Clinical trials

This study compares two endoscopic ultrasound-guided treatments for gastric varices, which are enlarged veins in the stomach that can bleed. Both treatments use small coils placed into the varix. One group will receive coils with cyanoacrylate medical glue, and the other group will receive coils with absorbable gelatin sponge. The purpose of the study is to determine whether absorbable gelatin sponge with coils is not worse than cyanoacrylate glue with coils for closing off gastric varices, and to compare safety outcomes. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of the two treatment groups. Participants and outcome assessors will not know which treatment was used, but the doctor performing the procedure will know. After the procedure, participants will be followed for up to 12 months. Follow-up may include clinical assessments, questionnaires about health and quality of life, CT imaging shortly after the procedure, and repeat endoscopic ultrasound assessments to evaluate whether the gastric varix has been successfully treated.

Through a triple-blinded randomized control trial, the primary purpose of this pilot study is to assess the efficacy of administering peri-operative contralateral corticosteroid injection in patients undergoing TKA. The secondary outcome was to assess the effect of contralateral corticosteroid injection on pain and functional outcomes of patients undergoing TKA.

This study aims to determine if GLP1RA is safe and tolerable in maintenance dialysis population, adherence, and feasibility of a larger definitive cardiovascular outcome trial in this population. Participants will be randomized 1:1 to either weekly subcutaneous semaglutide versus usual care and followed for 26 weeks.

This is an open-label trial evaluating feasibility, tolerability, safety and efficacy of psilocybin assisted cognitive processing therapy for chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Genetic testing can alter therapy and surgical management for cancer patients and is therefore indicated as a first-line test for many newly diagnosed patients, including breast, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate and colon/GI patients. To reduce pressure on already constrained genetics clinics across Canada, some cancer centres are 'mainstreaming' genetic testing - whereby genetic testing is initiated and mediated by oncologists without traditional pre-test genetic counseling (GC) often using some form of paper-based patient pamphlets or videos. There is no standard, evidence-based approach to mainstreaming, leading to significant practice variation, a lack of coordinated care and ultimately, negative psychological impacts on patients. Digital solutions can address these gaps by providing a standardized, coordinated and patient-centered approach to deliver cancer genetic education. However, digital solutions for providing cancer genetics services are uncommon and clinical-effectiveness and service delivery outcomes have not been well-assessed. This study will test a digital mainstreaming platform called the Genetics Adviser for Mainstream care to assess its effectiveness in improving psychological outcomes and patient-centred care for mainstream cancer patients compared to standard of care.

Genetic testing (GT) (including targeted panels, exome and genome sequencing) is increasingly being used for patient care as it improves diagnosis and health outcomes. In spite of these benefits, genetic testing is a complex and costly health service. This results in unequal access, increased wait times and inconsistencies in care. The use of e-health tools to support genetic testing delivery can result in a better patient experience and reduced distress associated with waiting for results and empower patients to receive and act on medical results. We have previously developed and tested an interactive, adaptable and patient-centred digital decision support tool (Genetics ADvISER) to be used for genetic testing decision making, and have now developed the Genetics Navigator (GN), a patient-centred e-health navigation platform for end-to-end genetic service delivery. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the GN in an RCT in reducing distress with patients and parents of patients being offered genetic testing. Results of this trial will be used to establish whether the GN is effective to use in practice. If effective, GN could fill a critical clinical care gap and improve health outcomes and service use by reducing counselling burden as well as overuse, underuse and misuse of services. These are concerns policy makers seek to address through the triple aims of health care1. This study represents a significant advance in personalized health by assessing the effectiveness of this novel, comprehensive e-health platform to ultimately improve genetic service delivery, accessibility, patient experiences, and patient outcomes.

