Clinical trials

This study is a randomized controlled field experiment embedded in the medical institution Early Diagnosis Program in Chile. Participants with two exams pending (a cancer screening test and a chronic disease test for diabetes and dyslipidemia) will be randomly assigned across a 3 × 3 factorial design: three message framing conditions (Basic, Risk/Importance, Peace of Mind) crossed with three exam-type conditions (cancer screening only, chronic disease test only, or both exams). Participants with only a cancer screening pending will be assigned to the 3 framing conditions and be encouraged to get the cancer screening. In both cases, participants are assigned to each experimental arm at twice the rate of an additional arm receiving the standard message currently used by the medical institution. This standard-message arm is included for operational purposes, is not part of the pre-specified analyses, and is thus not described in the "Arms and Intervention" section (or counted for "number of arms").

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of NeoMayor, a mobile health (mHealth) intervention designed to improve cardiovascular health among older adults at elevated cardiovascular risk in Chile. NeoMayor is a smartphone-based application that provides personalized guidance on physical activity, diet, sleep, and mental well-being through a multidomain lifestyle approach. This multicenter randomized controlled trial will enroll community-dwelling older adults aged 55 to 75 years recruited from primary healthcare centers in urban and rural settings. Participants will be randomized in a 2:1 ratio to either the NeoMayor intervention or a control group receiving standard health information and usual care. The intervention duration will be four months. The primary objective is to determine whether the NeoMayor intervention improves cardiovascular health as measured by the Life's Essential 8 Cardiovascular Health Index. Secondary objectives include evaluating changes in cognitive performance, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, quality of life and physical performance outcomes. The study will also assess feasibility and adherence to digital intervention.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if omega-3 fatty acid supplements (n-3 PUFAs) can help reduce inflammation and promote intestinal healing in adults newly diagnosed with celiac disease (CD). Celiac disease is a chronic autoimmune disorder where eating gluten-a protein found in wheat-triggers an immune response that damages the lining of the small intestine. This damage causes inflammation and symptoms such as stomach pain, diarrhea, and nutrient absorption problems. The only current treatment is a strict gluten-free diet (GFD), which can help most people recover, but some continue to have inflammation and symptoms. This study will test whether supplementing with 2.4 grams of n-3 PUFAs daily for three months, alongside starting a gluten-free diet, reduces inflammation in the blood and intestine more effectively than the gluten-free diet alone. Participants will: Be adults recently diagnosed with celiac disease who have not yet started a gluten-free diet Be randomly assigned to one of two groups: One group will receive omega-3 supplements containing 2,400 mg of n-3 PUFAs daily (2,000 mg DHA and 400 mg EPA) The other group will receive a placebo (a pill with no active ingredients that looks like the supplement) Take the assigned supplement every day for 3 months while following a supervised gluten-free diet Visit the clinic regularly for checkups, blood tests, and monitoring of symptoms and diet adherence Provide blood and stool samples before and after the intervention to measure inflammation and changes in gut bacteria A subgroup of participants will undergo small intestinal biopsies to assess local inflammation and healing The study aims to answer these main questions: Does omega-3 supplementation change the fatty acid composition in blood cells? Does it reduce markers of inflammation in the blood and small intestine? Does it improve the diversity and health of gut bacteria in the intestine? Does it help the small intestine heal faster compared to diet alone? Researchers will measure inflammation by analyzing immune signaling pathways, oxidative stress markers, and antioxidant activity in blood cells. They will also study the composition of the gut microbiota and its metabolites. These detailed measurements will help understand how omega-3 fatty acids may influence the immune response and gut health in celiac disease. This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study. This means participants and researchers will not know who receives the supplement or placebo during the study period, reducing bias and improving the reliability of the results. This study is important because it could offer a simple, additional treatment to improve recovery in celiac disease beyond the gluten-free diet. If omega-3 supplements are shown to reduce inflammation and support healing, they could become a valuable part of managing this chronic condition. Participation is voluntary, and participants can leave the study at any time without affecting their medical care. All participants will be closely monitored to ensure safety throughout the study.

