Current Clinical Trials

Pain Clinical Trial for Spinal Cord Injured Patients

If you have pain after a spinal cord injury (SCI), you may qualify for a clinical research study. Doctors in the UNC Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation are participating in a research study to examine the effectiveness of a medication for helping individuals with SCI to reduce nerve pain. The medication has been used successfully to treat other nerve pain conditions.

You may qualify to participate in the study if:

• You have had a spinal cord injury at least a year ago
• You have chronic pain related to a spinal cord injury
• You are at least 18 years old
• You are able to come to the UNC Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Outpatient Clinic at UNC Memorial Hospital, 1st Floor, for eight visits over a five-month period

You should not be in the study if:

• You have pain not related to your spinal cord injury
• You think you might need surgery during the five months of the study
• You have other medical conditions that might interfere with your participation

If you are interested in the study, please contact Heather Walker, MD, at our Outpatient Clinic: 919.966.8812. For more about the study, see the following web site: http://www.spineinjurypain.com

IBS Treatment for Women: Mindfulness/Support Group

If you are a woman (or know a woman) age 18 or older who suffers from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), you/she may qualify to participate in a research study of two treatment programs to help improve the symptoms of IBS.

In both programs, women of all ages will meet in a group once per week for 8 weeks. In the support group, women will share successful strategies for coping with and reducing symptoms of IBS. The mindfulness group combines gentle yoga with a meditation technique. Both programs have shown promise for helping people with illnesses.

Each group requires coming to a meeting in Chapel Hill for 2 hours each Monday, October 26-December 14, 2009, 6-8 p.m., and for 4 hours on Saturday, December 5. Groups will be designated randomly by a computer program. Both groups will be led by an experienced health coach and group facilitator. Participants will be asked to fill out questionnaires before the first group meeting, two weeks after the program, and 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after the program.

Women will be paid $250 for filling out the five groups of questionnaires; and parking vouchers will be provided as needed.
Participation in the mindfulness training or support group is free.

To participate in the study, women must have a diagnosis of IBS from a physician and current symptoms (abdominal pain or bloating at least once per week over the past month).

Women cannot be in this study if:

• They are unable to attend a meeting in Chapel Hill each Monday, Feb 25-Apr 14;
• They are pregnant
• They have one of the following disorders: severe mental illness; inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease); cancer; liver or pancreas disease; uncontrolled lactose (milk) intolerance; celiac disease (wheat intolerance); or a history of major abdominal surgery

If you would like to learn more about this study and/or see whether you qualify, please call 966-8586, or send an e-mail to Chanee Lynch or Kim Faurot.

This message was approved by the Biomedical IRB 3/20/2007 (#05-2994/GCRC 2504), and is funded by NIH R21-AT003619.

Research Study for Patients with Chronic Headaches

• Do you have chronic headaches at least 15 days per month?
• Have you suffered from headaches for at least 2 years?
• Are you at least 18 years of age?
• Have you been diagnosed with Chronic Daily Headache (CDH)?
• Are you receiving care from a neurologist or other headache specialist?
• Would you be willing to meet 6 times with a registered dietitian over a 12-week period?

If you answered yes to all the above questions, you may qualify for the Nutrition and Chronic Daily Headache (CDH) study. Your next step is to call Chanee Lynch or Becky Coble at the UNC Program on Integrative Medicine in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation to determine your eligibility for the study.

You will be compensated $145 for completing all sessions and filling out questionnaires and a daily headache diary throughout the study. You will also receive 2 prepared meals per day over a three month period and up to $13 per visit for transportation and parking.

If you would like to learn more about this study and/or see if you qualify, please call 966-8586, or send an e-mail to Chanee Lynch or Becky Coble.

This message was approved by the Biomedical IRB 7/23/2009 (IRB#09-0600), and is funded by the Mayday Fund.