Joao Pessoa

Researchers are evaluating vepugratinib, a new medicine, to see if it is safe and helpful for people with advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma, a type of bladder cancer with FGFR3 genetic changes. This Phase 3 study compares vepugratinib combined with enfortumab vedotin and pembrolizumab against a placebo combined with these same drugs. The trial is sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company and aims to assess treatment safety and effectiveness over a long period. Participants receive either vepugratinib or a placebo orally, together with enfortumab vedotin and pembrolizumab given by intravenous infusion. The study uses a double-blind, randomized design with parallel groups to compare these treatments. There is a safety lead-in phase followed by the main treatment phase, and study participation may last up to approximately 6 years. During the trial, participants will have regular assessments including monitoring for treatment-related side effects, tumor response, progression-free survival, overall survival, and quality of life using questionnaires. Researchers will collect blood samples to measure drug levels and evaluate health status at baseline and throughout the study. Safety and effectiveness outcomes will be tracked up to 90 months, with continuous monitoring to ensure participant well-being over the long-term study period.

Researchers are evaluating the feasibility of conducting a larger randomized controlled trial comparing Cognitive Functional Therapy CFT with therapeutic exercises for individuals suffering from chronic shoulder pain. This pilot study aims to identify potential barriers to participation, assess the suitability of assessment methods and outcome measures, and understand recruitment, retention, and adherence rates among participants. The study focuses on the biopsychosocial aspects of chronic shoulder pain, which affects physical function and psychological well-being. The study involves two groups one receiving Cognitive Functional Therapy through weekly individual in-person sessions lasting about 40 minutes over eight weeks, and the other performing strengthening and stretching exercises twice a week for eight weeks, with each session lasting 30 to 40 minutes. CFT addresses maladaptive cognitive, physical, and lifestyle behaviors contributing to pain, including pain education, functional training, daily activity integration, and lifestyle counseling. The exercise group focuses on targeted stretching and strengthening of shoulder-related muscles using resistance bands. Participants will undergo assessments at baseline, 4 weeks, and after 8 weeks of treatment, including measures of pain intensity, disability, self-efficacy, fear of movement, catastrophizing, sleep quality, biopsychosocial factors, treatment expectations, and functional ability. Researchers will monitor recruitment and retention rates and evaluate the acceptability of interventions. The total study duration for participants is eight weeks, during which adherence and treatment effects will be observed and recorded.

Researchers are investigating treatments for chronic shoulder pain, a condition that affects physical function and mental well-being. This study compares Cognitive Functional Therapy CFT, a physiotherapy approach addressing both physical and psychological aspects of pain, with standard therapeutic exercises. The goal is to see which approach better improves pain intensity, disability, and other related factors like sleep quality and self-efficacy. The trial is randomized and single-blinded, involving 72 adults aged 18 to 60 with chronic shoulder pain. Participants will be assigned to either CFT, receiving weekly one-hour sessions for eight weeks, or to the therapeutic exercise group, with two sessions per week lasting 40 to 60 minutes each. CFT focuses on understanding pain, controlled exposure to movements, and lifestyle changes, while the exercise group performs stretching and strengthening exercises targeting specific shoulder muscles. Participants will be evaluated at the start, halfway through 4 weeks, at the end of treatment 8 weeks, and at 12-week follow-up. Assessments include pain intensity, disability, shoulder function, self-efficacy, sleep quality, biopsychosocial factors, perception of improvement, and measures of central pain processing. This comprehensive monitoring helps researchers understand the effects of each therapy over time.

This research aims to evaluate whether cerebello-spinal direct current stimulation csDCS can improve walking ability and overall mobility in people who have chronic stroke-related gait disorders. The study also investigates the safety of this stimulation method by comparing its effects to a sham procedure, which mimics stimulation without actual impact. The trial is a phase 2 clinical study focused on stroke rehabilitation and functional mobility enhancement. Participants will receive either active csDCS or sham csDCS combined with treadmill training daily for two weeks. The csDCS device influences spinal pathways and reflex excitability to promote lasting neuroplastic changes. The sham procedure involves stopping the current after 30 seconds to create a sensation without neuromodulation. Both groups will undergo treadmill training alongside their assigned intervention. Participants will be assessed on their functional mobility before treatment, immediately after the two-week intervention, and again at a 30-day follow-up. Researchers will also measure independence level, lower limb motor function, balance, perceived changes from treatment, and spasticity at these same time points. The study uses a randomized, double-blind design to monitor outcomes and side effects during and after treatment, with total participation lasting about one month.

