Clinical trials

Cheese molars (MIH: molar incisor hypomineralisation) can be recognized not only by their colour abnormalities but also by their hypersensitivity. Clinical management of these teeth may become challenging by the chronic hypersensitivity, which makes various steps of a treatment, such as pain control or light curing of any type of composite restorations, difficult or even impossible, despite profound local anesthesia. Hypersensitivity can be detected by the clinician based on the patient's statements or reaction. On the other hand, colours and structural abnormalities can be easily assessed by visual inspection. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between hypersensitivity and the colour of the enamel defect on young first permanent molars. A correlation between colour of the defect and hypersensitivity could enable early prognosis leading to preventive measures in order to delay, amplify or even avoid the onset of the symptoms. Children diagnosed with MIH on their first permanent molars of different severity are matched to children with sound molars. They are identified by the annual school dental check-up and are invited to take part in the study. The children will be invited to the university dental clinic via letter for the first appointment. Upon parental consent, the teeth will be photographed and scanned as well as investigated for hypersensitivity through a gentle air blast.

Cheese molars (MIH) can be recognized not only by their colour abnormalities but also by the enamel breakdown. Clinical management of those teeth may become challenging by the chronic hypersensitivity, that makes various steps during treatment, such as pain control or light curing of any type of composite restorations, difficult or even impossible, despite profound local anaesthesia. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between colour of the defect and loss of ename in the affected teeth. A correlation between colour of the defect and risk of enamel breakdown could enable early prognosis leading to preventive measures in order to delay or even avoid completely any breakdown of the enamel. Children diagnosed with MIH on their first permanent molars of different severity are matched to children with sound molars. They are identified by the annual school dental check-up and are invited to take part in the study. The children will be invited to the university dental clinic via letter for the first appointment. Upon parental consent, the teeth will be photographed and scanned on the first appointment. Three follo-up appointments will be organised in order to take pictures and scan again the teeth. The baselne scan of the tetth will be compared to the scans of the subsequent appointments in order to measure the level of enamel breakdown and correlate it to the colour of the defect.

Breast, colorectal, ovarian, and endometrial cancers constitute approximately 30% of newly diagnosed cancer cases in Switzerland and affect more than 12,000 individuals annually. Several hundred of these patients are likely to carry known genetic mutations associated with HBOC or LS. Genetic testing for hereditary susceptibility to cancer can prevent many cancer deaths through early identification and engagement in high-risk management care that involves intensive surveillance, chemoprevention and/or prophylactic surgery. However, current rates of genetic testing indicate that many Swiss mutation carriers and their family members do not use cancer genetic services (counseling and/or testing), either due to lack of coordination of care or due to lack of communication about the mutation among family members. Cascade screening identifies and tests family members of a known mutation carrier. It determines whether asymptomatic family members are carriers of the identified mutation and proposes management options to reduce harmful outcomes. Robust evidence of basic science and descriptive population-based studies in Switzerland support the necessity of cascade screening for HBOC and LS. However, translation of this knowledge into public health interventions is lacking. Specific Aims of the CASCADE study are: 1. Survey Index Patients diagnosed with HBOC or LS from clinic-based genetic testing records and determine their cancer status and surveillance practices; needs for coordination of medical care; psychosocial needs; patient-provider and patient-family communication needs; quality of life; willingness to serve as advocates for cancer genetic services for blood relatives. 2. Survey first- and second-degree relatives, and first cousins identified from pedigrees and/or family history records of HBOC and LS Index Patients and determine their cancer and mutation status; cancer surveillance practices; needs for coordination of medical care; barriers and facilitators to using cancer genetic services; psychosocial needs; patient-provider and patient-family communication needs; quality of life; willingness to participate in a study designed to increase use of cancer genetic services. 3. Explore the influence of patient-provider communication about genetic cancer risk on patient-family communication and the acceptability of a family-based communication, coping, and decision support intervention with focus group(s) of mutation carriers and blood relatives.

The relevance of driving under the influence of cannabis is becoming increasingly important in the context of legalization. However, the measurement of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) blood concentration is an inadequate marker for assessing driving impairment. Currently, there is no reliable marker available for estimating the time of last cannabis inhalation, which would provide a promising tool for regulating driving under the influence of cannabis. This pilot study aims to explore potential biomarkers and factors that could approximate the timing of the last cannabis inhalation, with emphasis on the potential explanation of interindividual differences in THC pharmacokinetics and -dynamics. The results will assist future research aimed at improving the ability to distinguish between impaired and unimpaired cannabis users in road traffic. These findings are of significant importance for road safety and for society at large, as they may provide more objective markers for cannabis inhalation, thereby permitting a methodologically sound evaluation of driving under the influence of cannabis.

This study aims to explore the impact of Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) on brain signal complexity in patients with minimally conscious state (MCS) by analyzing electroencephalogram (EEG) entropy. MCS patients typically exhibit reduced brain entropy compared to healthy individuals, indicating lower brain complexity. The study will assess whether AAT can enhance this complexity, which is crucial for understanding consciousness levels. Entropy, a measure of randomness in brain activity, will be used to evaluate AAT's effectiveness. In addition, electrocardiography (ECG), electrodermal activity (EDA) and behavioral measurements will also be collected.

Cognitive deficits, including working memory deficits, are often present in depression and there are currently no effective pharmacological treatments targeting working memory deficits. Papassotiropoulos et al. (2024) has recently demonstrated that fampridine, a potassium channel blocker, can enhance working memory in healthy individuals with lower baseline performance, suggesting it may hold potential for addressing cognitive deficits in clinical populations. The primary aim of this study is to evaluate whether fampridine improves working memory performance in mild to moderate depression

The study aims to investigate how the inclusion of an animal into a trauma-focused group therapy program (TF-CBT) affects therapy motivation of children and adolescents suffering from post-traumatic stress. 80 children and adolescents aged 9 to 17 years are recruited for the study. Participants must have experienced at least one traumatic event leading to post-traumatic stress symptoms. Participants are randomly allocated to one of two groups: animal-assisted trauma-focused therapy (AA TF-CBT) or standard trauma-focused therapy (TF-CBT). Parallel to the groups the parents/guardians of the participating children and adolescents take part in three parent meetings. The results of the study help to gain insights into how the inclusion of animals in trauma-focused psychotherapy can contribute to children and adolescents attending therapy, being more motivated in therapy, and can successfully complete therapy.

The aim of the study is to investigate the needed extent and the way a dog is integrated into psychotherapeutic interventions for them to be motivating and alliance building for children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders aged 9 to 17 years old. Specifically, we want to elaborate if the dog needs to be integrated into the therapy in a form that it is part of the therapeutic context or if the presence of the dog without being part of the therapeutic context per se is beneficial.