Welcome to the Other Brain and Nervous System Studies Page

SEX ASSIGNED AT BIRTH: Female

Women's Health

AGE: 65 and up

DURATION: Approximately 2-4 weeks

LOCATION: UPMC Montefiore Hospital – Oakland

COMPENSATION: $190 & transportation costs/free parking

Brain and Bladder Study – Females Aged 18-45

Are you female and aged 18-45? Do you experience “overactive bladder” and urinary urge incontinence (a sudden, strong urge to urinate that results in urine leakage)? You may be able to take part in a research study to help better understand the relationship between the brain and the bladder. Compensation and transportation/parking provided.

Incontinence

SEX ASSIGNED AT BIRTH: Female

Women's Health

AGE: 18-45

DURATION: Approximately 2-4 weeks

LOCATION: UPMC Montefiore Hospital - Oakland

COMPENSATION: $190 & transportation costs/free parking

Smart Speaker and Skill Use: What do We Know?

Do you have a physical, visual or mild cognitive disability? Do you use a smart speacker 3 times a week or more? You may be eligiblie to participate in a research study to learn about persons with disabilities experiences using smart speaker skills. Compensation provided.

VISITS: 1 online survey and 1 focus group

Caregiver Health

Cataracts

Chromosomal Disorders

And 11 more areas

AGE: 18 and over

LOCATION: Online or in person

COMPENSATION: $25

Sensorimotor Imaging for Brain-Computer Interfaces – Individuals with ALS

Have you been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)? Has this caused a decrease or absent feeling in your hands/fingers? If so, you may be eligible to participate in a study using fMRI to map arm and hand-related brain activity in the part of the brain that generates movement signals and feels touch. This study involves 1-2 visits. Compensation and parking provided.

Other Physical Disability

LOCATION: UPMC Presbyterian Hospital - Oakland

DURATION: 4 hours

VISITS: 1-2

COMPENSATION: $150 & validated parking

7T COVID Study –Participants with Severe Illness (NOT COVID-19)

Are you 45-80 years of age? Were you admitted to a UPMC hospital for a severe infection (such as pneumonia or skin infection) that was not COVID-19 between March 2020 - July 2022? You may be able to participate in a study that involves completing questionnaires, undergoing psychological testing, providing a blood sample, and undergoing a specialized MRI scan of the brain. Compensation is provided.

Influenza

Other Immune System/Infections

AGE: 45-80

DURATION: 1 month

LOCATION: Biomedical Science Tower 3, UPMC Montefiore Hospital, and by phone

COMPENSATION: Gift card of up to $200 after completion of study

Multimodal Connectome Study – Congenital Heart Disease

Are you an adult between ages 18-60 years old who has Congenital Heart Disease? If so, you may be eligible to participate in a study to help researchers determine if differences in how the brain is formed and how it functions can predict behavior variations in different populations. Must be willing and able to undergo MRI scanning. Involves one study visit. Compensation provided.

Arrhythmia

Atherosclerosis

Heart and Circulation

Heart Failure

And 4 more areas

AGE: 18-60

LOCATION: Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC

COMPENSATION: $75.00

Painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Study

Do you have Painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (PDPN)? You may be eligible to participate in a research study to find out if different treatments have an effect on painful neuropathy due to diabetes. Compensation is provided.

Diabetes

VISITS: 10 visits between 1-3 hours

AGE: 18 and over

DURATION: 22 weeks

LOCATION: UPMC Pain Medicine Clinic - Centre Commons 5750 Centre Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206

COMPENSATION: Up to $850

VISITS: 1 visit or phone call

MyPaTH Story Booth 2.0

Interested in sharing your story about health, illness, or research? Patients and caregivers are needed to participate in a research study to help learn more about topics that are important to you and that may improve health and health care. Participation involves one 45-minute session that takes place over the phone. Eligible participants must be able to read and understand English.

DURATION: 45 minutes

LOCATION: By phone

COMPENSATION: Up to $20

DURATION: About 45 minutes

MyPaTH Story Booth – COVID-19 Stories

Participants are invited to share how they are maintaining their health during the coronavirus pandemic, or to share what it is like being ill with COVID-19 and/or caring for a loved one who is ill with COVID-19. Participation in this research study involves one 45-minute session that takes place over the phone. Eligible participants must be able to read and understand English.

