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Hello current and future volunteers! We hope this issue of “Participating in NIH Research” newsletter will be a welcome wintry treat for all of you. This issue provides insight into the world of the National Institutes of Health, offers interesting medical information, and also profiles some of the studies that are currently enrolling Healthy Volunteers.
Twin and Sibling Study
Study Number: 03-E-0099
Doctors at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are conducting pioneering research to understand the genetic and environmental risk factors that may result in autoimmune diseases. The goal of study 03-E-0099 is to assess why one twin or sibling develops disease and the other brother or sister does not. The study consists of a blood draw, urine collection and completing surveys.
Families are eligible for this study if one sibling has developed a systemic rheumatic disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, dermatomyositis, or myositis. It is not necessary for the siblings to be twins, but they must be of the same gender and be within a 3-year age difference. Healthy volunteers will serve as control subjects.
Both children and adults are eligible. There is no charge for study-related evaluations and medical tests at the NIH. Compensation provided for participants.
Anthrax Vaccine Study
Study Number: 04-CH-0283
The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development is seeking healthy men and women, ages 18-30, to participate in an investigational anthrax vaccine study (04-CH-0283) conducted at the National Institutes of Health. This vaccine is expected to be as effective as the licensed anthrax vaccine (AVA) but it is purer and should be safer.
Researchers are looking for 350 adults, who are in good health, to participate in this study. Participants will undergo a general physical exam, blood tests for chemistry and hematology; urinalysis; tests for HIV, hepatitis B and C, liver function; and a pregnancy test, if applicable.
On a random basis, patients will receive one of the vaccine formulations. Patients will receive one injection of the vaccine, administered in the left shoulder or left thigh. Patients will also receive a second and third injection of the same vaccine at 2-month intervals as well as a fourth dose one year later.
The results of this study will help in the development of improved vaccines for anthrax.
Tongue Study
Study Number: 01-CC-0044
More information on the structure and function of the human tongue is needed to develop better treatments for people with certain diseases affecting speech and swallowing. This study will use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound to examine changes in tongue volume and blood circulation during tongue exercises that require the use of different tongue muscle movements and contractions.
Researchers are looking for volunteers between 21 and 80 years old who live in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area. Candidates will be screened with a brief medical history and physical examination, including suitability for MRI testing, and a brief examination of tongue, lip and jaw movements.
If chosen for this study, patients will undergo ultrasound and MRI studies. During both tests, they will perform tongue exercises, such as holding a soft round object on the tongue or exerting tongue pressure against the back of the throat or roof of the mouth. During the ultrasound, the subject lies on a flattened dental chair. A small transducer is placed under the chin to take images of the tongue during the exercises. A thin rubber strip with air-filled pressure bulbs is attached to the roof of the mouth (with dental adhesive) to measure tongue pressure.
Can Chocolate Help Your Health?
Study Number: 05-AT-0047
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health seeks volunteers to participate in a 6-week research study evaluating the effect of dark chocolate on blood pressure and the blood's glucose and insulin levels. Participants will help researchers learn more about chocolate’s impact on hypertension and diabetes. Participants will be asked to take dark chocolate and a placebo (inactive treatment).
To participate, volunteers must be between ages 21–65 with hypertension (high blood pressure) who can be safely taken off anti-hypertensive medications. Candidates must not be taking other medications or nutritional supplements for any illnesses besides hypertension or high cholesterol. Compensation and dark chocolate will be provided. For more information, call 1-866-444-6676.
More Clinical Trials
Search for more examples of clinical trials for healthy volunteers at http://clinicalstudies.info.nih.gov/. Please type the word “Healthy” for a full listing of Healthy Volunteer opportunities.
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 Dr. Gloria Chi-Fishman received her M.A., from Kent State University, in 1971. She joined the NIH after receiving her PhD from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1996. As a Senior Investigator & Extramural Consultant for the Human Movement Disorders Section of the Physical Disabilities Branch, she leads a research team with the goal of improving the quality of life of “swallowing disabled” patients through the development of normative standards, accurate diagnostic methodologies, and sound treatment strategies.
