Clinical Research Directory

Project GAME ON! A Digital Comic Tool to Promote Healthy Behaviors

This clinical trial aims to evaluate an interactive, culturally relevant digital health promotion comic designed to support healthy dietary and physical activity behaviors among Black/African American and Latino children ages 8 to 12 years. The comic allows children's choices to affect the storyline and health content, with the goal of increasing engagement, empowering children, and improving attitudes, beliefs, and self-efficacy related to healthy behaviors. Caregivers will also receive newsletters reinforcing healthy dietary and physical activity behaviors at home. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Does an interactive, customizable "choose-your-own-adventure" style comic lead to greater engagement and acceptability compared to standard digital comic formats? 2. Is greater engagement with the comic associated with improved self-efficacy related to dietary and physical activity behaviors? Researchers will compare three study groups to evaluate differences in engagement, acceptability, and self-efficacy outcomes related to dietary and physical activity behaviors. Participants will: * Use a 6-week digital comic and health promotion website remotely * Complete surveys about engagement, attitudes, beliefs, and self-efficacy related to healthy behaviors * Receive periodic reminders and support messages during the intervention period * For caregivers in the enhanced and non-enhanced comic groups: receive newsletters promoting healthy dietary and physical activity behaviors at home

Preliminary Exploration of the Usability of a Structured Plate to Improve Eating Behaviors in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Its Impact on the Family: A Pilot Study

This completed single-arm pilot study examined the usability of a structured plate during routine classroom mid-morning snacks in children with autism spectrum disorder and feeding difficulties. Six children aged 6-7 years used a plate with 10 compartments over eight weeks in a special education school in Zaragoza, Spain. Two trained school meal aides delivered the intervention five days per week under occupational therapy supervision. Caregivers completed the Pediatric Eating Assessment Tool (PediEAT) and Feeding Impact Scales (FIS) before and after the intervention. Repeated structured observations described mealtime behavior and participation. The study also described implementation feasibility and exploratory pre-post changes; its uncontrolled design does not permit conclusions about efficacy. Changes from the original protocol are detailed in the Detailed Description.

GPC2-CAR T Cell Therapy for Relapsed or Refractory Medulloblastoma in Children and Young Adults

This is a single-site, open-label Phase I treatment study evaluating the manufacturing feasibility and safety of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells targeting the oncofetal protein Glypican-2 (GPC2) in pediatric and young adult patients with recurrent or refractory (R/R) medulloblastoma. Subjects with other non-medulloblastoma CNS embryonal tumors may enroll.

Synergies Between Exercise and Abacus in Childhood.

This study investigates the synergistic effects of physical exercise and abacus training on enhancing academic performance and well-being in children. It aims to establish a comprehensive educational framework that leverages the cognitive benefits of both physical activity and mental math skills. Research indicates that regular physical exercise not only contributes to better physical health but also significantly enhances cognitive functions such as memory, attention, and problem-solving abilities. Studies have shown that active children tend to perform better academically due to improved brain function and increased focus. Simultaneously, abacus training has been recognized for its role in developing mathematical skills and cognitive abilities. It promotes visual-spatial reasoning and enhances memory retention, which can lead to better performance in mathematics and related subjects. By integrating these two methods, seeks to provide children with a holistic approach to learning, fostering not only academic success but also emotional and psychological resilience. Preliminary findings suggest that children engaged in combined physical and cognitive training programs show notable improvements in their academic outcomes and overall well-being compared to those who participate in traditional learning environments. The project emphasizes the importance of creating educational strategies that prioritize comprehensive child development, suggesting that a balanced approach involving both physical exercise and cognitive training tools like the abacus can lead to significant benefits in children's learning experiences.

Development of an Eating Behavior Risk Score

This study will explore how children's eating behaviors are connected to brain activity and body fat levels. Researchers are especially interested in a behavior pattern called the PACE phenotype, which includes how much children eat when offered large portions, how quickly they eat, their appetite traits, and their ability to control eating. The goal is to better understand why some children are more likely to gain weight than others. The study will include children between the ages of 7 and 9 and will follow them for one year. Researchers will use brain scans, lab-based meal observations, and questionnaires to study how children respond to food and how their eating patterns relate to body fat at the start of the study and one year later. The study will also look at how family background, parenting, and other factors might protect some children from gaining excess weight even if they show risky eating behaviors. Results may help identify which children are most at risk for obesity and guide future strategies for prevention.

Influencing a Vegan Diet and the Intake of Dietary Supplements During Pregnancy and Childhood

The main goals of the exploratory, cross-sectional survey among vegans are to reveal influencing factors, sources of information gathering, reasons for choosing certain dietary supplements of pregnant vegans and parents, difficulties in administering dietary supplements to children, and the compliance of dietary supplements of vegans, because there is no data available yet. Results serve as a starting point for comprehensive information provision for surveyed vegans and provide insight into the nutritional knowledge of vegans. The advisory role of the medical experts is essential to provide vegans with reliable information on a balanced vegan diet and dietary supplements. The opinion of medical experts has a decisive influence on the health of vegans. For this reason the content of their advice will be assessed. The main questions the study aims to answer are: Do vegan pregnant women and parents know about possible nutrient deficiencies during pregnancy and childhood and who do they turn to for information about nutritional supplements? What is the quality of the information received?

The Impact of Synergies of Indoor Air Pollutants on Childhood Health and Wellbeing

To quantify health effects of synergizing chemical and biological pollutants in a targeted population setting, i.e., school-aged children. Indoor air pollutants will be monitored within the classrooms with high end sensors. Exposure data from additional sources (outdoor, home, transports) will be obtained. Health outcomes will be assessed prospectively using validated medical procedures and real-time tracking with mobile health (mHealth) equipment and a gamified computer app.