VISITS: No in-person visits

LOCATION: By phone

COMPENSATION: Up to $20

REGISTRY

VISITS: None Required

Movement Disorders Research Registry

Do you have a movement disorder? If so, you may be able to participate in the Movement Disorders Registry. This registry is a list of individuals who are interested in being contacted about future research studies.

LOCATION: By email or phone

ABLE Study (ADHD Behaviors, Lifestyle, and Environment Study) – Ages 18-22

Were you first diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as an adult (age 18 or older)? Are you currently prescribed ADHD medication? Are you 18-22 years old? You may be able to participate in a study to learn more about the timing of receiving a diagnosis of, and treatment for, ADHD. Participation involves completing 3 online surveys over 3 years. Compensation is provided.

Other Mental Health and Behavior

Remote Research

AGE: 18-22

DURATION: 3 years

VISITS: 3 surveys

LOCATION: Online

COMPENSATION: Up to $325

Speech and Language Development in Adults Who Stutter

Are you aged 18-65 and currently stutter? You may be able to participate in a research study to learn more about how speech and language skills develop and change over time. This study will involve 1-3 sessions, each lasting about 1-3 hours. Eligible participants are native English speakers. Compensation is provided.

Featured Research

Speech and Language Disorders

AGE: 18-65

DURATION: 1-3 hours each visit

VISITS: 1-2

LOCATION: Forbes Tower - Oakland & Online

COMPENSATION: $10 per hour

NeuCLA / NLA: Lidocaine and Pain MRI Research Study

Are you 18-70 years old without any serious chronic medical conditions? You may be eligible to participate in an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) study to better determine the effect that lidocaine has on pain perception. Compensation is provided.

SEX ASSIGNED AT BIRTH:

AGE: 18-70

DURATION: 3 hours

VISITS: One screening call and one in-person visit

LOCATION: University of Pittsburgh - Main Campus

COMPENSATION: $150

Brain Connections for Arm Movement after Stroke

Are you over 21 and have you had a stroke? You may be able to participate in a research study that hopes to learn how different brain areas control movement before and after stroke and when these brain areas are most sensitive to stimulation.

DURATION: 4 months

LOCATION: Oakland

COMPENSATION: $20

Evaluation of the Health App Review Tool (HART)

Are you a clinician who has worked with individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias? Or are you a professional in the field of digital health design? You may be able to participate in a research study that will contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the area of digital health support for the Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia community.

Healthy Aging

DURATION: 60-90 minutes

AGE: 18 and over

VISITS: 1 visit

LOCATION: Bakery Square – East Liberty on Online

COMPENSATION: $30

Smartphone Self-Care for Chronic Conditions

Do you have spina bifida, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, or cerebral palsy? Researchers at Pitt are looking for adults with these chronic conditions to give feedback on new smartphone apps designed to make self-care more manageable. Compensation provided.

Chromosomal Disorders

LOCATION: Multiple clinic locations in East End, or at home

DURATION: Varies

COMPENSATION: $25 per completed session

Brain Development Research Study – Ages 18-26

Are you a healthy 18-26 year old? You may be able to participate in a study to understand how our brain changes as we develop into adults. This study involves completing questionnaires, playing computer games, and undergoing brain and EEG scans. Compensation is provided.

Brain and Neurological Disorders

Balance Disorders

Concussion

And 6 more areas

AGE: 18-26

DURATION: 36 months

VISITS: 3

LOCATION: Loeffler Building & UPMC Presbyterian Hospital - Oakland

COMPENSATION: Up to $275

Spinal Cord Stimulation for the treatment of motor deficits in people with Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Are you affected by Spinal Muscular Atrophy? You may be able to participate in a research study using spinal cord stimulation (SCS), an approved clinical therapy for pain syndromes that do not respond to drugs. Unexpectedly, SCS has shown the ability to promote the recovery of leg motor function in people with complete motor paralysis in consequence of spinal cord injury years after injury.

