Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri Spa

This study tests whether a special education program called 'Asthma School' can help adults with asthma have fewer flare-ups and avoid emergency room visits or hospital stays. About 92 participants will be split into two groups: one that attends the school and one that gets usual…

This phase 2 trial is testing whether giving the drug pembrolizumab before thyroid surgery can help the immune system attack high-risk differentiated thyroid cancer. About 25 adults with a high chance of cancer returning will receive two doses of pembrolizumab before their thyroi…

This study tests whether adding the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab to standard chemotherapy before surgery can shrink advanced sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma (SNUC), a rare and aggressive sinus cancer. About 28 adults with newly diagnosed, locally advanced SNUC will recei…

This study is testing a new device that uses specially designed bacteria and laser technology to find and study rare tumor cells in the blood of breast cancer patients. The goal is to improve early detection and personalized treatment. The study will include 80 women with either …

This study tests a new handheld device that uses light and artificial intelligence to check for leftover cancer cells right after a breast lump is removed. The goal is to help surgeons remove all cancer in one go, avoiding a second surgery. About 104 women having breast-conservin…

This study is testing whether an artificial intelligence system can help doctors find signs of damage in the small bowel during endoscopy. The AI is trained to spot atrophy and other abnormalities linked to celiac disease and similar conditions. Researchers will compare the AI's …

This study is testing a new, highly sensitive blood test to measure tiny particles called extracellular vesicles that are released by breast cancer cells. Researchers will compare levels in women with early or metastatic breast cancer to healthy controls. The goal is to see if th…

This study tests whether combining arm and leg endurance training is better than leg training alone for improving daily activities in people with COPD. 36 participants with moderate-to-severe COPD will undergo 14 supervised sessions. The main goal is to see if the combined traini…

This study tests whether a gentle, non-invasive electrical stimulation on the ear (called trans-auricular vagus nerve stimulation) can help people recover arm movement after a stroke. About 48 adults who had a stroke within the last 6 months will receive either real or fake stimu…

This study tests whether adding music-like sounds (sonification) to standard walking rehabilitation can improve gait, balance, and quality of life. 120 adults with Parkinson's disease, stroke, or multiple sclerosis will be randomly assigned to standard rehab or rehab with sonific…

This study looks at whether using special prismatic lenses along with computer brain games can help improve thinking and behavior in people who have had a traumatic brain injury. About 50 adults will take part, with half getting the lenses plus games and the other half getting ga…

This study compares a high-tech rehabilitation program—using robotic systems, virtual reality, and balance platforms—to standard physical therapy for people with acute neuromuscular diseases like Guillain-Barré syndrome. About 124 adults aged 18 to 80 will participate. The goal i…

This study is testing whether listening to specially chosen music every day for 4 weeks can help reduce anxiety and depression in people who have recently had a stroke. About 132 participants will either receive the music therapy plus standard care, or standard care alone. The go…

This study tests whether adding music to standard exercise training helps people with COPD and chronic respiratory failure improve their walking distance and feel less breathless. 156 participants will either do usual rehab or rehab while listening to music they choose (rock, mod…

This study looks at whether adding maximal strength training (heavy leg presses) to standard endurance exercise helps people with COPD walk more efficiently and feel less breathless. Twenty participants will do either strength-plus-endurance or endurance-only training for 8 weeks…

This study tests a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called HD-tDCS for people with chronic pain that hasn't improved with other treatments. 144 participants will be randomly assigned to receive either real (anodal or cathodal) or sham (placebo) stimulation over five sessi…

This study tests personalized speech therapy delivered online for people with primary progressive aphasia (PPA), a condition that slowly destroys language skills. Researchers will enroll 30 adults with mild PPA and tailor exercises to their specific variant. The goal is to see if…

This study compares two types of exercise for people with COPD who recently left the hospital after a flare-up. One group does high-intensity strength training with heavy weights and few repetitions, while the other does traditional endurance exercise. The goal is to see which ap…

