View clinical trials related to Problem Behavior.
Filter by:To conduct a randomized controlled trial of School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, which is a school-based prevention program aimed at reducing behavior problems in children.
The purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness of two parenting programs in a mental health clinic serving young children with behavior problems.
MAN-BIOPSY pursues the concrete research question whether novel biological and psycho-physiological clusters or categories can be defined to improve treatment and minimize side effects in psychiatry, based on a synopsis of physiological, behavioural, genetic and endocrinological parameters. One major aspect of our research approach is its focuses on the identification of dysfunctions in fundamental information processing mechanisms and neurocomputational mechanisms, and is not restricted to symptom-oriented tasks. The main objectives of MAN-BIOPSY are therefore - to identify biological and psycho-physiological parameters for major depressive disorders and anxiety disorders, and - to identify predictive markers for treatment response and type/severity of side effects for these disorders.
Study rationale: Sensory/behavioural elements of smoking play a role in smoking behaviour and may have a potential to assist smoking cessation. Among current treatments for smokers, only the nicotine inhalator is attempting to address such factors. The inhalator's efficacy does not exceed that of the other nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products, but it mimics the relevant sensory input to only a limited extent, and its nicotine delivery is dependent on intensive puffing. Recently a new product, the Electronic Cigarette (E-C) has become available, which provides a more realistic behaviour and sensory replacement for smoking and can provide good nicotine levels with less effort. Primary objective: To compare E-C and nicotine inhalator in their effects on tobacco withdrawal symptoms over 24hr abstinence. Hypotheses: E-C will be more effective than the inhalator in reducing withdrawal symptoms and craving and elicit more favorable user ratings. It will also provide higher nicotine levels. Study design: In a cross-over study, participants will be randomized to the sequence of conditions and provide baseline measures and samples for salivary cotinine analysis. They will be asked to abstain from smoking their usual cigarettes and use the allocated product over 24 hours. They will return to the study centre the following day, and complete measures of craving and withdrawal, ratings of subjective and sensory effects of the products, product satisfaction, and adverse effects. They will also provide saliva samples for cotinine analysis. Abstinence from smoking will be verified with CO readings.
The overall goal of this project is to identify intermediate phenotypes for psychosis across the schizophrenia and bipolar disorders boundary with implications for future genetic studies. Recent studies provide considerable evidence that schizophrenia and psychotic bipolar disorder may share overlapping etiologic determinants. Identifying disease-related genetic effects is a major focus in schizophrenia and bipolar research, with enormous implications for diagnosis and treatment for these two disorders. Efforts have been multifaceted, with the ultimate goal of describing causal paths from specific genetic variants, to changes in neuronal functioning, to altered brain anatomy, to behavioral and functional impairments. Parallel efforts have identified and refined several alternative endophenotypes that are stable, heritable, have (partly) known biological substrates, and are associated with psychosis liability. Although many such endophenotypes have been individually studied in schizophrenia, and to a lesser extent in bipolar disorder, no study has comprehensively assessed a broad panel of these markers in the two disorders with parallel recruitment, and the extent to which they mark independent aspects of psychosis risk, or their overlap in the two disorders. In this research project, we will examine a broad panel of putative endophenotypes in affected individuals and their first degree, biological relatives in order to: 1) characterize the degree of familial phenotypic overlap between schizophrenia and psychotic bipolar disorders; 2) identify patterns of endophenotypes unique to the two disorders; and, 3) contrast the heritability of endophenotypes across the disorders. We will obtain measures of neurophysiology (e.g., eye tracking, P50 gating, PPI, and P300), neurocognition (e.g., attention/vigilance, episodic and working memory), and brain structure (e.g., volumes of gray and white matter in specified brain regions). Blood samples will also be collected and stored for formal DNA linkage analyses using the independent phenotypes identified above. All volunteers will also be given the option to donate dermal biopsies for future research studies. Establishing similarities and differences in the endophenotypic signatures within schizophrenia and bipolar families will provide important insights for future genetic studies, and clarify concepts about common and distinct aspects of pathophysiology, potentially meaningful heterogeneity with disorders, and the clinical boundaries of the two most common psychotic disorders in adult psychiatry. This line of investigation will potentially impact our conceptualization of psychotic disorders, help us make critical strides to identify the pathophysiology of psychosis, and guide development of new specific treatments targeting particular deficits.
