Clinical trials

The tongue plays a key role in maintaining upper airway patency during sleep, mainly through the genioglossus, the principal pharyngeal dilator muscle. Its dysfunction may be linked to the development of obstructive sleep-disordered breathing (oSDB), a condition affecting more than one in ten children and associated with cardiovascular and cognitive consequences. Although adenotonsillectomy remains the treatment of choice, it fails in a substantial proportion of cases because of persistent obstruction at other sites, the tongue base being involved in one third of these cases. Therefore, a better characterization of the tongue in children with oSDB is needed, since the extent to which its structure and function contribute to upper airway obstruction in this population remains largely unknown. Our team has established the reproducibility of tongue function measurements in healthy children and is currently building a reference database. What is still lacking is an assessment of tongue structure and function in children with oSDB. Such data would allow comparison with healthy children, thereby improving the understanding of oSDB pathophysiology and informing clinical management. Primary objective: To describe tongue structure and function in children with oSDB. Secondary objective: To compare tongue structure and function between children with oSDB and healthy children, using data from a previous study conducted in healthy children (TMAC study, UCLouvain).

This randomized controlled trial evaluates the effects and clinical specificity of Mulligan Mobilization With Movement (MWM) in adults with grade I or II lateral ankle sprains occurring less than 6 weeks before enrollment. The primary study population consists of participants enrolled within 2 weeks of the index lateral ankle sprain. Participants with an injury occurring between 2 and less than 6 weeks before enrollment are also eligible. Approximately 110 participants will be allocated to a Mulligan MWM intervention group or a control group receiving usual-care rehabilitation without Mulligan treatment. In the intervention group, three MWM techniques targeting the inferior tibiofibular, talocrural, and cubometatarsal joints are tested in a randomized order and adapted according to the participant's immediate pain-free response. Treatment includes up to six sessions provided twice weekly. Clinical outcomes are assessed at baseline, 3 weeks, and 3 months. The primary outcomes are ankle dorsiflexion range of motion, ankle joint arthrokinematics, and pain during weight-bearing dorsiflexion.

The Iowa Oral Performance Instrument (IOPI) is currently the reference tool for assessing tongue muscle function, measuring the pressure exerted by the tongue on an air-filled bulb. However, several limitations reduce its precision and clinical relevance. To overcome these, the TOngue Manometer (TOM) has been developed. This crossover study compares the two devices in healthy adults, hypothesizing that the TOM's interface will enable participants to produce higher maximal tongue pressure and endurance values, closer to their ground truth.

Low back pain is a major health problem in primary care and is associated with a substantial clinical, economic, and societal burden. Although evidence-based recommendations are available, its management remains heterogeneous, poorly coordinated, and often characterized by overmedicalization. In this context, interprofessional collaboration has been identified as a means of improving primary care but does not necessarily ensure a shared understanding of clinical situations. Collaborative Clinical Reasoning (CCR), defined as the process of developing a shared mental model among healthcare professionals and patient partners, remains insufficiently explored in primary care. This exploratory qualitative study aims to explore the representations and definitions of Collaborative Clinical Reasoning among general practitioners, physiotherapists, and patient partners with low back pain in French-speaking Belgium. It also aims to examine how CCR is implemented in primary care practice and to identify perceived barriers and facilitators to its implementation. Data will be collected through separate focus groups involving general practitioners, physiotherapists, and patient partners with low back pain. Qualitative data will be analyzed using inductive reflexive thematic analysis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS) and the leading non-traumatic cause of neurological disability in young adults. Historically considered a T-cell-mediated disease, the paradigm for MS has shifted thanks to the efficacy of therapies targeting B cells. The investigators recently identified FCRL5 as a B-cell-specific biomarker that is significantly elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with relapsing-remitting MS and is independently associated with an increased risk of developing new MRI lesions within two years of diagnosis (ref. Deltombe et al., PMID: 41004694). This project aims to further explore FCRL5 as a prognostic biomarker, study the role of FCRL5-expressing B cells in MS pathogenesis and the effects of disease-modifying therapies on these subsets.

This study examines whether exposition to hyperbaric oxygen after a road-race simulation can help competitive cyclists recover and perform better the following day. Hyperbaric oxygen, which involves breathing oxygen inside a pressurized chamber, is used as a recovery method in elite and professional sport. Its effectiveness, however, remains controversial: despite this widespread use, there is a lack of solid scientific evidence that a single HBO session after strenuous endurance exercise actually improves recovery, or that clarifies how the amount of oxygen exposure influences any benefit. The study includes healthy male road cyclists between 18 and 40 years of age who compete at the national level in Belgium. After completing a fatiguing cycling session, each participant is randomly assigned to one of four groups receiving different levels of oxygen exposure during recovery. Two groups breathe oxygen under increased pressure inside a chamber at either 2.5 or 1.4 atmospheres absolute. A third group breathes oxygen at normal pressure. The fourth group receives a sham condition that reproduces the treatment setting without active oxygen exposure. The study is double-blind, meaning that neither the participants nor the researchers assessing the outcomes know which condition each participant receives. The main goal is to determine whether a single session of post-exercise HBO improves next-day endurance performance, and whether higher oxygen exposure produces greater effects. The researchers also collect blood samples and physiological measurements to better understand how the body recovers.