This pilot study tests whether combining prismatic lenses with mild brain stimulation (tDCS) can reduce spatial neglect in people who had a right-brain ischemic stroke. Spatial neglect makes it hard to notice things on one side of the body. Thirty participants will receive either…

This study looks at whether giving extra oxygen during a 6-minute walk test helps people with chronic lung disease walk farther and feel better. About 114 adults with conditions like COPD or interstitial lung disease will do two walking tests—one with their usual oxygen and one w…

This study uses brain scans (fMRI) to understand how healthy people make decisions and how aging changes this process. Researchers will recruit 150 healthy adults to complete thinking tasks and brain imaging. The goal is to gather baseline data, not to treat any disease.

This study looks at how 200 healthy adults make decisions, such as how they weigh potential losses against gains. Researchers want to see if decision-making stays stable over time and if age plays a role. The goal is to create a baseline that can help doctors spot changes in deci…

This study looks at how healthy brains process social information, like understanding others' feelings. Researchers will use brain scans (fMRI) and brain wave recordings (EEG) to see which brain areas are active during social thinking tasks. The goal is to create a baseline of no…

This study uses a survey to find out how well people with existing heart disease understand their risk factors and their chances of having another heart problem. Researchers will compare answers from 200 women and men to see if there are differences. The goal is to learn where aw…

This study observes 280 people with Parkinson's disease or multiple system atrophy to understand how pain and automatic body functions (like blood pressure and digestion) affect their lives. Participants will undergo standard rehabilitation and be assessed with questionnaires. Th…

This study follows 100 people with ALS to see how their autonomic and sensory nerves change over time. Researchers will use skin biopsies and other tests to track nerve damage and look for biomarkers that could help predict disease progression. The goal is to better understand AL…

This study looks at how multiple sclerosis affects the autonomic nervous system, which controls automatic body functions like heart rate and sweating. Researchers will use skin biopsies and heart tests to measure nerve damage in 60 people with relapsing-remitting or primary progr…

This observational study looks at how people with different eating disorders—like ARFID, anorexia, and bulimia—think and process information. Researchers will use questionnaires and computer tasks to measure traits like cognitive flexibility and body perception. The goal is to be…

This study looks at how changes in muscles and the brain are linked in aging and diseases like ALS, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's. Researchers will compare healthy older adults with those who have these conditions to find early signs of disease. The goal is to better understand ri…

This study uses smartphone surveys to track the real-life burden of hereditary angioedema (HAE) in 30 adults. Participants answer quick questions about their symptoms, mood, and daily activities every other day for 8 weeks. The goal is to capture day-to-day changes that standard …

This study follows 70 people who have lost a lower limb due to diabetes or vascular disease. It looks at how they adjust physically and emotionally over time. Some participants will receive a standard rehab program, while others will also use technology-based exercises. The goal …

This study looks at how focal brain injuries affect mental time travel — the ability to imagine past or future events. Researchers will ask participants to judge whether a person in a photo likely experienced a certain life event years ago or will experience it in the future. The…

This study is creating and testing an Italian version of a questionnaire that measures how much chronic low back pain limits daily activities. Researchers will ask 115 adults with back pain for at least 3 months to fill out the new questionnaire along with other standard forms. T…

The TRIAD study is testing whether combining biological markers, psychological tests, and social factors can help diagnose Alzheimer's disease earlier and more accurately. Researchers will follow 80 patients with cognitive decline and their caregivers, collecting data through mem…

This study takes small tumor samples from 240 women with invasive breast cancer who are scheduled for chemotherapy before surgery. Researchers will grow these samples into mini-tumors (organoids) in the lab to study each cancer's unique features. The goal is to see if these lab m…

This study looks at whether the way people make decisions about effort can predict how well they stick with CPAP therapy for obstructive sleep apnea. Researchers will test memory, planning, and decision-making in 64 adults before and after starting CPAP. The goal is to understand…