This study evaluates the effectiveness of price discounts in encouraging patients to schedule dental check-ups. Patients will be randomized to receive WhatsApp messages offering a preventive dental check-up at different price levels with or without a discount coupon for future dental treatments.

The goal of this clinical trial is to study whether physical therapy can reduce NLRP3 inflammasome activation and muscle atrophy in patients with critical illness myopathy (CIM). It will also explore the role of NLRP3 inflammasome in the pathophysiology of CIM. The main questions this study aims to answer are: Is NLRP3 inflammasome activation associated with muscle atrophy through the upregulation of atrogenes? Does physical therapy attenuate NLRP3 inflammasome activation in skeletal muscle, thereby contributing to the prevention or reduction of muscle atrophy in CIM? Researchers will compare enhanced physical therapy using servo-assisted bed cycling (Motomed Letto®) in critically ill patients at risk of developing CIM during the early phase of ICU stay to conventional physical therapy (standard physiotherapy), to assess whether physical therapy reduces NLRP3 inflammasome activation and muscle degradation. Participants will: Be randomized to receive either conventional physical therapy or enhanced physical therapy (Motomed Letto®) for 7 consecutive days. A control group of patients without CIM will also be included. Undergo assessments of NLRP3 activity, muscle atrophy markers, and transcriptomic profiles from serum and vastus lateralis muscle biopsies. Be clinically evaluated using the SOFA scale and muscle ultrasound for CIM diagnosis. Be followed up for changes in muscle strength and physical functionality. Provide sociodemographic and clinical information to be recorded throughout the study.

The goal of this observational study is to examine JAK1/2 pathway activation in gingival tissues from adults with healthy gingiva and those with inflamed gingiva (periodontitis). The main question it aims to answer is: Is the JAK1/2 pathway overactivated in periodontitis compared to health? Participants with healthy gingiva and periodontitis will donate gingival tissue to study the JAK1/2 pathway. All participants wil receive diagnosis and treatment of the gingival condition.

The goal of this observational study is to determine whether macrophage/monocyte mediated inflammatory signaling contributes to reduced anesthetic requirements in older adults undergoing major abdominal surgery. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Is there a difference in anesthetic dosing requirements (minimum effective dose) between young and older patients undergoing major abdominal surgery? * How do electroencephalographic (EEG) signatures under anesthesia correlate with age and systemic inflammatory markers? * Is there an association between age, levels of circulating inflammatory cytokines, and monocyte/macrophage phenotypes with anesthetic requirements? If there is a comparison group: Researchers will compare older adult patients undergoing major abdominal surgery to younger adult patients undergoing major abdominal surgery to see if macrophage/monocyte-mediated inflammatory signaling influences anesthetic sensitivity and the risk of postoperative neurocognitive complications in the older population. Participants will: * Receive general anesthesia for major abdominal surgery, with continuous recording of anesthetic dose requirements. * Undergo electroencephalographic (EEG) monitoring during the anesthetic period. * Provide blood samples for the measurement of circulating inflammatory cytokines and the assessment of monocyte phenotypes. * Provide peritoneal tissue samples (collected during surgery) to evaluate tissue macrophage populations. * Provide cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples to assess biomarkers of blood-brain barrier permeability.

Two decades ago, the projection of recovery of the upper extremity (UE) after a stroke had a very poor prognosis worldwide. Nowadays, thanks to medical advances and early rehabilitation, the prognosis for recovery has improved; however, there is still a limit that no therapy has been able to overcome, related to spontaneous recovery as part of the natural evolution of the pathophysiological process, rather than with the contribution of rehabilitation. Additionally, existing therapies show partial effectiveness on the recovery of UE function, but do not avoid the use of compensatory strategies or alternatives to normal movement. Given this situation, there is an active search for new therapeutic approaches. In this clinical trial the investigators propose a rehabilitation paradigm that promotes the recovery of control of specific planes of movement through the selective restriction of degrees of freedom, simplifying control demands. The investigators sought to test the hypothesis that people with stroke in the early subacute stage and who present alterations in the movement of the upper extremity, a rehabilitation protocol that reduces the degrees of freedom of the UE and trunk, enables greater recovery of the movement of the UE and less use of compensatory movements compared to a protocol without DoF control. The general objective is to demonstrate the effect of training with restriction of the degrees of freedom of UE and trunk, mediated by an exoskeleton and videogames, on the control of the UE.