Researchers are studying whether trans-spinal magnetic stimulation can improve walking ability and functional mobility in adults who have chronic stroke-related gait disorders. The trial also aims to understand the safety of this stimulation technique by comparing it to a sham procedure that mimics the stimulation sounds but has no real effect. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either active trans-spinal magnetic stimulation or sham stimulation, both combined with treadmill training. This treatment is given daily for two weeks. The active stimulation works by activating spinal roots and increasing brain activity related to movement. During the study, participants will be evaluated at the start, after two weeks of treatment, and again 30 days later. Researchers will assess functional mobility, independence, lower limb motor function, balance, spasticity, sensory function, and participants perceptions of any changes. The entire study participation lasts at least 30 days after treatment completion to monitor outcomes and safety.

This research aims to evaluate the effects of an educational program on people with asthma. The study focuses on understanding how education about asthma management can impact knowledge, clinical control, and lung function. It is a randomized controlled clinical trial involving participants from the Pulmonary Function Clinic of the Department of Physiotherapy at the Federal University of Paraba. Participants are divided into two groups a control group receiving standard clinic follow-up, and an experimental group receiving an educational intervention bundle based on the 2024 Global Initiative for Asthma GINA guidelines. The educational session is a single group meeting lasting about 60 minutes, covering asthma causes, inhaler use, triggers, self-management, environmental control, and the importance of a written treatment plan and regular medical check-ups. Participants in the experimental group also receive a booklet and a diary to track medication use and healthcare visits. Participants will be assessed at the start and again 12 weeks later. Evaluations include lung function tests spirometry, asthma knowledge, inhalation therapy control, clinical asthma control using the Asthma Control Test ACT and C-ACT questionnaires, the number of asthma attacks, medication usage, hospitalizations, and emergency room visits. The study aims to measure changes in clinical asthma control and knowledge retention, along with secondary outcomes like hospital visits and lung function, to understand the interventions impact over the study period.

Researchers are evaluating the long-term safety of Deucravacitinib compared to Ustekinumab in adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. This Phase 3b4 study focuses on cardiovascular events and other health outcomes over an extended period, aiming to understand how these treatments impact patients with psoriasis who have cardiovascular risk factors. The study is led by Bristol-Myers Squibb and involves random assignment of participants to either treatment. Participants receive either Deucravacitinib or Ustekinumab at specified doses on scheduled days. The study is open-label, meaning both participants and researchers know which treatment is being given. This trial runs for up to 5 years, during which patients are monitored for cardiovascular safety and other health events related to their psoriasis treatment. Throughout the study, participants undergo regular assessments to track major cardiovascular events like heart attacks, strokes, and hospitalizations, as well as monitoring for infections, cancer, and treatment side effects. Researchers collect data on liver function and lipid levels up to 60 days after the last dose. The long-term follow-up helps evaluate safety and health outcomes over several years, with study activities continuing until early 2031.

Researchers are conducting an observational study to analyze the characteristics and care practices of patients with ovarian cancer across stages IA to IVB, including those with persistent or recurrent disease diagnosed from January 2021 onward. The study aims to evaluate current surgical procedures, systemic therapies, hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy, and referrals to geneticists, ultimately generating insights to improve treatment quality for ovarian cancer in the country. The study will include 250 patients aged 18 years or older and will collect baseline sociodemographic, clinical, pathological, and genetic testing and counseling data upon enrollment. Follow-up data will be collected at 12, 24, and 36 months to monitor treatment patterns, outcomes, and disease progression. This approach allows for assessment of both short-term and long-term effects of current care practices. Participants will provide data through medical records and genetic testing results, with no investigational treatments administered as this is an observational study. Researchers will monitor demographic and pathological characteristics, treatment descriptions, intervals of systemic therapy in metastatic disease, disease-free survival, and time to next chemotherapy over an average of three years. The study supports evaluation of ovarian cancer care over time without affecting usual patient management.