The goal of the SEED CHANGE pilot study is to co-design and test a wraparound intervention for young people transitioning away from homelessness. This study will provide information about the types of supports these young people need to live meaningful and thriving lives, and the best ways to deliver these supports. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Is the wraparound intervention feasible? (i.e., Will young people engage in the study and supports?) * Is the wraparound intervention acceptable? (i.e., Do young people find the supports satisfactory and/or beneficial?) Participants will engage in an 18-month wraparound intervention including the following supports: * Job Placement * Housing Stabilization Funds * Grocery Supplements * Community Connections Worker * Coaching * Tools for Intentional Living Program

Management of acetabular (hip) fractures in the geriatric population can be very challenging because of pre-existing medical comorbidities, pre-existing osteoporosis and increased risk of mortality. The two most common treatment options for acetabular fractures are either surgical fixation using plates and screws to hold the fractured pieces in the correct position until the fracture has healed or surgical fixation in addition to a total hip replacement. Surgical fixation requires prolonged immobilization of the affected limb (typically around 6-12 weeks post-operatively), which can lead to disability and other complications. Such patients, especially those who are frail and cognitively impaired, are unable to adhere to the immobilization restrictions, leading to an increased risk of fixation failure. Patients who underwent open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) of an acetabular fracture were reported to have about 25 times greater incidence of hip replacement compared with general population matched controls. Additionally, performing a subsequent hip replacement after a previous surgical fixation (ORIF) of an acetabular fracture, especially in the elderly population, can present a number of technical difficulties including; difficult dissection due to previous incision(s) and scarring, dealing with retained hardware, bony deficiency and the possibility of infected hardware. The aim of the study is to perform a large cohort study to assess pain and physical function in patients 60 years and older who have sustained an acetabular fracture.

This study aims to determine whether Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) of the facial muscles is a safe and effective treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD).

Subdural hematoma (SDH) is a common condition experienced after head injury. Blood collects on the surface of the brain, causing headaches which can progress to confusion, weakness, or even coma. While patients with SDH often receive surgery, not all patients require surgery right away to ease pressure on the brain. After surgery, there can be up to 30 percent chance of more bleeding and the need for more surgeries. Given this, a drug capable of lowering the chance of more bleeding and speeding the recovery of the patient is highly desirable. In this study, we will test a commonly used, cheap drug called Tranexamic Acid (TXA). While the body stops unwanted and sometimes dangerous bleeding naturally by forming blood clots, TXA stops these blood clots from breaking down, which helps to keep bleeding spots plugged. Our previous study showed that TXA helped speed up patients' recovery; but a larger number of patients is necessary to evaluate how well TXA works to reduce bleeding and improve patient-reported outcomes. In this study, regardless of the need for surgery, half of the patients will be randomly assigned to take TXA, while the other half will take a placebo, which is a look-alike substance that contains no active drug. We will measure multiple outcomes over time to determine if TXA is working and lowers healthcare and personal costs, while also taking blood and surgical samples, to better understand how this drug works in SDH patients.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if Lemborexant works to treat residual insomnia in adults with depression that is being treated. It will also learn about how practical, tolerable, and effective Lemborexant is. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does Lemborexant help participants improve sleep and reduce insomnia symptoms? * How practical is it to use Lemborexant (how many participants join, drop out, and follow the study rules)? How do participants feel about using it (based on surveys and interviews)? Researchers will compare Lemborexant to a placebo (a look-alike substance that contains no drug) to see if Lemborexant works to treat residual insomnia in adequately treated major depressive disorder. Participants will: * Take Lemborexant or a placebo every day for 6 weeks (2 weeks at 5 mg then 4 weeks at 10 mg) * Complete clinical assessments and in-person study visits * Maintain a digital sleep diary and complete daily and weekly self-report ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) * Use a wearable device which will be used to collect and monitor physiological data

Through a triple-blinded randomized control trial, the primary purpose of this pilot study is to assess the efficacy of administering peri-operative contralateral corticosteroid injection in patients undergoing TKA. The secondary outcome was to assess the effect of contralateral corticosteroid injection on pain and functional outcomes of patients undergoing TKA.