The goal of this observational study is to determine the relationship between brain activity patterns and recovery time in adult patients (ages 35-50, ASA I-II) undergoing elective general anesthesia. The main question it aims to answer is: \- Does a lower magnitude of intraoperative alpha wave power correlate with a longer time for patients to emerge from general anesthesia? Participants will: * Undergo a standardized general anesthesia (GA) protocol for elective surgery. * Have their EEG activity recorded using a standard clinical BIS™ anesthetic depth monitor during the procedure. * Have their time to awakening precisely measured after the cessation of anesthetic gases.

The goal of this clinical trial is to determine whether remifentanil has a facilitating effect on the generation of burst suppression by propofol in adult patients (18-60 years) candidates for elective surgery who require remifentanil and American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) classification I or II. The main question it aims to answer are: • To determine whether remifentanil has a facilitating effect on the generation of burst suppression by propofol. Participants will undergo general anesthesia with remifentanil and propofol sequentially. After loss of consciousness, remifentanil will be adjusted to a medium or high concentration randomly and it will be determined at what concentration of propofol the burst suppressions are generated. Then, the concentrations of propofol that generate burst suppression associated with either a medium or high concentration of remifentanil will be compared.

The goal of this observational study is to learn about the effect of general anesthetic on spatial memory in adults who will undergo to an elective surgery. The main question it aims to answer is: • A surgical event under general anesthesia with sevoflurane transiently impairs spatial memory in humans and induces an increase in inflammatory cytokines. Participants will perform a virtual maze test and plasma samples will be taken before and after surgery.

This pilot study aims to evaluate the feasibility of implementing immersive virtual reality (VR) in cognitive rehabilitation for adults with post-stroke cognitive impairment receiving outpatient therapy. Participants will use a head-mounted display and interactive software to engage in gamified cognitive exercises that simulate memory, attention, and executive function tasks. The intervention consists of 10 sessions, delivered two to three times per week over a period of approximately four weeks. The study will assess multiple feasibility indicators, including the recruitment rate based on eligibility criteria, the safety and tolerability of VR sessions for participants, and the usability and satisfaction reported by occupational therapists administering the intervention. Additionally, exploratory outcomes include changes in global cognition and specific cognitive domains, as well as self-reported quality of life. Adverse effects related to VR use will be tracked. This pilot study will help inform the design and implementation of future, larger-scale clinical trials.

The goal of this observational study is to evaluate the feasibility and inter-rater reliability of muscle and peripheral nerve ultrasound for the early detection of ICU-acquired weakness (ICU-AW) in critically ill patients. The main questions it aims to answer are: Can ICU physical therapists consistently measure muscle and nerve ultrasound variables such as muscle thickness, cross-sectional area, pennation angle, and echogenicity in critically ill patients? Do clinical scales (MRC-SS and FSS-ICU) show inter-evaluator agreement and correlate with ultrasound findings? Participants are adult ICU patients at Clínica INDISA who are undergoing routine neuromuscular assessments by trained physical therapists. Each patient will be evaluated by three independent raters using ultrasound and standardized clinical scales. Data will be collected and analyzed to determine inter-rater reliability and correlations between clinical and imaging findings.

Anemia is a highly prevalent condition in the surgical population (1, 2). On the other hand, the oncology population is at higher risk of developing anemia due to specific treatments for the disease, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Preoperative anemia has been associated with an increased risk of postoperative morbidity and even mortality (3). Despite this, the prevalence of preoperative anemia in the Chilean oncology population has not been quantified. To answer this question, a retrospective cohort study was designed between January and December 2022 to quantify the prevalence of anemia in the surgical population of the National Cancer Institute. In addition, the impact on morbidity and mortality at 30 days, 6 months, and 1 year will be evaluated. Statistical analysis will be performed using R. Studio Version 2023.09.1+494 (2023.09.1+494).

The objective of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effect of periodontal treatment on the reduction of glycated hemoglobin levels in adult patients with concurrent type 2 diabetes mellitus and periodontitis. Non-surgical periodontal treatment and the application of a quality of life survey will be performed and then controls will be carried out for 1 year.

