during pregnancy?
<p><strong>What does this study focus on?</strong></p><p>Cannabis is the most commonly used substance during pregnancy, yet little is known about why women use cannabis use during pregnancy.</p><p><strong>What is the goal of this study?</strong></p><p>The goal of this study is to talk and listen to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) women who are using or have used cannabis during pregnancy to better understand: 1) their motivations for using cannabis during pregnancy, and 2) their use patterns during pregnancy.</p><p><strong>Why are we conducting this study?</strong></p><p>We hope to: 1) understand the barriers to receiving care facing BIPOC women who use cannabis during pregnancy, and 2) identify opportunities to improve public health knowledge around maternal cannabis use.</p>
S-ICD® System Post Approval Study
The S-ICD Post Approval Study is a non-randomized registry that will retrospectively enroll
subjects who participated in the S-ICD Clinical Investigation (IDE G090013) and
prospectively enroll new candidates for the S-ICD System. The target enrollment sample size
is 1,616 subjects at up to 150 investigational sites to achieve 1,025 subjects in the
analysis cohort at 60 months.
- The primary safety endpoint of the study is the Type I (caused by the S-ICD System)
Complication Free Rate at 60 months compared to a performance goal of 85%.
- The primary effectiveness endpoint is the Overall Shock Effectiveness in Converting
Spontaneous Discrete Episodes of ventricular tachycardia /ventricular fibrillation
(VT/VF) through 60 months compared to a performance goal of 94%.
- The secondary safety endpoint of the study is the Electrode-Related Complication Free
Rate at 60 months compared to a performance goal of 92.5%.
- The secondary effectiveness endpoint is First Shock Effectiveness in Converting Induced
(Acute) and Spontaneous Discrete Episodes of VT/VF through 60 months compared to a
performance goal of 84.0%.
Additional objectives include characterization of long term safety and effectiveness in
subjects of varied body habitus and in traditionally underrepresented populations.
Subjects must meet the following criteria to be eligible for inclusion in the study:
1. Eligible for implantation with an S-ICD System, OR previously implanted with an S-ICD
System in the S-ICD System Clinical Investigation (IDE G090013)
2. Willing and able to provide written informed consent or have informed consent provided
by a legal representative
Subjects who meet the following criteria must be excluded from the study:
1. Remaining life expectancy of less than 360 days
Enrolled subjects will be followed at the implant procedure, predischarge and annual(±60
days) follow-up visits. Subjects are followed according to the standard of care at their
participating investigational center.
The Genetics of Liver Fat (GoLF): Contributions of Genes and Liver Fat to Diabetes Risk in Mexican Americans
<p>Diabetes affects millions of people in the United States, and Latinos are at higher risk. The liver plays an important role in regulating blood sugar. At the University of Southern California (USC), we are seeking participants for an ongoing study to investigate how differences in your genes impact liver fat levels, and how these levels affect diabetes risk. We want to improve the understanding of diabetes, obesity, and fatty liver disease, and work toward developing better ways to treat and prevent these diseases. </p><p>This is a collaborative study between Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) and the University of Southern California (USC), sponsored by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).</p>
Study at USC tests smartphone app to help older adults with memory problems stay active. Join today!
<p> Despite the health benefits of physical activity, community-living older people with dementia have 26% lower physical activity levels than their cognitively healthy peers. Health-related smartphone applications (apps) are now frequently used to help people lead healthier lifestyles and provide a promising way to increase older adults' physical activity. Unfortunately, no physical activity apps exist that have been adapted for older persons with cognitive impairment despite that this group could benefit from such health-supportive tools. </p><p>The app-based intervention proposed for this study is named Moving Up-A. It includes features designed to assist older adults who have mild cognitive impairments become more physically active. The app provides users support to overcome common barriers to physical activity they may experience by increasing awareness about one’s physical activity patterns and by sending a variety of messages, tips, activities, and reminders. </p><p> To participate in this study, we are looking for older adults (65 years or older) who have difficulty with memory or thinking, who own smartphones, reside in the Los Angeles area or in the Pacific Time Zone, and are not very physically active.</p>
A novel, comprehensive approach to post-stroke gait rehabilitation
The purpose of this study is to understand how individuals control their walking after stroke while using visual information about their walking and while walking at different speeds. We hope to learn how people learn new walking patterns when parts of the brain are damaged and how this may change at different walking speeds.
Mother's Milk Study
The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of human milk oligosaccharides (i.e. HMOs, which are a type of sugar) on infant intestinal bacteria and understand how these sugars influence the growth and development of the child. The ultimate goal of this study is to promote the growth of good bacteria in the infant’s intestine and reduce the growth of harmful bacteria.
Lupus patients on Twitter: What do they think about using Twitter to engage them with their health?
It is estimated that at least 5 million Americans have the autoimmune disease lupus, with more than 16,000 new cases of lupus being reported annually in the U.S. Many patients take to Twitter to share their disease experience. With this study, we want to better understand Lupus patients who use Twitter and hear from them whether Twitter could be used as a tool to engage them with healthcare and research. This study is restricted to Lupus patients on Twitter who were contacted by the study team.
Tracking Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) symptoms and predicting response to treatment using Fitbit, neuroimaging, and smartphone surveys.
<p>Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a chronic, impairing disorder characterized by unwanted obsessions and/or compulsions. Not all persons with OCD are alike, resulting in a wide variety of symptoms, illness course, and response to treatment. The purpose of our OCD research study is to better understand differences in OCD symptoms and to predict both illness course and response to treatment. By comparing data from participants with OCD and healthy volunteers without OCD, we hope to provide enhanced treatments to future patients.</p>
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