The goal of this study is to ask chronic pain patients their preferences regarding which side effects of pain medications are least acceptable in relation to their pain relief benefits. This information may help in the selection of improved treatment options in the future.

The PLACARD research project aims to investigate the impact of CPB-induced platelet modifications during cardiac surgery on the post-operative inflammatory response and bleeding complications. Our objectives are to study the impact of CPB on the formation of procoagulant platelets, to assess changes in platelet lipid profile and bioenergetics before, during and after cardiac surgery, and to connect the ex-vivo observations to post-operative clinical and biological parameters of these patients during their stay in cardiovascular intensive care unit.

As with other nutritional strategies, the clinical response to bariatric surgery can be highly variable, with weight regain being a frequent occurrence. Recent evidence on anti-obesity medication indicate similar inter-individual variability in clinical response. Among multiples factors, co-occurrence of eating disorders such as binge eating disorder has been implicated in insufficient clinical response. Improving our ability to predict how patients will respond to obesity treatment is necessary in order to tailor the care pathways we offer. The mechanisms involved in disturbances of eating behaviour before and after surgery remain largely unknown. This study aims to identify the predictive factors of weight loss after pharmacological or surgical treatment, as well as the cognitive and biological mechanisms that mediate this effect.

The goal of this observational study is to learn how the immune system responds to myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) in adults with known or suspected MPN. Researchers also want to identify immune cells that could help develop future immune-based treatments for MPN. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Are there T cells in the bone marrow that can recognize MPN cells? * Which targets (antigens) on MPN cells are recognized by these immune cells? * Can researchers identify T cell receptors (TCRs) that may be used in future TCR-based therapies? Researchers will study samples from adults with polycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET), primary myelofibrosis (PMF), post-PMF, or unclassifiable MPN. Samples from healthy donors without blood disorders will also be included for comparison. By providing blood and bone marrow samples, participants will: * Allow researchers to study immune cells and genetic material from these samples * Allow researchers to perform laboratory tests to study how immune cells recognize MPN cells Researchers will use laboratory methods such as genetic sequencing, cell analysis, and cell culture experiments to better understand immune responses in MPN. Participants will not receive direct medical benefit from this study. The results may help researchers better understand MPN and support the future development of immune-based therapies.

This study aims to investigate the beneficial effects of the daily consumption of a synbiotic formulation-combining a prebiotic (Berberine, BBR) and a postbiotic (inactivated Bifidobacterium Longum, B.longum)-in adults experiencing intestinal discomfort.

This study investigates the hypothesis that, in children, tongue motor functions can predict both the anatomical site and the degree of upper airway obstruction contributing to obstructive sleep-disordered breathing.

This study aims to investigate the effects of respiratory muscle training on tongue muscle function in healthy subjects. We hypothesize that respiratory muscle training can improve strength and endurance of the tongue muscles.

This study aims to evaluate tongue protrusion motor skills in healthy adults and to assess the reliability of these measurements as well as their validity in relation to other motor functions (handgrip and respiratory muscles).

This study aims to obtain normative values for tongue motor functions in healthy children.

Link-Up is the second Safer Consumption Room (SCMR) to open in the Brussels-Capital Region. SCMRs are public health facilities designed for people who use drugs mainly in public places. They are hygienically safe spaces where users can safely consume the products they have acquired elsewhere without moral judgment, under the supervision of specially trained professional staff. It is a risk reduction facility. Before Link-Up, two other SCMRs were opened in Belgium, including one, GATE, in the Brussels region. These first two SCMRs are currently undergoing scientific evaluation as part of the REVE-DROOM project (approved by the CEHF (2024/28MAI/276, on 06/18/2024) of the "Drugs" research program funded by BELSPO (Federal Science Policy). The present project aims to replicate the study of the effects associated with the use of SCMRs on users, as implemented in the evaluation system currently underway at GATE in the new SCMR, Link-Up, with a view to also evaluating its effects. The RELINK study is being conducted at the request of Iriscare, the bicommunal social protection OIP (Public Interests Organization) of the Brussels-Capital Region. It is a study based on a natural experiment (i.e., all Link-Up users who agree to participate in the study will be included) and measures various indicators concerning them. The measured indicators primarily concern risky consumption practices (injection, consumption in public spaces, reuse and/or sharing of consumption equipment, and other practices that endanger the health of people who use drugs). As secondary effects, the measures concern the sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the user population, drug-use profiles, level of social integration, quality of life, level of personal recovery, and care needs. The analysis of these various indicators will make it possible to describe the profile of Link-up SCS users and to compare it with that of GATE users. In addition, the study design allows for an extension to conduct a cohort follow-up and, therefore, to measure changes associated with the use of the SCS service. The current study aims for a sample of at least 250 people recruited within the service. Indicator measurement is carried out using a questionnaire administered with the assistance of the research team and supported by SCS staff. The questionnaire consists of various scales validated in the scientific literature and already used in the REVE-DROOM study. Given the similarity of the proposed Link-Up system with the one implemented at GATE, the results of the two Brussels SCSs will be the subject of a comparative analysis.

