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123 active trials for Blood Pressure

Treating Cognitive Deficits in Spinal Cord Injury

Multiple studies in the spinal cord injury (SCI) population have documented deficits in learning and memory (LM) and processing speed (PS) that adversely impact daily life and the ability to benefit from rehabilitation. The investigators have previously attributed the cognitive deficits demonstrated in the SCI population to low blood pressure (BP) and cerebral blood flow (CBF) and are currently conducting a study to determine the effect of a 30-day elevation in BP (using midodrine hydrochloride - an alpha agonist) on CBF and cognitive performance compared to placebo in hypotensive individuals with SCI. In addition, the investigators believe that cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) may improve cognition independent of changes in BP and CBF in individuals with SCI. The current randomized clinical trial (RCT) will examine the efficacy of 2 treatment protocols shown to be effective in improving cognitive performance in other neurologically impaired populations for use in persons with SCI demonstrating (1) LM impairment and/or (2) PS impairment on objective measures of cognitive functioning during a complete Neuropsychological assessment. Two methods of outcome assessment will be used to examine treatment impact: (1) a traditional Neuropsychological assessment (NP) and (2) an assessment of global functioning (AGF) composed of broader outcome measures that examine the impact of the treatment on everyday life activities. In this way, the investigators will be able to objectively evaluate the presence or absence of changes in memory performance through a NP assessment, while also evaluating the impact of this treatment protocol on everyday life through the AGF. While most studies evaluating the efficacy of cognitive retraining usually employ a pre- and post-training evaluation, such evaluations have been criticized for their lack of ecological validity (i.e., real world generalizability). The present design allows the assessment of the efficacy of these treatment techniques within an SCI population using traditional measures, as well as the assessment of the impact that treatment has on everyday life. The investigators will additionally evaluate the long-term efficacy by including a 6-month post-treatment follow-up. Few studies examine long-term effects, but given the time, labor and expense involved, it is critical to demonstrate long-term efficacy.

Start: April 2017
Chickasaw Healthy Eating Environments Research Study

This study, the Chickasaw Healthy Eating Environments Research Study (CHEERS), will be conducted in partnership with Chickasaw Nation. CHEERS comprises several mutually reinforcing strategies to improve blood pressure (BP) control in people with hypertension. Environmental strategies include the investigator's innovative "Packed Promise for a Healthy Heart" program that provides hypertensive adults ages 18 and older with a voucher for fresh vegetables and fruits (referred to as a "fresh check") and home delivered food boxes that contain Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH)-approved ingredients for preparing low-salt, and traditional healthy Chickasaw meals. The study facilitates demonstrations of healthy cooking practices in participating communities. At the individual level, tribal members with uncontrolled hypertension will receive heart-healthy recipes (available at getfreshcooking.com) that are tailored to traditional Chickasaw diet and culture, educational materials, along with invitations to attend cooking demonstrations, fresh checks to improve access to fresh produce, and a Chickasaw Nation culturally-informed smartphone walking app called "AYA." At the policy level, CHEERS will culminate in a multimedia documentary presentation for tribal leadership detailing the intervention and featuring personal success stories by hypertensive community members. Study findings, including a health economics assessment, will be used to encourage policies for further expansion of the Packed Promise for a Healthy Heart Program; and policies promoting expansion of brick and mortar grocery outlets in rural Chickasaw communities.

Start: July 2018
Capnogram and Fluid Responsiveness

Predicting fluid responsiveness in critically ill patients is of paramount importance. It can help define an adequate fluid balance. Overzealous fluid administration is poorly tolerated and has been associated with poor outcomes but so has insufficient administration. Currently available predictors of fluid responsiveness rely on invasive monitors and require patients to be on mechanical ventilation. It is thus important to develop non invasive novel methods to assess fluid responsiveness to provide an accurate management for a favorable outcome. We propose a readily available non-invasive method that relies on improvement of the ventilation perfusion mismatch as recorded by end tidal CO2. Ventilation of physiologic dead space is part of a spectrum of mismatch between ventilation and perfusion of the lungs. The extent of pulmonary dead space varies depending on factors affecting pulmonary perfusion (e.g. pulmonary capillary hydrostatic pressure) and alveolar pressure (e.g. positive pressure ventilation). Compromised pulmonary capillary perfusion can lead to ventilation-perfusion mismatch in a patient with clear conductive airway and adequate alveolar oxygen pressure. Alveolar dead space results in decreased CO2 exchange that translates into lower levels of expired CO2. Stroke volume of the right ventricle is a major determinant of the pulmonary capillary perfusion. Right ventricular cardiac output can be increased by passive lower limb elevation maneuver, which ultimately results in improvement of the ventilation to perfusion ratio. This effect leads to a higher participation of perfused (and ventilated) alveolar units in gas exchange and narrowing of the gradient between arterial and expired CO2 concentration. Performing a passive leg raising (PLR) maneuver leads to stroke volume enhancement in both healthy patients and in those experiencing hemodynamic instability. Responsiveness to PLR can be assessed by different methods including echocardiography and pulse pressure variation. Left ventricular cardiac output (LVCO) can be easily measured by transthoracic echo and be used as a surrogate of right ventricular preload changes. LVCO can thus be used to assess the fluid responsiveness of PLR and the effects of on end tidal CO2 that ensue. We propose this study to test the hypothesis that expired CO2 is a reliable predictor of fluid responsiveness after performance of the PLR maneuver, based on the assumption that increasing right ventricular output causes a reduction of the ventilation to perfusion ratio, leading to increased levels of expired CO2. T

Start: May 2019