Traumatic injuries affect people of all ages, races, and socioeconomic backgrounds. The Global Burden of Disease study showed that globally in 2019, there were more than 4.4 million deaths due to injury. Furthermore, unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for people aged 5-29 years worldwide. Uncontrolled bleeding accounts for a significant proportion of these deaths, with approximately 20% occurring in the first 24 hours and 40% occurring within the first 30 days. Blood transfusion is a life-saving treatment in the management of bleeding patients until bleeding is controlled in hospital, typically delivered through different blood components (red blood cells, plasma and platelets). These components are derived from a whole blood donation and are stored in separate bags (units). There are challenges in carrying separate blood products, such as additional weight in kit bags, and transfusing multiple blood products at the scene can delay transport to hospital. In Ontario, Ornge Air Ambulance carries red blood cells and plasma to transfuse prehospital. However, a prehospital transfusion strategy has not been established and practice varies across the Canadian setting, and more broadly across the world. This trial aims to investigate if carrying and transfusing two units of whole blood instead of four units (two red blood cells and two plasma) is feasible and leads to better outcomes for patients.

The current standard of care for most intra-articular distal femur fractures (above the knee joint) in geriatric patients is a surgical fixation using plates and screws to hold the fracture pieces in the correct position, until the fracture as healed. However, surgical fixation of these complex fractures in geriatric patients, is associated with significant complications, such as non-union (when the broken bone does not heal properly), infection and the need for revision surgery. Additionally, surgical fixation requires prolonged immobilization of of the affected limb (typically around 6-12 weeks post-operatively), which can lead to disability and other complications. Geriatric patients, especially those frail and with cognition impairment, are unable to adhere to the immobilization restrictions, which leads to an increased risk of fixation failure (broken bone does not heal). Another treatment option for those patients is an acute distal femoral replacement (artificial knee), where damaged parts of the knee joint are replaced with artificial prosthesis. This procedure allows patients to walk immediately after the surgery and faster return to previous level of function, therefore avoiding the complications for immobilization. There is a lack of guideline and evidence to suggest which surgical technique is best to provide superior function outcomes, lower complications and reduced costs. The proposed study seeks to answer this question by performing a large clinical trial comparing knee replacement versus surgical fixation in geriatric patients with distal femur fracture.

Patients who underwent an abdominal surgery and had the abdomen remain open are called to have an "open abdomen". To limit the risk of further widening of their wounds, surgeons can use AbClo, which is a non-invasive abdominal binding device, to keep the abdominal wall together (i.e., approximate the fascia). However, as the device also compresses on the abdomen and adjacent lungs, this study aims: * To assess whether the abdominal binding device causes changes in the pressure compressing the lungs, the lung volume, and the function of the lungs. * To assess whether adjusting the breathing machine can mitigate such negative changes. Participants will already be on the abdominal binding device when joining the study. Measurements on various aspects of the lung function (including its physical properties and capability to oxygenate the blood) will be done before and after adjustment of the abdominal binding device to the pressure (measured in the device itself) recommended by the manufacturer, as well as after the surgery to close the abdomen.

OVERVIEW: People living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are expected to fit self-management and regular clinical consultations into busy lives. T1D self-management programs that offer frequent contact with care teams are most effective in helping patients achieve optimal glycemic control. However, this is difficult to deliver in the context of current T1D care which involves time-consuming in-person visits during working hours. The proposed study will test a virtual health care intervention to deliver "high frequency, low touch" care aimed at improving metabolic control, while reducing the burden on individuals and their healthcare teams. STUDY DESIGN: A pragmatic multicenter, open-label, randomized trial to evaluate the short-term effectiveness of a multifaceted virtual health care intervention in improving glycemic control in individuals with T1D. Planned recruitment is 580 participants from 10 specialized T1D centres in Ontario. INTERVENTION: Our intervention will include 1) frequent, brief virtual visits between patients with T1D and certified diabetes educators (conducted in real time using a secure telemedicine video interface accessible from any PC, tablet or smart phone) combined with automatic appointment reminders, and 2) a centralized web-based platform to provide educational classes, tools, and resources for diabetes self-management. Virtual visits will be an adjunct to routine in-clinic visits for blood pressure monitoring, foot checks, and surveillance for other complications of diabetes. This approach aims to enable patients to receive more education and support than is feasible in traditional health care models, and in a way that is more seamless (i.e. results in fewer disruptions to their daily life) and tailored to their individual needs based on their stage in life.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a new method of closing the breastbone after heart bypass surgery can improve healing and reduce complications in adults undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does this new closure method reduce infections and wound reopening? Does it improve healing, recovery, and overall patient outcomes? Researchers will compare patients who receive the new closure method to past patients who received the standard method to see if outcomes are better. Participants will: Receive the new closure method during their surgery (as part of standard care) Be followed during their normal recovery up to their 6-week follow-up visit Complete a short quality-of-life questionnaire (about 10 minutes) Have their recovery assessed, including healing, complications, and hospital use Researchers will also look at quality of life, heart complications, hospital readmissions, antibiotic use, scar appearance, and overall costs to understand the full impact of the new method.