In a recent study, direct periarticular local anesthetic infiltration (PAI) showed a greater incidence of early quadriceps weakness (33% at 3 hours and 13% at 6 hours) than pericapsular nerve group block (PENGB) in total hip arthroplasty (THA) but, in turn, demonstrated a statistically significant better pain control. Additionally, PENGB could not completely circumvent motor compromise either, particularly at 3 hours (20% incidence), probably secondary to an injectate migration towards the femoral nerve. Posteriorly to this publication, a cadaveric trial looking into the maximum effective volume that spared the femoral nerve resulted in 13.2 mL. This newer evidence led to the design of a strategy that combines both interventions, aiming to obtain the best of them and have a solid alternative for those cases where very early mobilization is pursued. Thus, it is hypothesized that posterior PAI added to a low-volume PENGB (10mL) represents a superior alternative to PAI in terms of strength preservation and provides effective analgesia during the first 24 postoperative hours after THA.

There are several techniques for performing minimally invasive urological surgeries. Among them, laparoscopic surgery, robotic surgery, and lumboscopy are noteworthy (1). The medical literature extensively documents the impact of pneumoperitoneum a procedure involving the insufflation of the peritoneal cavity with carbon dioxide (CO2), which is essential for laparoscopic and robotic surgeries on ventilatory mechanics. As an alternative, CO2 insufflation into the retroperitoneum, as utilized in lumboscopic surgery, has been proposed. This approach is believed to exert a lesser impact on respiratory function and pulmonary mechanics. However, it is important to note that no conclusive evidence has yet been found to support this claim. Assessing the impact of lumboscopic surgery could help establish it as a viable alternative for patients with pulmonary conditions, where mechanical ventilation poses significant challenges. To explore this possibility, a physiological study was designed to compare the effects of laparoscopic and lumboscopic surgery on ventilatory mechanics.

High positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) levels required to achieve clinical benefits may increase ICP and reduce cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) in patients at risk of intracranial hypertension. However, individualizing ventilation parameters is essential for each patient. Among protective ventilation strategies, PEEP is key to preventing alveolar collapse. The PEEP level that minimizes alveolar collapse while avoiding overdistension of the pulmonary parenchyma is known as the Best PEEP. This study aims to evaluate the application of Best PEEP in cranial neurosurgery.

Endothelial dysfunction is a cardiovascular disease hallmark. After non-cardiac surgery, cardiovascular events correlate with surgical outcomes. Understanding the role of endothelial function in these events is crucial. This research aims to study endothelial function and its association with cardiovascular events.