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Q: What is the primary focus of your research?
A: The science of speech and swallowing disorders
Q: How long have you been working with healthy volunteers in your studies?
A: For nearly 9 years now – ever since I began my research career at the NIH.
Q: Is your focus primarily adult or pediatric?
A: I work with adults.
Q: What other doctors do you work with?
A: I work with 2 post doctoral fellows who help me conduct our research. We see patients both at our office in building 10 as well as the MRI rooms.
Q: How many healthy volunteers do you usually work with every year?
A: Every year, I have the honor of working with between 40–50 wonderful healthy volunteers.
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Q: Why do you think that healthy volunteers are so important for research medicine?
A: Healthy volunteers provide the normative standards for clinical research. They teach us how the human body functions normally. We are then able to use that data to derive clues and create strategies for treating individuals with disorders of the tongue and throat.
Q: What is your motto regarding research?
A: I have dedicated myself to bridging the gap between research and clinical practice by providing state of the art findings that can be used in treatment regarding swallowing disorders.
Q: What is one of your proudest memories?
A: When I received a standing ovation from my peers for initiating a project that aims at developing automated real-time computer software for diagnosing swallowing disorders.
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The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the federal government's biomedical research agency and one of the world's leading medical research organizations. The NIH Clinical Center is the research hospital located on the NIH campus in Bethesda Maryland. Currently, there are about 1000 studies being conducted on common and rare diseases. The Patient Recruitment and Public Liaison Office (PRPL) is part of the NIH Clinical Center. PRPL staff members assist patients, their families, and physicians by providing information about participating in research studies being conducted at the Clinical Center, the NIH research hospital in Bethesda, Maryland.
For More Information About Participating in Clinical Research at the NIH Clinical Center
Phone: 1-866-444-6676
TTY: 1-866-411-1010 (toll free)
E-mail: prpl@mail.cc.nih.gov
Web: www.cc.nih.gov/participate.shtml
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How to calculate your Body Mass Index
A good way to assess your weight is to calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI). Your BMI estimates whether you are at a healthy weight. Being overweight puts strain on your heart and can lead to serious health problems. These problems include type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, varicose veins, and other chronic conditions.
Your BMI estimates how much you should weigh based on your height. Here are the steps to calculate it:
- Multiply your weight in pounds by 703.
- Divide that answer by your height in inches.
- Divide that answer by your height in inches again.
For example, a woman who weighs 270 pounds and is 68 inches tall has a BMI of 41.0. |
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| Interesting Information |
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| It is impossible to list all of the discoveries made by NIH-supported investigators. More than eighty Nobel prizes have been awarded for NIH-supported research. Five of these prizes were awarded to investigators in the NIH intramural programs. The in-house discoveries have included breaking the genetic code that governs all life processes, demonstrating how chemicals act to transmit electrical signals between nerve cells, and describing the relationship between the chemical composition of proteins and how they fold into biologically active conformations. |
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| In turn, these basic research discoveries have led to greater understanding of genetically based diseases, better antidepressants, the creation of drugs specially designed to target proteins involved in particular disease processes. Long-term research has dispelled preconceptions that morbidity and dementia are a normal part of the aging process. Some cancers have been cured and deaths from heart attack and stroke have been significantly lowered. Research has also revealed that preventive strategies such as a balanced diet, an exercise program, and not smoking can reduce the need for therapeutic interventions and thus save money otherwise expended for health care. |
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| In 1887 when Dr. Joseph Kinyoun founded the Laboratory of Hygiene, from which NIH evolved, he could hardly have imagined the size and scope of the NIH's present program. As a result of the numerous scientific opportunities and policy decisions that make up the historical fabric of the NIH, this premier medical research institution is poised to foster even more significant contributions to human health in the twenty-first century. |
| —From the NIH Office of History |
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