Endometriosis is a common gynecologic disease affecting 5-10% of women during their reproductive years.1 Symptoms are variable but can include debilitating pelvic pain, pain with intercourse, menstrual cycles, bowel movements and urination. This can interfere with patients' ability to work, attend school or have intimate relationships leading to serious effects on quality of life and mental health.2-5 Current management of endometriosis is predominantly medical and surgical. Unfortunately, these medications can come with potent side effects that may be intolerable to some patients. They can also be prohibitively expensive for patients without prescription coverage. Mindfulness is a psychological approach to bring the mind to the present moment and to enhance self-awareness. It includes the use of emotional regulation, reduced reactivity, and enhanced response flexibility.6 Mindfulness-based psychological treatments have shown to improve both pain and quality of life in patients with chronic pelvic pain.7-9 Despite the evidence for mindfulness-based therapy there is still limited use of this in the treatment of pelvic pain. The reasons for this are multifactorial and include financial and accessibility barriers. Virtual platforms can help bridge these inequities and support marginalized patient populations in getting access to treatments for endometriosis pain. Virtual mindfulness resources have been shown to improve health and decrease stress, anxiety, and depression.10,11 There is minimal evidence about online mindfulness platforms for chronic pain and none relating to endometriosis. There is great potential to use this medium to overcome many barriers to access, but more research is needed on its effectiveness in treating endometriosis pain. The primary objective of this research study is to determine if virtual mindfulness-based therapy improves quality of life in patients with endometriosis following completion of the ten-week virtual mindfulness-based workshop.

It is estimated that 30% of individuals with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) fail to respond to conventional antidepressant medication which accounts for over 1 million Canadians in their lifetime. Treatment resistant depression (TRD) patients also have greater psychiatric and medical comorbidity, poorer quality of life and increased suicidal ideation. Yet, there are few treatment strategies available to target TRD and there is a significant lack of evidence about how TRD differs from treatment-responsive depression. This proposal represents the first study to elucidate the neurobiology of TRD with a focus on dopamine receptor function throughout the brain, in order to inform treatment development and clinical characterization of TRD.The ultimate goal of this unique study is to characterize striatal and extrastriatal dopamine D2 and D3 receptor binding potential in patients with TRD, non-resistant MDD and healthy controls. The primary hypothesis is that TRD patients will exhibit greater D2/D3 receptor binding potential compared to non-TRD patients in the following regions of interest: dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, and ventral striatum. Secondarily, non-TRD patients will also demonstrate increased binding potential compared to healthy controls in the same brain regions. Whole brain analyses will allow us to take an exploratory approach to other brain regions that may differentiate TRD from non-TRD patients. Participants will be assessed at St. Michael's Hospital (SMH) and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), which are within a 10 minute driving distance of each other. There will be 3 study visits following written informed consent. Eligibility will be confirmed at a screening visit at SMH where demographic information, including age, sex, education, and medication history will be obtained, as well as the administration of a structured Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) Axis I diagnoses (Sheehan et al, 2015), and an HRSD-17. Within two weeks of the screening visit, participants will undergo a structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan at SMH prior to the positron-emission tomography (PET) scan at CAMH. The order of the PHNO scans will be counterbalanced.