DURATION: 9 months

VISITS: 35 visits

LOCATION: UPMC Presbyterian

COMPENSATION: $1750

Thinking in the Real World and the Brain (TReW Brain) Study

Are you 20-45 years old? Does it sometimes feel like you have a hard time turning off your brain (having thoughts that play over and over again in your mind)? You may be able to participate in a study that aims to understand how certain kinds of thoughts change brain activity and real world experiences. Study procedures involve completing an interview and an fMRI scan. Compensation is provided.

Anxiety

Depression

DURATION: Approximately 3-6 weeks

AGE: 20-45

VISITS: 3

LOCATION: Sennott Square or via Zoom & Pitt-CMU BRIDGE Center - Oakland

COMPENSATION: Up to $377

7T COVID Study

Are you 45-80 years of age? Were you admitted to a UPMC hospital for COVID-19 between March 2020 - July 2022? You may be able to participate in a study to identify the effects of COVID-19 infection on the brain. This study involves completing questionnaires, undergoing psychological testing, providing a blood sample, and undergoing a specialized MRI scan of the brain. Compensation is provided.

COVID-19

Other Immune System/Infections

AGE: 45-80

DURATION: 1 month

LOCATION: Biomedical Science Tower 3, UPMC Montefiore Hospital, and by phone

COMPENSATION: Gift card of up to $200 after completion of study

All of Us Pennsylvania Research Program

You may be able to change the future of medicine. The All of Us PA Research Program is enrolling adults 18 years of age or older. This may be your chance to improve how your children and your children’s children receive medical care.

VISITS: one in person visit

LOCATION: Convenient locations throughout Pennsylvania

COMPENSATION: $25.00 gift card

Caregiver Assisted Transfer Technique Instrument (CATT) Evaluation Study – Care Recipient

Have you had a physical disability diagnosis for at least the past 2 years? Do you use a wheeled mobility device at least 30 hours/week, and require assistance with transfers? You and your caregiver may be able to participate in a study to evaluate CATT by using it to find out how individuals with physical disabilities and their caregivers perform assisted transfers. Compensation is provided.

DURATION: Up to 3.5 hours

LOCATION: Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL) – East Side, or in-home & via Zoom

COMPENSATION: $50

Real World Testing of AAC-BCI

Do have a have a severe disability, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, or locked-in syndrome? If so, you may be interested in participating in a study that would provide an augmentative and alternative communication system with brain computer interface access that could be used in the home. Eligible participants require wheelchair assistive technology.

Speech and Language Disorders

DURATION: Up to 2 years

VISITS: Monthly visits to your home

LOCATION: ICAN Talk Clinic – Carnegie, PA & your home

Memory and Attention Training for Individuals with Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GIST)

Have you been diagnosed with a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST)? Have you been taking a tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy (Imatinib) for at least one year? You may be able to participate in a study to examine an intervention to treat changes in memory and concentration in people with GIST. Study participation involves completing an 8-week intervention using the computer and phone.

Colorectal Cancer

Other Cancers

Remote Research

LOCATION: Videoconference & phone

DURATION: 12 weeks

VISITS: 1 initial visit, with yearly follow-up

Senior Moments Study – Healthy Volunteers Needed!

Do you experience occasional “senior moments” with your memory? Are you an African American man or woman who is at least 60 years old? Do you have a family member or close friend who can accompany you on study visits? If so, you may be able to participate in a research study to help identify memory problems at the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

AGE: 60 and older

LOCATION: UPMC Montefiore

COMPENSATION: Parking Provided

The Reading Brain Project – Healthy 18-40 year olds with Dyslexia

Do you have dyslexia? Are you a healthy 18-40 year old? You may be able to participate in a study to better understand how different areas of your brain are important for reading. Eligible participants must be right-handed and willing to commit to coming in for study procedures on several different days. This study involves MRI scanning. Compensation is provided.

Healthy Volunteer

DURATION: Up to 3 weeks

AGE: 18-40

VISITS: 10-12 online sessions & 3 in-person visits

LOCATION: Online, Learning Research and Development Center (LRDC) & CMU-Pitt BRIDGE Center - Oakland

COMPENSATION: Up to $350 & parking/travel reimbursement

Enroll-HD

Are you the spouse, caregiver, or family member of someone affected by Huntington’s disease (HD)? If so, you may be able to participate in a research study that is collecting data in an effort to improve understanding and treatment of Huntington’s disease (HD).