The leading cause of death is cardiovascular diseases in occidental countries. Of those, atherosclerosis is the major contributor to this burden being notably responsible for strokes and myocardial infarctions. The genesis of atherosclerosis is linked to both lipid accumulation and inflammation in the vascular wall of major arteries. One of the major pathways of inflammation is the TGF-beta axis which is at least partially regulated by the GARP protein. It has been investigated mostly in cancer biology but data in cardiovascular disease is lacking. Thus, the investigators aim to characterize the contribution of this protein by investigating its expression in circulating blood cells from patients with an acute or chronic coronary syndrom. The main cells expressing the GARP protein are the platelets and the T regulating cells which will be the main focus.

Introduction: Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have more mental health problems than typically developping adolescents (without ASD). Coping strategies are a key concern for adolescents with ASD in managing depressive and anxiety symptoms. Currently, few studies have examined the coping strategies used by adolescents with ASD. The methodological considerations underscore the need for an assessment method tailored to adolescents with ASD. Finally, although current data are still limited, the results suggest that there may be differences between the coping strategies used by adolescents with ASD and typically developing adolescents, thus calling for more in-depth comparative research. Objectives: This study aims to validate a coping strategies assessment method adapted for adolescents with ASD (1) and to examine coping strategies associated with internalizing symptoms (2) Population: 252 participants: 84 adolescents with ASD (1), 84 adolescents with autistic traits but no clinical diagnosis of ASD (2), and 84 typically developing adolescents (3). The age range is 12-17 years. Study design: The study is divided into two parts: a cross-sectional part (T) and a longitudinal part (L). * The cross-sectional part will include three meetings spread over a period of approximately three months (approximately one meeting per month). * The longitudinal part will consist of a meeting scheduled one year after the last meeting of the cross-sectional part.

This study aims to better understand the role of immune system cells in lung diseases such as lung cancer, sarcoidosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The investigators are studying how these immune cells can sometimes help the body defend itself, but in other cases may contribute to cancer growth or long-term lung inflammation. Although recent treatments like immunotherapy have improved cancer care, only a small proportion of patients currently benefit from these therapies. One goal of this research is to understand why some patients do not respond or develop resistance to treatment. The knowledge gained from this study may help researchers develop more effective and personalized treatments for people with lung diseases in the future.

The leading cause of death is cardiovascular diseases in occidental countries. Of those, atherosclerosis is the major contributor to this burden being notably responsible for strokes and myocardial infarctions. The genesis of atherosclerosis is linked to both lipid accumulation and inflammation in the vascular wall of major arteries. One of the major pathways of inflammation is the TGF-beta axis which is at least partially regulated by the GARP protein. It has been investigated mostly in cancer biology but data in cardiovascular disease is lacking. Thus, the investigators aim to characterize the contribution of this protein by investigating its expression in tissue from patients with atherosclerosis, the carotid or femoral plaque representing a good source of residual material adequate for research purpose. The main cells expressing the GARP protein are the platelets and the T regulating cells which will be the main focus.

The aim of this research is to understand what motivates women giving birth in Belgium to choose a particular place of birth and their experiences of childbirth. This understanding is made possible by collecting qualitative data from women who have given birth (from the first month after giving birth up to one year postpartum). The objective here is to understand what motivates the choice of place of birth (with a focus on the notion of 'non-choice') and to gain insight into the childbirth experiences of women giving birth in Belgium. The researcher also meets with birth companions (perinatal health professionals and birth companions such as doulas, for example) to understand their professional practice and their choice of workplace (home, birth centre or cottage, traditional hospital ward, university hospital ward, etc.).

The purpose of the study is to validate biomarkers in blood and tumor biopsy in patients with Triple Negative Breast Cancer, after a course of MitoQ treatment

Identify rare variants in candidate genes and pathways identified in familial SSc, in patients with sporadic SSc. Perform (spatial) transcriptomic and proteomic analyses of affected skin from patients with and without cutaneous fibrosis, for the patterns and levels of expression/activation of candidate genes and pathways. Test for dysregulation of expression/activation of candidate genes and pathways in live cells isolated from the blood and skin biopsy of patients, and for the impact of these dysregulations on cell appearance, behavior and function.

This study investigates epigenetic changes in menstrual effluent and plasma from women with endometriosis to identify potential non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers for the disease.

Population: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and seronegative / psoriatic / undifferentiated arthritis (UA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or diffuse systemic sclerosis dSS). Naïve to basic treatment OR treated for ≤ 3 months; except for patients with JIA. These 5 cohorts will be subject to standardized clinical monitoring.