Postpartum depression (PPD) is undertreated and the consequences of this are substantial for women and children. Studies show that infant cry/fuss and sleep behavior are associated with PPD, and that parenting interventions can change infant behavior, yet these findings have never been applied to PPD. In this study, the investigators are teaching parenting skills to increase infant nocturnal sleep and reduce fuss/cry behavior to women likely to develop PPD to see if the investigators can prevent the onset of this disorder.
Projections from epidemiological studies suggest that, among the Western adult population, one in three will present a cerebrovascular accident (stroke), severe cognitive disorders, or both. To better diagnose the Vascular Cognitive Impairment, new standards were developed by a North America working group which are under validation. It is essential to adapt these standard for French-speaking population, and especially to define cutoff scores of the cognitive battery to determine cognitive deficit. The investigators propose a study coordinated by the University-Hospital of Amiens for french speaking centers. This study will investigate this battery with 906 controls to define the standards and 302 stroke affected patients to define the frequency and cognitive mechanisms. This step is essential for people to benefit from these new standards.
Among HIV-infected individuals, non-injection drug use (NIDU) is associated with poor HIV medication adherence, greater HIV/AIDS risk behaviors, and increasing non-AIDS mortality. Thus reducing NIDU among HIV infected individuals is critical to their survival and to limiting the spread of HIV. We propose to study the efficacy of a technologically enhanced brief intervention (HealthCall) to reduce NIDU in HIV primary care patients that demands little from busy medical staff and is well accepted by patients. In a 3-arm randomized clinical trial will test the efficacy of (a) Motivational Interviewing (MI)+HealthCall; (b) MI-only; and (c) a control condition (advice + DVD HIV health education) in reducing NIDU.
Toddlers (2- to 3-year-old children) in foster care often have difficulty regulating behavior and biology, and are at risk for a host of mental health problems. Critical issues for toddlers straddle the challenges of infancy and preschool years. In particular, toddlers in foster care face significant challenges in forming new attachment relationships and developing behavioral and biological regulatory capabilities. This project will assess the effectiveness of an intervention that targets these issues. Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up for Toddlers in Foster Care (ABC-T) was developed to help parents: provide nurturing care so that children develop secure, trusting relationships; and supporting children when they become overwhelmed that enhance children's ability to regulate behavior and biology. This intervention's effectiveness will be assessed in a randomized clinical trial.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common reproductive disorders affecting 5-10% of women of reproductive age. Beside impairments on reproductive functions (oligomenorrhea/amenorrhea), it also affects metabolism (insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular risk) and psychology (increased anxiety, depression and eating disorders). Recently, several studies have shown that there is an increased risk of mood disorders in women with PCOS, with major depression and bipolar disorder as the most frequent diagnosis. Myo-inositol is classified as a member of the vitamin B complex and it works as a second messenger system of several neurotransmitter receptors; furthermore, inositol, when administrated at pharmacological doses, crosses the blood-brain barrier. Studies from the 90s showed that inositol, alone or in combination with other antidepressant drugs (mainly serotonin reuptake inhibitors), is able to induce improvement of the Hamilton depression rating Scale. Recently, inositol has been proposed as treatment to improve clinical, metabolic and endocrinal status in PCOS patients. Administration of myo-inositol to PCOs patients resulted in several beneficial effects, such as decrease of circulating insulin and serum total testosterone as well as a restored ovulation. In this proposed study, the investigators aim to evaluate in a double blind randomized trial whether inositol alone has beneficial effects on mental health disorders associated with PCOs. In particular, 60 women in reproductive age that will be diagnosed of PCOs, according to Rotterdam 2003 criteria, will be recruited and randomly assigned to the inositol or placebo group. Both groups will go through ultrasonic evaluation of the ovaries and serum hormonal levels (FSH, LH, testosterone, estradiol and insulin) will be evaluated. Furthermore, with the help of psychiatrics, patients will be interviewed in order to test the presence of any mental health disorders using validated tests such as: Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), Short Form of Mc Gill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ). Women assigned to the inositol group will receive 12g of inositol during the day in three different administrations for a period of 4weeks. At the end of treatment period patients will be interviewed by psychiatrics and will go through ultrasonic evaluation of the ovaries and hormonal levels will be tested