INTRODUCTION: Mood disorders, bipolar disorder and recurrent unipolar depression, are among the most common mental health conditions worldwide. Patients with mood conditions are considered a high-risk group for cognitive impairment. Specifically, the risk estimates for developing dementia range from 1.90 to 3.02 for MDD, and 2.36 to 5.58 for mood conditions. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), is an intermediate stage between the expected cognitive decline of normal aging and the more serious decline of dementia. On the other hand, Lithium has long been recognized as the gold standard treatment for mood conditions and the eventual effect as neurocognitive agent. It has been reported that long-term treatment with lithium decreased the prevalence of dementia compared to patients not receiving lithium treatment. The prevalence of Alzheimer is lower in patients with bipolar disorder who are on chronic lithium therapy compared to those who are not, and low-dose lithium (from 300 mcgr to 50 mg/day) may provide neuroprotective benefits without significant side effects. This trace dosage is hypothesized to be sufficient to activate neuroprotective pathways while minimizing toxicity. AIM: to investigate the effect of trace dosage of lithium on cognitive function in individuals at risk of developing these conditions. Specifically, this study will randomize healthy participants and patients with mild cognitive impairment to receive either a low-dose lithium supplement (50 mg daily) or a placebo, with the primary outcome being the incidence of MCI or worsening of the preexisting MCI. HYPOTHESIS: Patients with mood conditions exposed to trace lithium dosage will have a smaller incidence of MCI or less worsening of the preexisting MCI compared with patients receiving placebo. GOALS: A)To examine the effectiveness of lithium in prevention of mild cognitive impairment in patients with the high-risk factor of preexisting mood illnesses (i.e., unipolar depression or bipolar illness). The primary outcome is incidence of newly diagnosed mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or worsening of preexisting MCI. B) To assess, in an exploratory analysis, the clinical predictors of good lithium response in this sample. These analyses will also assess lithium effects on suicide, mortality, quality of life, functional impairment, and overall medical morbidity. METHODOLOGY: The study will be double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial. Patients will be recruited from two sites in Santiago, Chile, the Psychiatric Institute Dr. José Horwitz Barak and the Psychiatric Clinic of the University of Chile. Subjects aged 55 to 75 years, who present mood disorders and are not currently on lithium therapy, will be invited to participate. Inclusion Criteria are: Age 55-75, DSM-5 diagnosis of major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder (types I or II), current or lifetime, prior to participation in this study, each subject must sign an informed consent. Exclusion Criteria are: current mood treatment with lithium, alcohol dependency within the past month, current serious unstable medical conditions or history of medical illness that would contraindicate a trial of lithium, current or past severe kidney disease or baseline creatinine higher than 1.5 mg/dl, active suicidal ideation with plan and intent (Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale Screen Version (C-SSRS Screen) higher than points), current or past severe thyroid disease or baseline TSH higher than 5.0 uUI/dl, current diagnosis of dementia of any kind. Participants will be randomized into one of two arms: a trace dose lithium or placebo, each group consisting of 125 subjects. Block randomization will be stratified by diagnosis (bipolar vs MDD), gender, decade of age, and presence or absence of any baseline cognitive impairment Interventions. All participants will receive their usual clinical medical treatment during the time the study is conducted. All psychotropic medications will be allowed to be given per standard of care except lithium. The study defined randomization to lithium or placebo arms as adjuncts to other medications. Intervention arm will consist in lithium 50 mg oral tablets per day (trace doses). Control arm will consist in placebo tablet. OUTCOME: The primary outcome measure will be the incidence of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or worsening of preexisting MCI at one, three, and four years. This primary outcome will be defined as change from patients initially with a Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR) score of 0 to 0.5 (MCI) or patients initially with a score in the CDR of 0.5 that change to 1. (worsening of MCI). The primary analysis will employ a Cox regression model to analyze the time to first clinical diagnosis of MCI or worsening of MCI.

Schizophrenia patients have deficits of different degrees in several cognitive domains, impacting their social functioning and quality of life. Cognitive remediation strategies are useful to treat cognitive deficits in patients with schizophrenia. There are at least two different cognitive remediation strategies: one has a "top-down" approach, and is aimed at higher-order cognitive processes, focusing on the training of executive functions. The other one has a "bottom-up" approach, aiming to first recovering the perceptual processing alterations that may affect performance in higher-order cognitive functions. This study addresses in parallel two research questions, one of clinical interest (Are both strategies effective in improving neurocognitive performance?) and another one focused on the psychological / neurobiological mechanisms of neurocognitive remediation (Which cognitive remediation strategies are related to changes in BDNF levels?). The specific objectives are: (1) Evaluate the effectiveness of two cognitive remediation strategies. (2) Study the critical moments of neuroplasticity for each cognitive remediation strategy, observing changes in BDNF levels at the end of the intervention and 12 weeks after the intervention. (3) Identify potential clinical and/or molecular predictors (BDNF levels or val66met polymorphism) of response for each cognitive remediation strategy. For these objectives, two randomized controlled trials with two arms will be carried out in parallel, one where patients will receive cognitive remediation and another consisting of a control group (with usual treatment). The control group subjects will remain on a waiting and observation list for 10 weeks, to later enter the active arm, which will also last 10 weeks. In one of the trials the active arm will consist of cognitive remediation therapy with a "bottom-up" approach (focused on perceptual training), while in the other trial the active arm will consist of cognitive remediation with a "top-down" approach (focused on executive skills training). Neurocognitive and clinical assessments will be carried out along with the measurement of BDNF levels at four evaluation times: one at baseline, one at the end of the observation period with treatment-as-usual, another at the end of cognitive remediation, and another after a 12 week follow-up period.