This study is testing a new surgical device called the Revolve Surgical System (RSS) during appendix removal surgery. The RSS is designed to help surgeons perform minimally invasive surgery with improved precision and stability while working at the patient's bedside, similar to standard laparoscopic surgery but with robotic assistance. This will be the first time the device is used in patients. It will be evaluated in three adults with uncomplicated appendicitis who are already scheduled to have an appendectomy. The purpose of the study is to assess whether the device can be used safely and effectively and to better understand how it performs during surgery.

The goal of this initial clinical trial is to gather information for building a future national trial in Canada that can continuously look at different ways of helping people made vulnerable get a primary care provider. The trial will take place in the Toronto region and will help researchers decide how to plan the future trial. The main question that this trial is aiming to answer is: • For those made vulnerable who do not currently have a primary care provider, will assistance from a Primary Care Connector trained specifically with knowledge of the local health system, help to better connect those people to primary care providers compared to written information alone? Researchers will compare giving participants the name of a provider that is accepting new patients in their area, to only giving participants existing information on how to find a provider, to see if giving the name of a provider accepting new patients works better to help people get connected to a provider. Participants will: * Get the name of a primary care provider in their area who is accepting new patients or get existing information on how to find a primary care provider. * Call the provider to try and get an appointment or use the information given to find a provider. * Tell the study team if they have found a provider.

This is a Health Canada regulated internal pilot study designed to assess the feasibility, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine hydrochloride capsules-AT for chronic neuropathic pain to inform a larger, fully powered multi-center study. This is an interventional, randomized, 2-arm parallel, triple blinded study. The total study duration is 2 years. Participants will receive preparatory psychotherapy session during week 2 and week 4 followed by a combined single dosing session with psychotherapy during week 6. Integrative psychotherapy will follow at weeks 6, 8, 12, and 16. Follow up for primary clinical endpoint at week 16; final follow up for secondary clinical endpoint at 16-weeks. Participants will be asked to complete adjunctive home psychotherapy in the form of online modules. Data collected will be entered in electronic case report form (REDCap Academic).

This randomized controlled trial (RCT) will determine if access to a voucher for healthy foods reduces blood sugar levels among people living on a low income who have type 2 diabetes or elevated blood sugar.

To help reach the undiagnosed living with HIV and/or syphilis in Canada, self-tests for HIV and Syphilis may have substantial utility for increased identification of infected individuals through their relative ease of use and portability, as well as their ability to deliver rapid, actionable results while the care provider still has access to the patient. MedMira Laboratories Inc. (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada) has developed a point-of-care (POC) test to detect HIV and Syphilis antibodies in fingerstick blood samples that is under final review by Health Canada for use by trained Healthcare professionals. A self-test version of this test, with simplified instructions for use has been developed for investigational studies. The goal of the following study sponsored by REACH Nexus is to provide evidence that untrained lay persons / intended users can perform the Multiplo Tp/HIV Self-Test without any increased risk of obtaining erroneous results.

The goal of this project is to assess the efficacy of Brief-Skills for Safer Living (Brief-SfSL) in a randomized control trial. The investigators will be testing 150 participants Canada-wide, half of which will be randomized to receive Brief-SfSL (B-TAU) and the other half will be randomized to receive Brief-SfSL after a 3 month waitlist (WL-TAU). The main questions this study seeks to answer are: * Is B-TAU more efficacious than WL-TAU for reducing suicidal thoughts at 3 months? * Is B-TAU more efficacious than WL-TAU at 3 months for reducing depression severity, anxiety, and anhedonia? * Is B-TAU more efficacious than WL-TAU at 3 months for improving social connectedness, emotional regulation, functioning (work, life, social), executive control and social problem-solving? * Are adverse events equivalent between B-TAU and WL-TAU at 3 months?