There are about 25560 clinical studies being (or have been) conducted in Germany. The country of the clinical trial is determined by the location of where the clinical research is being studied. Most studies are often held in multiple locations & countries.
This project aims to develop and evaluate an online intervention to prevent and/or reduce self-stigma in German patients with visible chronic skin diseases. Evaluation of the intervention with regard to effectiveness and feasibility will follow an open-label randomized controlled design with 550 patients in total. The results of the program are expected to provide new insights and markedly extended knowledge on the mechanisms of self-stigma in chronic skin conditions. The new online intervention can be used in routine care, aiming for better patient care in practice and, ultimately decreased extent of self-stigma, increased quality of life of patients, and decreased rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide ideation.
EASThigh-AFNET 11 is an international, prospective, randomized, open, blinded endpoint assessment, multicenter trial (Treatment Strategy trial). The objective of EASThigh-AFNET 11 is to investigate whether early atrial fibrillation ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and a high comorbidity burden (CHA2DS2-VASc ≥4) reduces cardiovascular events (stroke, cardiovascular death, or heart failure events) compared to usual care.
The Cohort on Plant-based Diets (COPLANT) study is a multi-centre cohort study that starts baseline recruitment from 2024 to 2027 with approximately 6,000 participants in Germany and Austria. The COPLANT study focuses on vegan (no animal products), vegetarian (no meat and fish, but dairy products and eggs), pescetarian (no meat, but fish) and omnivorous (mixed diet including all possible animal products) diets. The aim of the COPLANT study is to gain new insights on health benefits and risks as well as social, ecological and economic effects of different plant-based diets in comparison to a mixed diet. In addition to a detailed dietary survey using an app adapted to the needs of this study, the baseline examination includes measurements of body composition, bone health, cardiovascular risk factors, diabetes risk, contaminants and lifestyle. For the basic laboratory program, fasting blood, 24-hour urine collection and a stool sample are taken from all study participants. Furthermore, specific aspects of dietary behavior, physical activity and other lifestyle factors are collected via questionnaires. Follow-up studies are planned at intervals of 5, 10 and 20 years after the baseline visit.
Background: Chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH) is a type of intracranial bleeding, predominantly affecting the elderly and males, with an estimated incidence of 8/100.000. The collection of subdural fluid expands slowly, leading eventually to brain tissue compression that results in neurological impairment such as seizures, cognitive decline, and paresis. Most patients need neurosurgical evacuation of the blood to improve and to prevent further, possibly permanent deterioration. Evidently, the cause of such a bleeding must be investigated and if possible treated, or preventive strategies need to be installed if possible. Spinal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks are a known cause of cSDH but are widely underdiagnosed in this population. The spinal CSF leak causes CSF loss that leads to intracranial hypotension, expansion of intracerebral veins, and traction to the brain and the surrounding tissues. A cSDH is a severe complication of such a leak and occurs in about 30% of all cases with a predominance among the elderly. It is crucial to identify these patients with a spinal leak as treatment pathways differ essentially from patients without a leak. Some smaller studies indicated a prevalence of spinal CSF leaks among cSDH patients of 30% to 80% depending on selection criteria (age, extend of cSDH). Notably, the entity of the CSF-venous fistula, that has been discovered as recent as 9 years ago, and that by now is accounting for 20-25% of all spinal leaks, has not been considered in previous research on cSDH and spinal CSF leaks. Currently, there is no prospective data on spinal CSF leaks in patients with cSDH. Establishment of such data is crucial to improve diagnostic and therapeutic algorithms for spinal CSF leaks in patients with cSDH. Objective: To prospectively assess the prevalence of spinal CSF leaks in patients with cSDH Methods: This is a prospective observational, monocentric study on patients admitted due to cSDH to the Department of Neurosurgery at the Medical Center of the University of Freiburg. Treatment and diagnostic procedures will follow standard protocols. The number of spinal CSF leaks will be assessed to generate the prevalence of spinal CSF leaks in this patient cohort. Furthermore, clinical data, the specific type of the CSF leak, and imaging parameters are assessed systematically to estimate the diagnostic value of these measures.