Huntington Disease

VISITS: Once per year

LOCATION: Kaufmann Medical Building Oakland

COMPENSATION: Travel Reimbursement

Telehealth and Memory Study

Are you a breast cancer survivor who completed chemotherapy one to five years ago? Do you have problems with your memory, concentration, and/or attention? You may be able to participate in a research study to test two treatments that may help breast cancer survivors improve cognitive function. This study involves 8 weeks of therapy completed online or by mobile phone, and optional MRI scanning.

Breast Cancer

Featured Research

Remote Research

DURATION: 14 hours over 9 months

LOCATION: Online (optional MRI visits at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital – Oakland)

COMPENSATION: Compensation provided for optional MRI scans only

SCS-90 Study

Do you have a leg amputation above the ankle and below the knee? Did your amputation occur more than 6 months ago? You may be able to participate in a research study to help develop a neuroprosthetic device that stimulates nerves with the goal of producing sensations that feel like they come from the amputated limb. Eligible participants are 22-70 years old. Compensation is provided.

DURATION: Up to 9 months

And 1 more area

AGE: 22-70

VISITS: Up to 50

LOCATION: University of Pittsburgh - Oakland

COMPENSATION: up to $3,300

Cancer and Cognition Research Study - GIST

Do you have a newly diagnosed gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), but have not yet started treatment? If so, you may be able to participate in a research study to help learn more about possible changes in memory and concentration over time in people being treated for GIST. Participants will complete four assessments over one year via online surveys and telephone interviews.

VISITS: 4 assessments (no in-person visits)

LOCATION: Online & By Phone

A Sensorimotor Microelectrode Brain-Machine Interface

Do you have little or no ability to use your hands due to a cervical spinal cord injury, brainstem stroke, or spinal stroke? Are you aged 22-70? If so, you may be eligible to take part in a research study involving brain-machine interface (BMI) technology. BMI technology uses signals recorded from the brain to control devices such as a computer or a robotic limb. Compensation provided.

Featured Research

LOCATION: UPMC Presbyterian Hospital – Oakland

AGE: 22 - 70

DURATION: 25 months

VISITS: Multiple

COMPENSATION: Up to $14,810 & travel costs

ForAging: Facilitating Optimal Routines in Aging

Are you age 60 or older and do you have difficulty managing daily tasks such as shopping, paying bills, managing medications, etc.? If so, you may be eligible to participate in a research study to help find out if regular sessions with a rehabilitation specialist can help older adults improve their performance of daily activities. Compensation is provided.

Healthy Aging

DURATION: About 15 months

AGE: 60 and older

VISITS: Varies

LOCATION: UPMC Presbyterian Hospital & Participant’s Home

COMPENSATION: Up to $220

Remote Wheelchair Maintenance Training Program

Do you use a wheelchair as your primary means of mobility (over 40 hours a week) due to a traumatic spinal cord injury? If so, you may be interested in participating in a research study to find out if an online training program designed to teach people how to improve wheelchair maintenance techniques is effective. Compensation provided.

COMPENSATION: Varies based on participation

Dementia with Lewy Bodies Consortium (DLBC)

Do you have diagnosed or suspected dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), mild cognitive impairment that may progress to DLB, or Parkinson’s disease dementia? If so, you may be able to participate in a research study to help learn more about DLB and find better ways to identify and treat the disease in the future. Compensation is provided.

DURATION: About 5 years

Parkinson's Disease

AGE: 40 - 90

VISITS: 8 visits

LOCATION: UPMC Montefiore Hospital, UPMC Presbyterian Hospital, & Kaufmann Medical Building

COMPENSATION: Up to $1,350 + parking reimbursement

PROMOTE Study

Do you have a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis or a related disorder? If so, you may be able to participate in a research study to help better understand the factors that explain the differences among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Study involves answering questionnaires, reviewing medical records and participating in other optional research activities.

DURATION: Up to 30 years

VISITS: Multiple

LOCATION: University of Pittsburgh - Oakland