Neurology & Neurosciences Clinical Research

What Is the Purpose of the Study?

Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital are studying the relationship between cognitive difficulties (difficulties with thinking) after a concussion and a child’s brain waves while they are sleeping.

Who Can Take Part in the Study?

You can participate if you:

• Are 13- to 18-years-old
• Have not had a concussion in the last 12 months
• Do not have a diagnosis of ADHD or learning disability

What Will Happen During the Study?

Eligible participants will complete one to two in-person visits at Nationwide Children’s. They will:

• Participate in 45 minutes of cognitive testing
• Complete a 90-minute EEG (brain wave test) during a nap
• Take surveys lasting about 20 minutes
• Keep a log of their sleep for one week

Will We Be Paid for the Study?

Yes, families will be paid for taking part in the study.

For more information or to enroll your child, contact Noor Qureshi at (614) 722-8417 or Noorsohail.Qureshi@NationwideChildrens.org

Principal Investigator: Sean Rose, MD

What Is the DRIVE Study?

• The DRIVE study compares three scheduling models of outpatient phyical therapy.

• The goal is to find out the most effective ‘dose’ of phyical therapy for young children with significant gross motor delays.

Who Can Participate?

Your child may be eligible if he or she:

• Is 6-24 months of age

• Has a diagnosis of cerebral palsy or severe motor delay

• Is able to participate in 2-hour outpatient physical therapy sessions and attend visits consistently

What Is the Treatment?

• This study compares 3 scheduling models of outpatient physical therapy - 5 days a week, 3 days a week, or 1 time a week.

• Physical therapy is provided as 2-hour, one-on-one sessions with a highly qualified, licensed physical therapist at one of the Nationwide Children’s Hospital outpatient settings.

• All families also receive monthly physical therapy consultations with a licensed physical therapist and a personalized home exercise program.

• RISKS: There are no known additional risks of participation in this study beyond the risks of participation in standard outpatient physical therapy. Risks will be discussed fully with each family prior to enrollment.

• COST: Insurance will be billed for each outpatient physical therapy visit. Monthly physical therapy consultations will be provided by the research study. Details will be discussed prior to enrollment.

How Do I Get More Information?

• For more information please call (614) 572-5446 or email DRIVE@osumc.edu

The proposed study is a Phase III trial powered to determine efficacy of two different doses of I-ACQUIRE for children 8 to 36 months old with PAS and hemiparesis. The design is a prospective Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) in which 240 children will be randomly assigned to one of 3 treatment groups (N=80 per group): 1) Moderate Dose I-ACQUIRE (3 hrs/day, 5 day/wk X 4 wks), 2) High Dose I-ACQUIRE (6hrs/day, 5 days/wk X 4 wks), or 3) Usual and Customary Treatment (U&CT). I-ACQUIRE will be delivered by protocol-trained therapists and monitored weekly for dosage and treatment fidelity; U&CT will be provided by community therapists with dosage and approaches documented weekly. All primary and secondary efficacy outcomes rely on blinded assessments at baseline, end of treatment, and 6 mos post-treatment. Exploratory outcomes and supplemental clinical measures may provide valuable additional data about development and health in this sample of children with PAS.

For more information about the I-ACQUIRE trial for infants with hemiplegic cerebral palsy due to perinatal arterial ischemic stroke visit NIH Stroke Net or ClinicalTrials.gov.

Click here to visit the I-ACQUIRE trial national center.

What Is the Purpose of the Study?

Researchers want to learn why youth athletes retire from contact sports after concussion(s) and the effects of this decision on the individual and the family.

Who Can Take Part in the Study?

Youth athletes aged 14-22 who stopped playing contact sports due to prior concussion(s), and one parent, may be eligible for this study.

What Will Happen During the Study?

Participants will complete a few short online surveys and one 30-minute phone or video interview.

Will We Be Paid for the Study?

Participants will be compensated for their time.

To learn more, visit https://redcap.nchri.org/surveys/?s=NKTNXLC4WCJMLTP4 or

contact Natasha Hacker at Natasha.Hacker@NationwideChildrens.org or

(614) 722-1389.

Principal Investigator: Sean Rose, MD

Below you will find some basic information about spinal anesthesia (SA) for your child's surgery, including its benefits. While your child is here at Nationwide Children's Hospital, your child's safety and comfort is our primary concern, so please don't hesitate to contact us if you should have any questions that are not answered below.

How a Spinal Anesthetic Works:

• Your anesthesiologist will speak with you about general anesthesia (going to sleep) as compared to spinal anesthesia before the surgery.

• A numbing medicine will be placed on your child’s back to prevent pain associated with the needle.

• When your child is taken into the operating room he/she will be safely placed in the sitting position and comforted by one of our outstanding nursing staff.

• A small needle is used to inject numbing medicine into the back. It is a one-time injection that is very safe, because it is injected well below where the spinal cord is located. This will numb your child from the belly button down. The procedure usually takes less than a minute.

• An IV is placed for safety in one of your child’s feet. He/she will not feel it, because at that point the legs and feet are completely numb.

• While your child is having the operation, he/she is “awake”, but most children are so comfortable that they fall asleep.

• If needed, a small amount of sedation can be given for comfort. We have found that this is rarely needed.

• After the surgery, your child will be taken to the recovery room for a short time. Most children are able to go home very shortly after the procedure, unless an overnight stay is suggested by your surgeon or anesthesiologist.

• General anesthesia is almost never required, but is always available as a backup plan

Benefits of Spinal Anesthesia Over General Anesthesia:

• Your child will not need to go to sleep using the traditional method (falling asleep with a mask) and will not need a breathing device (such as a breathing tube). General anesthetics are drugs that keep your child’s whole body asleep.

• Opiates (drugs like morphine) are almost never required.

• Due to the lack of need for general anesthetics and/or opiates, your child will not have his/her breathing depressed after the procedure and will recover much faster.

• Spinal anesthesia provides excellent, long lasting pain control. Most children that have spinal anesthesia only require Tylenol after surgery.

• Your child will be able to eat or breastfeed much sooner than if he/she had general anesthesia.

• Spinal anesthesia carries much less risk than general anesthesia, especially in young children or children with significant medical problems.

Safety of Spinal Anesthesia:

• Spinal anesthesia is very safe. As with any needle procedure (even vaccinations), there is a small risk of bleeding and/or infection. This risk is extremely small and every precaution is taken to ensure safety.

• The risk of other complications is much lower with spinal anesthesia. This includes low blood pressure, problems with the heart or breathing problems. 

What Is the Purpose of the Study?

The goal of this study is to understand more about Sturge-Weber Syndrome and the possible treatments for this disease.

Many important clinical questions about SWS remain unanswered or controversial. For example, how does family history impact the clinical manifestation of the individual affected by SWS? What pregnancy exposures or factors occur with increased frequency in individuals with SWS? Which patients would be best served by a hemispherectomy? The answers to these and other questions will eventually be addressed with the aid of the consortium database.

Who Can Participate in the Study? 

You or your child have Sturge-Weber Syndrome brain involvement

What Will Happen During the Study? 

Those participating in the database part of the study will be asked to complete a questionnaire and review their answers at their next appointment with a doctor who cares for SWS.

Who Can I Contact for More Information? 

Warren Lo, (614) 722-4625 or Warren.Lo@NationwideChildrens.org