Differential diagnosis between Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome (UWS) and Minimally Conscious State (MCS) is complicated due to severe cognitive and/or sensorimotor deficits in these patients. In this study the investigators aimed at exploring the diagnostic and prognostic validity of spontaneous eye blinking parameters (rate, amplitude, duration, variability) in a sample of patients with Disorders of Consciousness (DoC). This is a multi-center prospective observational study conducted in patients with Severe Acquired Brain Injury (sABI) and DoC admitted to 8 European participating centers, with clinical data collection not deviating from routine practice. The study is non-commercial and will have a maximum total duration of 24 months.
Sleep-related breathing disorders are highly prevalent and are usually treated with positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy. To determine the quality of therapy, PAP therapy devices measure the frequency of residual breathing events. For this purpose, breathing events of different classes are detected, counted and identified. This clinical investigation aims to evaluate the performance of prismaLINE devices based on the accuracy of the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) recorded in the devices. During the PAP titration night, the AHI is similarly detected via polysomnography (PSG) device and a subsequent manual scoring of the recorded PSG data. The validation of the device AHI accuracy refers to the alignment with the manually scored AHI. Further goals of this clinical investigation are the confirmation of safety of the prismaLINE devices, the confirmation of performance and safety of LM full face masks (full face masks of the manufacturer Löwenstein Medical Technology), as well as the investigation of the influence of LM full face masks on therapy quality. The most relevant inclusion criteria are diagnosis of a sleep-related breathing disorder and indication for therapy with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Treatment takes place with prismaLINE PAP therapy devices in combination with LM full face masks.
The fluid handling capacity of superabsorbent dressings varies depending on the design and construction. The use of effective advanced wound dressings is a promising strategy to achieve adequate absorption of wound exudate and malodour promoting wound healing. The aim of the current study is to determine whether there is a difference in the clinical performance of exudate absorption with two commonly used CE-marked superabsorbent dressings when used on VLUs in routine wound care. As primary objective the dressing´s absorption performance and its ability to prevent skin maceration and leakage of the wound dressing will be investigated.
The goal of this randomized clinical trial is to investigate whether pressurized intraperitoneal chemotherapy (PIPAC), delivered immediately after minimally invasive D2 gastrectomy and repeated 6-8 weeks later, improves 12-month peritoneal disease-free survival in patients with high-risk gastric adenocarcinoma when compared to standard treatment.
Rationale: The low organ donation rate in Germany is associated with the inadequate identification of patients at risk of developing irreversible loss of brain function (ILBF; i.e. brain death). An automated digital screening tool, DETECT (AutomateD ScrEening for Clinically AscerTainEd Loss of Cerebral FuncTions in Patients with Severe Brain Damage), has been developed to prospectively identify intensive care patients who are at risk of developing ILBF. Objective: The objective of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an automated digital screening tool in the identification of patients with severe brain damage who are at risk of impending ILBF compared to standard practice without digital support. Study design: Stepped-Wedge, multicenter, cluster-randomized, controlled trial Study population: The study includes patients aged 18 years or older with primary and/or secondary acute brain damage, requiring mechanical ventilation, and who are deceased upon hospital discharge. Intervention: DETECT periodically processes real-time data from the corresponding electronic medical record system to screen for a combination of coma, indicated by a Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale (RASS) score of - 4 or - 5 or Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 6-3, along with manually assessed absence of bilateral pupillary light reflexes. Both findings are considered early indicators of impending ILBF. In case of positive screening results, an automated notification will be sent via the hospital's email server to the corresponding transplant coordinators and intensivists. The email sent aims to prompt clinical assessment of the reported patient and, if necessary, initiate a guideline-based ILBF examination. Primary study endpoint: The primary endpoint is the identification of patients who eventually develop ILBF during hospitalization. Secondary study endpoints: Secondary outcomes encompass the missed identification of potential ILBF cases (as retrospectively classified) and the rate of deceased organ donations. Upon completion of the study, a survey will be conducted to investigate the stakeholders' experiences with DETECT.
This pilot study will test a digital care planning decision support system for patients with dementia.